Inlet of the Caribbean Sea, southeastern Cuba.
It is one of the largest bays in the world: its harbour is about 6 mi (9 km) wide and 12 mi (19 km) long. Its strategic importance was recognized during the Spanish-American War , when U.S. marines landed there in 1898. A U.S. naval base, established in 1903, remained there even after hostilities erupted between the two countries in 1959; the base served as an internment facility for suspected Islamic militants beginning in 2002.