US Possessions of Cuba year 1900/1920 Airmail MNH stamps

US Possessions of Cuba year 1900/1920 Airmail MNH stamps

The United States had several possessions in Cuba during the late 19th and early 20th centuries:

1. Guantánamo Bay: The most well-known U.S. possession in Cuba is Guantánamo Bay, a strategically located naval base on the southeastern coast of Cuba. The United States obtained control of Guantánamo Bay under the terms of the 1903 Cuban-American Treaty, which granted the U.S. the right to lease the area for use as a coaling and naval station. The U.S. Navy continues to operate the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base to this day.
2. Isle of Pines (Isla de la Juventud): The Isle of Pines, now known as Isla de la Juventud, is an island located south of the Cuban mainland. Following the Spanish-American War in 1898, the Isle of Pines was occupied by the United States. In the 1901 Platt Amendment, which defined the conditions for Cuban independence from Spain, the United States claimed sovereignty over the Isle of Pines. However, in 1925, the Treaty of Relations between the United States and Cuba affirmed Cuba’s sovereignty over the island, and it became part of Cuba’s territory.
3. Naval Station at Bahía Honda: The United States also operated a naval station at Bahía Honda, located on the northern coast of Cuba, from 1898 to 1901. However, control of this naval station was relinquished to the Cuban government following the ratification of the Platt Amendment in 1901.

These U.S. possessions in Cuba were significant during a period of increased U.S. involvement in Cuban affairs following the Spanish-American War. While some, like Guantánamo Bay, remain under U.S. control to this day, others, like the Isle of Pines, were eventually returned to Cuban sovereignty through diplomatic agreements.