Which Caribbean island is the largest by area?

Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean by area.

The long, narrow island forms the largest part of the Republic of Cuba and lies between the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Havana, on the northwestern coast, is the country’s capital and largest city.

Cuba’s geography includes mountain ranges, fertile plains, wetlands and a coastline marked by bays and coral reefs. The island’s western region is known for tobacco cultivation, while sugar production historically became one of its defining industries.

Cuba is the largest island in the West Indies. It is sometimes confused with Hispaniola, which is shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, but Hispaniola is smaller and lies to Cuba’s southeast. Cuba’s political history includes Spanish colonial rule, independence in 1902 and the Cuban Revolution of 1959.