Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean Sea.
Cuba covers about 109,884 square kilometres, making it the biggest island in the Caribbean island group and the largest country in the region by land area. It stretches roughly 1,250 kilometres from west to east, giving it a long, curved shape often compared with an alligator or crocodile.
Cuba is also the largest island in the Greater Antilles, a group that includes Hispaniola, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. Its capital and largest city is Havana, on the island’s northwestern coast. The island’s geography includes mountains, fertile plains, wetlands and extensive coastlines.
A common mix-up is confusing Cuba with Hispaniola, which is divided between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Hispaniola is the second-largest island in the Caribbean, while Jamaica and Puerto Rico are considerably smaller. Cuba’s size and position have made it a major historical and cultural center of the Caribbean.