What was the naval base at Guantanamo Bay used for?

It was first leased by the United States for use as a coaling station and naval base in 1903 and is the oldest overseas U.S. naval base. Since 2002, the naval base has contained a military prison, for alleged unlawful combatants captured in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other places during the War on terror.

How did America get Guantanamo Bay?

The United States first seized Guantánamo Bay and established a naval base there in 1898 during the Spanish–American War in the Battle of Guantánamo Bay. In 1903, the United States and Cuba signed a lease granting the United States permission to use the land as a coaling and naval station.

What’s the name of the Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay?

Guantanamo Bay Naval Base ( Spanish: Base Naval de la Bahía de Guantánamo ), officially known as Naval Station Guantanamo Bay or NSGB, (also called GTMO because of the abbreviation of Guantanamo or Gitmo because of the common pronunciation of this word by the U.S.

What was the name of the prison at Guantanamo Bay?

For the film, see Camp X-Ray (film). Camp X-Ray, shown here under construction, was a temporary holding facility for detainees held at U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Camp X-Ray was a temporary detention facility at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp of Joint Task Force Guantanamo on the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base .

How many people have died at Guantanamo Bay?

At least nine detainees have died in custody. The US Defense Department spent about $445 million to run Guantánamo Bay in 2015, down from $522.2 million in 2010. 1903 – The new Republic of Cuba leases 45 square miles of land in Guantánamo Bay to the United States for construction of a naval station.

When did Guantanamo Bay come under British control?

The bay and surrounding areas briefly came under British control during the War of Jenkins’ Ear. Prior to the outbreak of the conflict, the bay was referred to as Walthenham Harbor by British cartographers. The British expeditionary force renamed the bay Cumberland Bay.