Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is a large island nation located in the Caribbean Sea, situated east of the Yucatán Peninsula and south of Florida. Comprising the main island of Cuba, the smaller island of Isla de la Juventud, and numerous surrounding cays, it is the largest country in the Caribbean by area. The nation's strategic location has historically made it a crossroads of global powers, influencing its political and economic development. Its capital and largest city is Havana, which serves as the primary hub for the island's population of over 11 million people.