It enjoys estatus of Special Municipality and they form the islands of the archipelago of the Canarreos, from the main one of this one, the Island of Youth, to a series of near keys like those of Shelves, Rosary and Length. It is located to the south of the Gulf of Batabanó.

The Island of Youth, receives its name in honor to the international brigades of students who in her developed agricultural projects. Previously, Island of Pines was called and during the dictatorships of Machado and Batista it lodged the important Prison Model through which it passed Fidel I castrate and the rest of the attackers of the Quarter of the Moncada. Its capital is New Gerona, where the Festival of the Grapefruit is celebrated and closely together caves with pre-Columbian paintings are conserved. Before the triumph of the Revolution there was a incipiente tourism, recovered recently in all the archipelago. Paradisíaca zone by its forests, before exploded, beaches and the National Park Marine French End. Barely it is populated and with operations with gold, tungsten and kaolin.

Island of Youth, considered population: 71 500 (1989). Island of 3 056 km2 (1 180 miles square) located to the south of the western region of the island of separated Cuba and of this by the Gulf of Batabanó. Up to 1978 Island of Pines was called to him. The capital of the island is New Gerona. Forests of pine cover a great extension with the island and are many mineral springs. Of small elevations to the north marble is extracted. The portion to the south of the island is a plateau more. The economy is based on the fishing and agriculture (mainly citric and some vegetables).

Until the rupture of the U.S.A.-Cuba relations at the beginning of the 60, most of the Earth it belonged to American citizens and the warm and healthful climate and the excellent waters for the fishing made of the island an attractive place of recreation. The Bibijagua beach is still popular. Sighted by Columbus in 1494, the Island of Youth was used more ahead as penal colony and was a place of meeting of privateers and pirates. During the colonial period it constituted site of rest and recreation for the Spanish military.

Island was yielded to the United States after War Hispanic-American (1895-1898) and since its name were omitted in the Platt Amendment, that defined the Cuban borders, were demanded as much by the United States as by Cuba. Finally, in 1907, the Supreme Court of the U.S.A. it declared that the island did not belong to the United States. Later, in 1925, a treaty was signed confirming that the island was Cuban. Near New Gerona there is a great prison used often in the past jailing political prisoners. During the Batiste regime, own Fidel I castrate underwent prison in its walls. The Island of Youth has undergone the frequent tropical hurricane attack.