Why were the United States and the Soviet Union both interested in Cuba?

Cuba is a West Indian country with the biggest single island in the archipelago and one of the most powerful governments in the Caribbean area. In 1492, Christopher Columbus claimed Cuba for Spain, claiming it as the realm of the Arawakan-speaking Taino, who had evicted even earlier populations.

During the Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis was a period of increased conflict between the Soviet Union, the United States, and Cuba. It's known as the Caribbean Crisis in Russia. It's known in Cuba as the October Crisis. It was a proxy war centred on Cuba.

In 1962, the Soviet Union (USSR) commenced construction of missile sites in Cuba. This crisis is regarded as one of the most significant clashes of the Cold War, alongside the previous Berlin Blockade. It may have been the closest the Cold War ever got to a nuclear war.