Ernst Thälmann Island

Ernst Thälmann Island, previously Cayo Blanco del Sur, is an island in the nation of Cuba which located in the Caribbean.

The island is about 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) long and 500 meter (1,600 feet) wide island located in Gulf of Cazones.

 History 
In June of 1972, as part of a state visit by German secretary Erich Honecker, Fidel Castro renamed the island to Ernst Thälmann Island, the current name.

In 1990, events led to the nation of East Germany collapsing, however the island wasn't mentioned in the treaty. Previously in 1983, the U.S based micronation of Molossia declared war on East Germany, and that after the reunification of Germany its founder claimed the island was still part of East Germany, allowing the war to continue.

The island was impacted by Hurricane Mitch in 1998.

In 2001, a German online newspaper visited the island, on the premise that it was German Territory, but they were refused. According to the Cuban embassy in Germany, they said the name change was "not a gift, but a change of name", and the island was never actually given to East Germany.

 Media 
The film Ernesto's Island, starring Max Riemelt, tells the story of an East Berliner to travels to Cuba to fulfill his dead mother's wish to throw around her ashes on the island.

Category:Caribbean islands
Category:Geography of Cuba