GEOGRAPHY
Cuba is the largest Caribbean
island, about the size of England, and the most westerly of the
Greater Antilles group, lying 145km (90 miles) south of Florida.
A quarter of the country is fairly mountainous. West of Havana
is the narrow Sierra de los Organos, rising to 750m (2461ft) and
containing the Guaniguanicos hills in the west. South of the Sierra
is a narrow strip of 2320 sq km (860 sq miles) where the finest
Cuban tobacco is grown. The Trinidad Mountains, starting in the
centre, rise to 1100m (3609ft) in the east. Encircling the port
of Santiago are the rugged mountains of the Sierra Maestra. A
quarter of the island is covered with mountain forests of pine
and mahogany.
Official
Name: Republic of Cuba
Area: 110,860 sq. km. (44,200 sq. mi.); about
the size of Pennsylvania.
Cities: Capital--Havana (pop. 2 million). Other
major cities--Santiago de Cuba, Camaguey, Santa Clara, Holguin,
Guantanamo, Matanzas, Cienfuegos, Pinar del Rio.
Terrain: Flat or gently rolling plains, hills;
mountains up to 2,000 meters (6,000 ft.) in the southeast.
Climate: Tropical, moderated by trade winds;
dry season (November-April); rainy season (May-October).
