Cuba, the biggest island in the Caribbean, is located at the entrance to the Gulf of México. Cuba's nearest neighbors are: to the East, Haití (77 kilometers), to the West, the Yucatan Peninsula (210 kilometers), to the North, Florida Peninsula (180 kilometers) and to the South, Jamaica (140 kilometers).

The Bahamas are very near, toward the Northwest of the eastern end of Cuba.

Cuba is an archipelago consisting of the main island, the Isle of Youth and about 4,195 keys and islets. Its elongated and narrow shape allows circulation of trade winds from the Atlantic, which cool its tropical, humid climate. Only one fourth of the land is mountainous being its main systems:

The Guaniguanico mountain range at the West region; the Sierra del Escambray to the South center of the country; and to the East the Sierra Maestra with its Pico Real del Turquino, climbing to 1,974 meters above sea level, the Island's highest point. The remaining territory, plain and fertile, includes immense extensions of sugar plantations

(the island's main export line), tobacco (highly appreciated worldwide) and other agricultural products.

The biggest river is the Cauto, east of the country, with an extension of 250 km of which only 112 are navigable by small crafts. Subsoil is rich in nickel and nature shows a variety of plants and flowers as well as a marvelous diversity of animals. This Caribbean island has more than 280 charming beaches, virgin keys, caverns and caves for exploration, as well as forests and swamps . Overall surface of the archipelago is 110,992 square kilometers.

Cuba is currently divided into 14 provinces and 169 municipalities, one of them with special characteristics and status.

From west to east the provinces are named as follows: Pinar del Río, Havana, City of Havana, Matanzas, Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spiritus, Ciego de Avila, Camgüey, Las Tunas, Holguín, Granma, Santiago de Cuba y Guantánmo. The special municipality known as the Isle of Youth is located on the South coast of the Havana Provinces.

Cuba has an important range of mineral resources: nickel and cobalt are found at the Mayari-Nicaro and the Moa-Baracoa regions; kaolin, quartz and marble quality and assortment: red, pink, black, grey, green, white) are found on the Isle of Youth and the Matanzas province. Among the main timber-yielding species are Pinus caribea, Cuban mahogany, cedar, red mangrove and Santa Maria tree. More than 85% of forests offer new wood and timber-yielding trees are relatively large.
Fishing reserves are mostly crustaceans as shrimps and lobsters. Coral reefs are very well preserved and have an extension of 45 000 square km around the archipelago. Some of the small islands with beautiful and unpolluted beaches and landscapes are moderately exploited for tourism.


The climate of Cuba is moderate subtropical. The archipelago usually has a relatively humid climate, influenced by the Gulf Stream and the Northeast winds. The annual rainfall averages about 1320 mm (about 52 inches ). More than 60 percent of the rain falls during the wet season, which extends from May to October. The air's relative humidity reaches its highest point during the first hours of the morning and late afternoon. Average temperature ranges between 26 and 28 ºC, except on the plains where the average is higher. On the mountain the average temperature is bellow 26 ºC (Sierra Maestra mountain dips to below 20 ºC).

During the summer months the heat is rather intense. Winters are short and pleasant. Spring is almost everlasting throughout the archipelago. The Eastern region enjoys a warmer climate than the West. During winter, cold air masses coming from the North sweep over the island, these fronts usually last a short time. The hurricane season lasts from June through November. Often these tropical systems bring strong showers and sea floods. But, with the exception of a few winter days, the Island's climate is generally marvelous.