Geography of Cuba
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Geography of Cuba | |
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| Continent | America |
| Region | Caribbean Greater Antilles |
| Coordinates | Coordinates: |
| Area | Ranked 105th 110,860 km² (42,803.3 sq mi) 99% land 1 % water |
| Borders | Total land borders: 29 km (18 mi) (Guantanamo Bay Naval Base) |
| Highest point | Pico Turquino 2,005 m (6,578 ft) |
| Lowest point | sea level |
| Longest river | Cauto River 343 km (213 mi) |
| Largest lake | Zaza Reservoir 113.5 km² (43.8 sq mi) |
Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean Sea. Cuba has a total land area of 110,860 km² (42,803.3 sq mi). It has 3,735 km (2,321 mi) of coastline and 29 km (18 mi) of land borders — all with the United States territory at Guantánamo Bay, where the U.S. Navy's Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located.
Cuba lies west of the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Gulf of Mexico, south of the Straits of Florida, northwest of the Windward Passage, and northeast of the Yucatan Channel. The main island (Cuba) makes up most of the land area 105,006 km² (40,543 sq mi).[1] The island is 1,199 km (745 mi) long and 200 km (124 mi) across its widest points and 35 km (22 mi) across its narrowest points.[1] The largest island outside the main island is the Isla de la Juventud (Isle of Youth) in the southwest, with an area of 3,056 km² (1,179.9 sq mi).[1]
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[edit] Physical geography
Cuba is located 80 km (50 mi) west of Haiti across the Windward Passage, 140 km (87 mi) south of the Bahamas, 145 km (90 mi) south of Florida, 210 km (130 mi) east of Mexico, and 146 km (91 mi) north of Jamaica.
Cuba is the largest country by land area in the Caribbean. Its main island is the seventeenth-largest island in the world by land area. The island raises between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. It is bordered to the north by the Straits of Florida, to the north-east by Nicholas Channel and the Old Bahamas Channel. The southern part is bounded by the Windward Passage and the Cayman Trench, while the south-west lies in the Caribbean Sea. To the west, it reaches to the Yucatan Channel, and the north-west is open to the Gulf of Mexico.
More than 4,000 islands and cays are found in the surrounding sea and bays. The southern coast includes such archipelagos as Jardines de la Reina and the Canarreos. The northern-eastern shore is lined by the Sabana-Camaguey Archipelago, that includes Jardines del Rey and is composed of approximately 2,517 cays and isles.[2] The Colorados Archipelago is developed on the north-western coast.
[edit] Terrain
Terrain is mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast. The lowest point is the Caribbean Sea at 0 m (sea level) and the highest point is Pico Turquino at 2,005 m (6,578 ft), part of the Sierra Maestra mountain range, located in the south-west of the island. Other significant mountain ranges are Sierra Cristal in the south-east, Escambray Mountains in the center of the island, and Sierra del Rosario in the north-west. White sand beaches, as well as mangroves and marshes can be found in the coastal area. The largest is the Zapata Swamp, with over 4,520 km² (1,745 sq mi).
Cuba has negligible in-land water area. The largest natural water mirror is Laguna de Leche at 67.2 km² (25.9 sq mi), while the man-made Zaza Reservoir, at 113.5 km² (43.8 sq mi), is the largest in-land water surface by area in the country.
Cuba's climate is tropical and moderated by trade winds. The dry season lasts from November to April and the rainy season from May to October. Cuba makes maritime claims that include a territorial sea of 12 nautical miles (22 km) and an exclusive economic zone of 200 nautical miles (370 km).
[edit] Extreme points
Extreme points in Cuba are:
| Point | Name | Location | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| North (on-shore) | Punta Hicacos | On Hicacos Peninsula | |
| North (off-shore) | Cayo Cruz del Padre | Part of Sabana-Camaguey Archipelago | |
| East | Punta Maisi | Near Maisí | |
| West | Cape San Antonio | On Guanahacabibes Peninsula | |
| South | Cape Cruz | Near Niquero | |
| Highest point | Pico Turquino | Part of Sierra Maestra, 1,975 m (6,480 ft) | |
| Lowest point | sea level | Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean | |
| Largest city | Havana | National capital, population 2,328,000 | |
| Oldest city | Baracoa | Founded in 1511 |
[edit] Natural resources
Natural resources include cobalt, nickel, iron ore, copper, manganese, salt, timber, silica, and petroleum. At one time the whole island was covered with forest and there are still many cedar, rosewood, mahogany, and other valuable trees. Large areas were cleared to grow more sugar cane, and so few trees were left that timber had to be imported.
Oil is extracted on Cuba's northern shore, in the provinces of La Habana and Matanzas. The oil is of low quality, and used for energy generation only.
Sugar cane was the most important part part of the economy in Cuba's history, and is still grown on large areas. Extensive irrigation systems are developed in the south of Sancti Spíritus Province. Tobacco, used for some of the world's best cigars, is grown especially in the Pinar del Río Province.
- See also: Agriculture of Cuba
[edit] Administrative subdivisions
Cuba is divided into 14 Provinces and one special municipality (Isla de la Juventud). The provinces are further sub-divided into level 3 sub-divisions, called municipalities (Spanish: Municipios), of which there are 169 following the 1976 administrative re-distribution.[3]
- See also: Municipalities of Cuba and List of places in Cuba
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Stoner, K. Lynn. "Cuba" Encarta Online Encyclopedia. 2005.
- ^ Mapping Interactivo (March 2005). Mangroves variability in the Sabana-Camaguay Archipellago. Retrieved on 2007-10-16.
- ^ Fifth United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names, Vol. II, published by the United Nations, New York, 1991
[edit] External links
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