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Location
Cuba's main island is the 15th largest island in
the world, measuring 104,945 sq km, 1250km long and 191km wide at
its widest point. Cuba also lays claim to the 220-sq-km Isla de
la Juventud and a further 4200-odd coral cays and islets, most of
which are low lying and uninhabited.
Cuba is part of the West Indies and is situated
within the Antilles Archipelago. Havana is a mere 170km from Florida's
Key West, in the USA, and Pinar del Río Province is 210km
from Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Cuba's other close neighbors are
Jamaica, the Bahamas
Climate
There are no great differences in seasonal temperature
in Cuba, its pleasant subtropical climate being augmented by the
gentle northeasterly trade winds. The wet summer season is between
May and October, and the drier winter season runs from November
through April. The average temperature reaches 27°C (81°F)
in July and August and 22°C (72°F) in February. An average
of 80% humidity exists all year round, with things just a little
more sticky in the wet season.and Haiti, 77km away across the Windward
Passage.
Flora & Fauna
Cuba's most abundant land fauna is reptilian and
includes crocodiles, iguanas, lizards, salamanders, turtles and
15 species of nonpoisonous snakes. The largest land mammal is the
jutía (Capromys), a tree rat which grows to about 60cm in
length. The world's smallest bird comes from Cuba: the bee hummingbird,
or zunzuncito (Mellisuga helenae), is just bigger than a grasshopper
and weighs only two grams. The tocororo (Priotelus temnuros) is
dubbed Cuba's national bird due to its red, white and blue plumage
- the colors of the Cuban flag.
There are more than 6000 plant species in Cuba,
around half of which are endemic. The ever-present royal palm (Reistonea
regia) is represented on the country's coat of arms; there are said
to be 20 million palms in Cuba. Cuba's other flora includes the
rare and prehistoric cork palm (Microcycas calocoma), a throwback
to the Cretaceous Period; the jagüey, a fig with aerial roots;
the palma barrigona (big belly palm); the ceiba, the sacred silk-cotton
tree, and the mariposa (butterfly jasmine), the white national flower.
Much of the southern coast has mangrove swamps that support small
fish and birdlife while the majority of the northern coast is bordered
by rugged beaches.
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