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Cuba is the largest, most varied and most beautiful of the Greater
Antilles islands. It is long and narrow, extending approximately
1,260 km east-west in length; its width ranges from 193 km to 32
km. No point in the Island is more than 80 km from the sea. Cuba's
territory, or the Cuban Archipelago, includes the Island of Youth
(Isla de la Juventud) and several coastal islets and cays; it covers
a land area of 110,861 km2.
Cuba is bound by the Atlantic Ocean on the north and east, the Caribbean
Sea on the south, and the mouth of the Gulf of México on
the west. It is located a mere 144 km south of the continental United
States and is separated from it by the Straits of Florida, it is
140 km from the Bahamas, 210 km from Cancun and 146 km from Jamaica.
Numerous bays, peninsulas and coastal reefs give Cuba a shoreline
of 5,500 km with more than 280 natural beaches.
Cuba, often called the "Pearl of the Antilles," has a
subtropical trade wind climate, adequate rainfall, significant mineral
resources, and vast areas of level fertile land suitable for mechanized
farming.
Cuba is part of a limestone platform related to the limestone areas
of the Yucatán, Florida and the Bahamas. The Central American
Antillean System, the main mountain system of the West Indies, crosses
southeastern Cuba, where it is known as the Sierra Maestra. Although
most of Cuba is low, there are several upland and mountain areas
that increase in height from west to east. In the extreme west along
the coast is a beautiful and unusual area of eroded limestone, the
Guanahacabibes Peninsula. Just west of Havana is the narrow Sierra
de los Organos, which has elevations of 150 to 750 m. Many of the
hills resemble isolated haystacks and border magnificent valleys,
rich in vegetation and endowed with a great variety of beautiful
and exotic orchids. One such valley, the Viñales Valley,
contains various steep, dome-shaped hills rising some 300 to 400
m, many of which are honey-combed with caves. Several mountain formations
are found in central Cuba, the most important being the Sierra del
Escambray, with Pico San Juan, its highest peak, at 1,160 m. Extreme
eastern Cuba is a mountainous area divided into northern and southern
ranges by the Guantánamo Valley. North of the valley are
the Sierra de Cristal, Sierra Nipe, Cuchillas de Toar, and Sierra
de Purial, with elevations up to 1,230 m. South of Guantánamo
Valley is the Sierra Maestra, which holds Cuba's highest peak, Pico
Turquino (1,974 m).
In addition to mountain ranges and terraced uplands, Cuba has unusual
erosion forms and picturesque valleys. Yumurí Valley in northern
Cuba, a reserve area of rich tropical scenery, includes the mammoth
caves of Bellamar, known for their crystalline formations. The Yumurí
River has cut through an almost circular depression about 8 km in
diameter, leaving a flat floor and steep walls rising up as high
as 150 m. The topography of the provinces near Havana and Matanzas
is relatively flat and of low elevation. Havana City, the capital,
with a population of 2.2 million, located on the north coast near
the western end of the island, is a leading world port, it holds
unequalled colonial architectural treasures and rich culture and
tradition, mostly within Old Havana has been named by UNESCO as
a World Heritage Site. The coast near Havana consists of endless
sandy beaches and crystalline waters, dotted by tourist facilities.
To the south of Matanzas is Cienaga de Zapata, known for its marshy
lowlands where crocodiles are commercially raised. Also in this
province is Varadero, known for its beaches of fine white sand,
clear and transparent waters and comfortable resorts.
Ciego de Avila and Camagüey provinces in the Islands centre,
are fairly level, and very well suited to agriculture and animal
husbandry. Camagüey's north coast consists of endless unexploited
beaches and cays of singular beauty.
Santiago de Cuba, also rich in tradition and architectural treasures,
is located on the south coast at the island's eastern end. The rugged
topography of the Sierra Maestra, with elevations of up to 1,980
m above sea level, is unique in the island and famous for its sceneries
of breath-taking beauty and unbelievable variety.
Cuba's rivers are not commercially significant. The Cauto River,
draining the southeastern mountains, is the longest (roughly 240
km), but is navigable for only 75 km by small boats. About 80 percent
of Cuba's soil is derived from the action of rainfall on limestone,
producing deep, fertile, often bright-red soil.
Excerpted from the book "Doing Business with
Cuba", written by Fred D. Bloch and Prof. Constantino Torres,
Faculty of History, Havana University, and published electronically,
Copyright © 1997.
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