Countries

Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean. Its territory covers 110 860 km². It forms, with numerous adjacent islands, the Republic of Cuba.

Approximately two-thirds of Cuba consists of plains or rolling lands with low elevation. The rest of the territory is formed by three groups of mountains, where most of the remaining natural forests occur:

• In the west, in Pinar del Rio province, lie the Organos range and the Rosario mountains, with fairly even terrain and a maximum altitude of 728 m;
• In the centre, in the south of Las Villas province, the Trinidad mountains reach an altitude of 1 156 m, while the Sancti Spiritus mountains are somewhat lower;
• In the east, in Oriente province, lies the Sierra Maestra, mountains of volcanic origin which reach an altitude of 2 000 m (Mount Turquino). The Moa, Cristal and Nipe Mountains and others are found in the far east of the country, with altitudes of between 900 and 1 200 m. The mountains in this region are the most rugged and isolated in the country.

Cuba lies within the northern tropics and has a semitropical climate. The trade winds moderate the climate throughout the year. Average daily temperatures range from about 21° C in winter to about 27° C in summer but the interior has a greater temperature range than the coastal regions. Temperatures on the island rarely fall below 4° C or rise above 38° C, although frosts sometimes occur in the mountains.

Cuba has a dry season from November through April and a rainy season from May through October. Average annual rainfall is about 1 300 mm, with local variations depending on location (the northern slopes of the Sierra Maestra, for example, have over 3 000 mm), since the trade winds blow from the north or east. Thunderstorms occur almost daily during the rainy season and the island is subject to hurricanes during the period June to November, but most commonly from August through October.

The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.