Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean Sea. It comprises an archipelago of islands centred upon the geographic coordinates 21°3N, 80°00W. Cuba is the principal island, surrounded by four main archipelagos: the Colorados, the Sabana-Camagüey, the Jardines de la Reina and the Canarreos. Cuba's area is 110,860 km2 (42,800 sq mi) including coastal and territorial waters with a land area of 109,820 km2 (42,400 sq mi), which makes it the eighth-largest island country in the world. The main island (Cuba) has 5,746 km (3,570 mi) of coastline and 28.5 km (17.7 mi) of land borders—all figures including the U.S. Navy's Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. Its official area is 109,884 km2 (42,426 sq mi).
 | |
| Continent | North America |
|---|---|
| Region | Caribbean Sea |
| Coordinates | 22°00′N 80°00′W / 22.000°N 80.000°W |
| Area | Ranked 104th |
| • Total | 110,860 km2 (42,800 sq mi) |
| • Land | 99.06% |
| • Water | 0.94% |
| Coastline | 5,746 km (3,570 mi) |
| Borders | 28,5 km² with  United States at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base |
| Highest point | Pico Turquino 1,974 metres (6,476 ft) |
| Lowest point | Caribbean Sea 0 m |
| Longest river | Cauto River |
| Exclusive economic zone | 350,751 km2 (135,426 sq mi) |
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 Yucatán Channel. The main island (Cuba), at 104,338 km2 (40,285 sq mi), makes up most of the land area and is the 17th-largest island in the world by land area.
The island is 1,250 km (780 mi) long and 191 km (119 mi) across its widest points and 31 km (19 mi) across its narrowest points. The largest island outside the main island is the Isla de la Juventud is (Isle of Youth) in the southwest, with an area of 2,204 km2 (851 sq mi).
The main island consists mostly of flat to rolling plains. At the southeastern end is the Sierra Maestra, a range of steep mountains whose highest point is the Pico Turquino at 1,974 metres (6,476 ft).
Havana is the largest city and capital; other major cities include Santiago de Cuba and Camagüey. Better-known smaller towns include Baracoa, which was the first Spanish settlement on Cuba, Trinidad, a UNESCO world heritage site, and Bayamo.
Physical geography
Cuba is located 77 km (48 mi) west of Haiti across the Windward Passage, 22.5 km (14.0 mi) south of The Bahamas (Cay Lobos), 150 km (93 mi) south of the United States (Key West, Florida), 210 km (130 mi) east of Mexico, and 140 km (87 mi) north of Jamaica. It was made in three stages.
Cuba is the largest country by land area in the Caribbean. Its main island is the 17th-largest island in the world by land area. The island rises between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean. It is bordered on the north by the Straits of Florida, on the northeast by Nicholas Channel and the Old Bahama Channel. The southern part is bounded by the Windward Passage and the Cayman Trench, while the southwest lies in the Caribbean Sea. To the west, it reaches to the Yucatán Channel, and the northwest is open to the Gulf of Mexico.
About 4,195 islands, islets and cays make up the country. The southern coast includes such archipelagos as Jardines de la Reina and the Canarreos. The northeastern shore is lined by the Sabana-Camagüey Archipelago, which includes Jardines del Rey and is composed of approximately 2,517 cays and islands. The Colorados Archipelago is developed on the northwestern coast.
Terrain
Cuba's terrain is mostly flat or 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 1,974 m (6,476 ft), part of the Sierra Maestra mountain range, located in the southeast of the island.
Other mountain ranges are Sierra Cristal in the southeast, Escambray Mountains in the center of the island, and Sierra del Rosario in the northwest. White sand beaches (most notably in Varadero), as well as mangroves and marshes can be found in the coastal area. The largest is the Zapata Swamp, with over 4,520 km2 (1,750 sq mi). A recent global remote sensing analysis suggested that there were 675 km2 of tidal flats in Cuba, making it the 38th-ranked country in terms of tidal flat area.
Cuba has negligible inland 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 inland water surface by area in the country.
Geology
Climate
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Most of Cuba has a tropical savanna climate (Aw according to the Köppen climate classification), although areas on the windward slopes of the Sierra Maestra and Sierra del Rosario have either a tropical monsoon climate or a trade-wind tropical rainforest climate, whilst a hot semi-arid climate occurs in the Guantánamo Bay area because of a rain shadow from the Sierra Maestra. In most areas, the dry season lasts from November to April and the rainy season from May to October.
The climate is tropical, though moderated by trade winds. In general (with local variations), there is a drier season from November to April, and a rainier season from May to October. The average temperature is 23.1 °C (73.6 °F) in January and 27 °C (80.6 °F) in July.
Climate change in Cuba is causing an increase in temperature, rising sea levels and shifting precipitation patterns, with an overall decrease in rainfall predicted. These will severely impact industries key to the economy, including agriculture, forestry and tourism. As rainfall is Cuba's only water source, water security is an issue. Warmer temperatures may affect the health of the population, causing an increase in cardiovascular, respiratory and viral diseases. A temperature rise of 2°C above preindustrial levels can increase the likelihood of extreme hurricane rainfall by three times in Cuba. Cuba's climate mitigation and adaptation plans include renewable energy generation and nature-based solutions, such as restoring mangrove ecosystems.
Cuba lies in the path of hurricanes, and these destructive storms are most common in September and October. Tornadoes are somewhat rare in Cuba; however, on the evening of 27 January 2019, a very rare strong F4 tornado struck the eastern side of Havana, Cuba's capital city. The tornado caused extensive damage, destroying at least 90 homes, killing four people and injuring 195. By 4 February, the death toll had increased to six, with 11 people still in critical condition.
| Climate data for Havana (1961–1990, extremes 1859–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 32.4 (90.3) | 33.0 (91.4) | 35.3 (95.5) | 37.0 (98.6) | 36.2 (97.2) | 35.4 (95.7) | 36.6 (97.9) | 37.7 (99.9) | 38.2 (100.8) | 39.6 (103.3) | 34.0 (93.2) | 33.2 (91.8) | 39.6 (103.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 25.8 (78.4) | 26.1 (79.0) | 27.6 (81.7) | 28.6 (83.5) | 29.8 (85.6) | 30.5 (86.9) | 31.3 (88.3) | 31.6 (88.9) | 31.0 (87.8) | 29.2 (84.6) | 27.7 (81.9) | 26.5 (79.7) | 28.8 (83.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 22.2 (72.0) | 22.4 (72.3) | 23.7 (74.7) | 24.8 (76.6) | 26.1 (79.0) | 27.0 (80.6) | 27.6 (81.7) | 27.9 (82.2) | 27.4 (81.3) | 26.1 (79.0) | 24.5 (76.1) | 23.0 (73.4) | 25.2 (77.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 18.6 (65.5) | 18.6 (65.5) | 19.7 (67.5) | 20.9 (69.6) | 22.4 (72.3) | 23.4 (74.1) | 23.8 (74.8) | 24.1 (75.4) | 23.8 (74.8) | 23.0 (73.4) | 21.3 (70.3) | 19.5 (67.1) | 21.6 (70.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 6.0 (42.8) | 11.9 (53.4) | 10.0 (50.0) | 15.1 (59.2) | 15.4 (59.7) | 20.0 (68.0) | 19.0 (66.2) | 20.0 (68.0) | 20.0 (68.0) | 18.0 (64.4) | 14.0 (57.2) | 10.0 (50.0) | 6.0 (42.8) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 64.4 (2.54) | 68.6 (2.70) | 46.2 (1.82) | 53.7 (2.11) | 98.0 (3.86) | 182.3 (7.18) | 105.6 (4.16) | 99.6 (3.92) | 144.4 (5.69) | 180.5 (7.11) | 88.3 (3.48) | 57.6 (2.27) | 1,189.2 (46.84) |
| Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 80 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 75 | 74 | 73 | 72 | 75 | 77 | 78 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 77 | 75 | 76 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 217.0 | 203.4 | 272.8 | 273.0 | 260.4 | 237.0 | 272.8 | 260.4 | 225.0 | 195.3 | 219.0 | 195.3 | 2,831.4 |
| Mean daily sunshine hours | 7.0 | 7.2 | 8.8 | 9.1 | 8.4 | 7.9 | 8.8 | 8.4 | 7.5 | 6.3 | 7.3 | 6.3 | 7.8 |
| Source 1: World Meteorological Organisation, Climate-Charts.com | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Meteo Climat (record highs and lows),Deutscher Wetterdienst (sun) | |||||||||||||
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 °C (73 °F) | 23 °C (73 °F) | 24 °C (75 °F) | 26 °C (79 °F) | 27 °C (81 °F) | 28 °C (82 °F) | 28 °C (82 °F) | 28 °C (82 °F) | 28 °C (82 °F) | 27 °C (81 °F) | 26 °C (79 °F) | 24 °C (75 °F) |
Maritime claims
Cuba makes maritime claims that include a territorial sea of 12 nautical miles (22.2 km; 13.8 mi) and an exclusive economic zone of 350,751 km2 (135,426 sq mi) with 200 nautical miles (370.4 km; 230.2 mi).
Extreme points
Extreme points in Cuba are:
| Point | Name | Location | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| North (on-shore) | Punta Hicacos | 23°12′19″N 81°08′35″W / 23.205364996518945°N 81.14309760226082°W | On Hicacos Peninsula |
| North (off-shore) | Cayo Cruz del Padre | 23°16′40″N 80°54′10″W / 23.277666130750777°N 80.90271748882353°W | Part of Sabana-Camagüey Archipelago |
| East | Cape Maisí | 20°12′32″N 74°08′01″W / 20.20889°N 74.13361°W | Near Maisí |
| West | Cape San Antonio | 21°51′39″N 84°57′25″W / 21.86083°N 84.95694°W | On Guanahacabibes Peninsula |
| South | Cape Cruz | 19°49′37″N 77°40′30″W / 19.82694°N 77.67500°W | Near Niquero |
| Highest point | Pico Turquino | 19°59′22″N 76°50′09″W / 19.98944°N 76.83583°W | Part of Sierra Maestra, 1,974 m (6,476 ft) |
| Lowest point | sea level | Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean | |
| Largest city | Havana | 23°08′00″N 82°23′00″W / 23.13333°N 82.38333°W | National capital, population 2,130,431 |
| Oldest city | Baracoa | 20°20′55″N 74°30′38″W / 20.34861°N 74.51056°W | Founded in 1511 |
Natural resources
Natural resources include cobalt, nickel, iron ore, copper, salt, timber, silica, oil and petroleum. At one time the whole island was covered with forests, and there are still many cedar (Cedrela odorata), chechem (Metopium brownei), mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni), and other valuable trees. Large areas were cleared to grow more sugarcane, and so few trees remained that timber had to be imported.
The most important Cuban mineral economic resource is nickel. Cuba has the second-largest nickel reserves in the world after Russia.Sherritt International, a Canadian energy company, operates a large nickel mining facility in Moa, Cuba. Another leading mineral resource is cobalt, a byproduct of nickel mining operations. Cuba ranks as the fifth-largest producer of refined cobalt in the world.
Cuba has historically been dependent on oil imports. As of 2011, Cuba had proven reserves of a mere 0.1 billion barrels (16,000,000 m3) of crude oil and 2.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and mostly used oil for power generation. In 2010, Cuba produced 51,000 barrels of crude oil a day (Kb/d) in 2010 in onshore or shallow near-shore development, "mostly heavy, sour (sulfur-rich) crude that requires advanced refining capacity to process." Offshore exploration in the North Cuba Basin had revealed the possibility of an additional 4.6 billion barrels (730,000,000 m3) of technically recoverable crude oil, 0.9 billion barrels of natural gas liquids, and 9.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. As of 2011, Cuba had six offshore petroleum development projects with foreign oil companies Petrovietnam (Vietnam), Petronas (Malaysia), PDVSA (Venezuela), Sonangol (Angola), ONGC (India), Repsol (Spain), and Statoil (Norway).
Sugarcane was historically the most important part of the Cuban economy, and large areas are still dedicated to its cultivation; in 2018, Cuba produced an estimated 1.1–1.3 million tonnes of raw sugar. The importance of the sugar harvest has declined, with tourism, tobacco, nickel, and pharmaceuticals surpassing sugar in economic importance.
Extensive irrigation systems are developed in the south of Sancti Spíritus Province. Tobacco, used for some of the world's cigars, is grown especially in the Pinar del Río Province.
Administrative subdivisions
Cuba is divided into 15 provinces and one special municipality. Provinces are further subdivided into 168 municipalities.
References
- Stoner, K. Lynn. "Cuba" Encarta Online Encyclopedia. 2005. Archived 29 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine 31 October 2009.
- Iturralde-Vinent, M.A.; García-Casco, A.; Rojas-Agramonte, Y.; Proenza, J.A.; Murphy, J.B.; Stern, R.J. (2016). "The geology of Cuba: A brief overview and synthesis". GSA Today. 26 (10): 4–10. doi:10.1130/GSATG296A.1. hdl:2445/122345.
- Menéndez, Leda; Guzmán, José Manuel; Capote, René Tomas; González, Armando Vicente; Rodríguez, Lázaro (March 2005). "Variabilidad de los bosques de manglares del archipiélago Sabana-Camagüey: Implicaciones para su gestión". Mapping Interactivo: Revista Internacional de Ciencias de la Tierra. 100. ISSN 1131-9100. Archived from the original on 22 May 2006. Retrieved 16 October 2007.
- Varadero – YouTube
- Murray, N.J.; Phinn, S.R.; DeWitt, M.; Ferrari, R.; Johnston, R.; Lyons, M.B.; Clinton, N.; Thau, D.; Fuller, R.A. (2019). "The global distribution and trajectory of tidal flats". Nature. 565 (7738): 222–225. doi:10.1038/s41586-018-0805-8. PMID 30568300. S2CID 56481043.
- Cuba Climate data
- World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal. "Cuba". climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
- BERARDELLI, JEFF (29 August 2020). "Climate change may make extreme hurricane rainfall five times more likely, study says". CBC News. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
- Republic of Cuba. SUMMARY OF THE FIRST NDC UPDATED (2020-2030) REPUBLIC OF CUBA (PDF).
- "Small Island Developing States are on the frontlines of climate change – here's why | UNDP Climate Promise". climatepromise.undp.org. 2022-05-10. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
- "Havana tornado: Cuba's capital hit by rare twister". BBC News. 28 January 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
- "The Latest: Havana hit by Category F3 tornado - StarTribune.com". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on 29 January 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
- Guy, Jack (28 January 2019). "Cuba tornado: 4 dead and 195 injured". CNN. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
- Cappucci, Matthew (28 January 2019). "A deadly tornado plowed through Havana on Sunday night. Here's how it happened". The Washington Post. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
- "Death Toll Rises to Six From Rare Havana Tornado". Weather Underground. 4 February 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
- "World Weather Information Service – Havana". Cuban Institute of Meteorology. June 2011. Retrieved June 26, 2010.
- "Casa Blanca, Habana, Cuba: Climate, Global Warming, and Daylight Charts and Data". Archived from the original on June 23, 2011. Retrieved June 26, 2010.
- "Station La Havane" (in French). Meteo Climat. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
- "Klimatafel von Havanna (La Habana, Obs. Casa Blanca) / Kuba" (PDF). Baseline climate means (1961–1990) from stations all over the world (in German). Deutscher Wetterdienst. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
- http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/country/1997/9509097.pdf Archived 2017-10-12 at the Wayback Machine The Mineral Resources of Cuba 1997
- Neelesh Nerurkar & Mark P. Sullivan, Cuba's Offshore Oil Development: Background and U.S. Policy Considerations, Congressional Research Service (28 November 2011).
- Pollitt, Brian H. (2004). "The Rise and Fall of the Cuban Sugar Economy". Journal of Latin American Studies. 36 (2): 319–348. doi:10.1017/S0022216X04007448. JSTOR 3875618.
- Marc Frank, Cuban raw sugar production headed toward 30 percent decline, Reuters (April 16, 2018).
- Fifth United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names, Vol. II, published by the United Nations, New York, 1991
External links
- Map of the Complete Island of Cuba from 1639
Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean Sea It comprises an archipelago of islands centred upon the geographic coordinates 21 3N 80 00W Cuba is the principal island surrounded by four main archipelagos the Colorados the Sabana Camaguey the Jardines de la Reina and the Canarreos Cuba s area is 110 860 km2 42 800 sq mi including coastal and territorial waters with a land area of 109 820 km2 42 400 sq mi which makes it the eighth largest island country in the world The main island Cuba has 5 746 km 3 570 mi of coastline and 28 5 km 17 7 mi of land borders all figures including the U S Navy s Guantanamo Bay Naval Base Its official area is 109 884 km2 42 426 sq mi Geography of the Archipelago of CubaContinentNorth AmericaRegionCaribbean SeaCoordinates22 00 N 80 00 W 22 000 N 80 000 W 22 000 80 000AreaRanked 104th Total110 860 km2 42 800 sq mi Land99 06 Water0 94 Coastline5 746 km 3 570 mi Borders28 5 km with United States at Guantanamo Bay Naval BaseHighest pointPico Turquino 1 974 metres 6 476 ft Lowest pointCaribbean Sea 0 mLongest riverCauto RiverExclusive economic zone350 751 km2 135 426 sq mi 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 at 104 338 km2 40 285 sq mi makes up most of the land area and is the 17th largest island in the world by land area The island is 1 250 km 780 mi long and 191 km 119 mi across its widest points and 31 km 19 mi across its narrowest points The largest island outside the main island is the Isla de la Juventud is Isle of Youth in the southwest with an area of 2 204 km2 851 sq mi The main island consists mostly of flat to rolling plains At the southeastern end is the Sierra Maestra a range of steep mountains whose highest point is the Pico Turquino at 1 974 metres 6 476 ft Havana is the largest city and capital other major cities include Santiago de Cuba and Camaguey Better known smaller towns include Baracoa which was the first Spanish settlement on Cuba Trinidad a UNESCO world heritage site and Bayamo Physical geographyGeography of CubaSierra MaestraVinales Valley Cuba is located 77 km 48 mi west of Haiti across the Windward Passage 22 5 km 14 0 mi south of The Bahamas Cay Lobos 150 km 93 mi south of the United States Key West Florida 210 km 130 mi east of Mexico and 140 km 87 mi north of Jamaica It was made in three stages Cuba is the largest country by land area in the Caribbean Its main island is the 17th largest island in the world by land area The island rises between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean It is bordered on the north by the Straits of Florida on the northeast by Nicholas Channel and the Old Bahama Channel The southern part is bounded by the Windward Passage and the Cayman Trench while the southwest lies in the Caribbean Sea To the west it reaches to the Yucatan Channel and the northwest is open to the Gulf of Mexico About 4 195 islands islets and cays make up the country The southern coast includes such archipelagos as Jardines de la Reina and the Canarreos The northeastern shore is lined by the Sabana Camaguey Archipelago which includes Jardines del Rey and is composed of approximately 2 517 cays and islands The Colorados Archipelago is developed on the northwestern coast Terrain Cuba s terrain is mostly flat or 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 1 974 m 6 476 ft part of the Sierra Maestra mountain range located in the southeast of the island Other mountain ranges are Sierra Cristal in the southeast Escambray Mountains in the center of the island and Sierra del Rosario in the northwest White sand beaches most notably in Varadero as well as mangroves and marshes can be found in the coastal area The largest is the Zapata Swamp with over 4 520 km2 1 750 sq mi A recent global remote sensing analysis suggested that there were 675 km2 of tidal flats in Cuba making it the 38th ranked country in terms of tidal flat area Cuba has negligible inland 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 inland water surface by area in the country Geology Climate Koppen climate classification zones of CubaCasa Blanca HavanaClimate chart explanation J F M A M J J A S O N D 64 26 19 69 26 19 46 28 20 54 29 21 98 30 22 182 31 23 106 31 24 100 32 24 144 31 24 181 29 23 88 28 21 58 27 20 Average max and min temperatures in C Precipitation totals in mmSource Climate ChartsImperial conversionJFMAMJJASOND 2 5 79 66 2 7 79 66 1 8 82 68 2 1 84 70 3 9 86 72 7 2 88 73 4 2 88 75 3 9 90 75 5 7 88 75 7 1 84 73 3 5 82 70 2 3 81 68 Average max and min temperatures in F Precipitation totals in inches Most of Cuba has a tropical savanna climate Aw according to the Koppen climate classification although areas on the windward slopes of the Sierra Maestra and Sierra del Rosario have either a tropical monsoon climate or a trade wind tropical rainforest climate whilst a hot semi arid climate occurs in the Guantanamo Bay area because of a rain shadow from the Sierra Maestra In most areas the dry season lasts from November to April and the rainy season from May to October The climate is tropical though moderated by trade winds In general with local variations there is a drier season from November to April and a rainier season from May to October The average temperature is 23 1 C 73 6 F in January and 27 C 80 6 F in July Climate change in Cuba is causing an increase in temperature rising sea levels and shifting precipitation patterns with an overall decrease in rainfall predicted These will severely impact industries key to the economy including agriculture forestry and tourism As rainfall is Cuba s only water source water security is an issue Warmer temperatures may affect the health of the population causing an increase in cardiovascular respiratory and viral diseases A temperature rise of 2 C above preindustrial levels can increase the likelihood of extreme hurricane rainfall by three times in Cuba Cuba s climate mitigation and adaptation plans include renewable energy generation and nature based solutions such as restoring mangrove ecosystems Cuba lies in the path of hurricanes and these destructive storms are most common in September and October Tornadoes are somewhat rare in Cuba however on the evening of 27 January 2019 a very rare strong F4 tornado struck the eastern side of Havana Cuba s capital city The tornado caused extensive damage destroying at least 90 homes killing four people and injuring 195 By 4 February the death toll had increased to six with 11 people still in critical condition Climate data for Havana 1961 1990 extremes 1859 present Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high C F 32 4 90 3 33 0 91 4 35 3 95 5 37 0 98 6 36 2 97 2 35 4 95 7 36 6 97 9 37 7 99 9 38 2 100 8 39 6 103 3 34 0 93 2 33 2 91 8 39 6 103 3 Mean daily maximum C F 25 8 78 4 26 1 79 0 27 6 81 7 28 6 83 5 29 8 85 6 30 5 86 9 31 3 88 3 31 6 88 9 31 0 87 8 29 2 84 6 27 7 81 9 26 5 79 7 28 8 83 8 Daily mean C F 22 2 72 0 22 4 72 3 23 7 74 7 24 8 76 6 26 1 79 0 27 0 80 6 27 6 81 7 27 9 82 2 27 4 81 3 26 1 79 0 24 5 76 1 23 0 73 4 25 2 77 4 Mean daily minimum C F 18 6 65 5 18 6 65 5 19 7 67 5 20 9 69 6 22 4 72 3 23 4 74 1 23 8 74 8 24 1 75 4 23 8 74 8 23 0 73 4 21 3 70 3 19 5 67 1 21 6 70 9 Record low C F 6 0 42 8 11 9 53 4 10 0 50 0 15 1 59 2 15 4 59 7 20 0 68 0 19 0 66 2 20 0 68 0 20 0 68 0 18 0 64 4 14 0 57 2 10 0 50 0 6 0 42 8 Average rainfall mm inches 64 4 2 54 68 6 2 70 46 2 1 82 53 7 2 11 98 0 3 86 182 3 7 18 105 6 4 16 99 6 3 92 144 4 5 69 180 5 7 11 88 3 3 48 57 6 2 27 1 189 2 46 84 Average rainy days 1 0 mm 5 5 3 3 6 10 7 9 10 11 6 5 80Average relative humidity 75 74 73 72 75 77 78 78 79 80 77 75 76Mean monthly sunshine hours 217 0 203 4 272 8 273 0 260 4 237 0 272 8 260 4 225 0 195 3 219 0 195 3 2 831 4Mean daily sunshine hours 7 0 7 2 8 8 9 1 8 4 7 9 8 8 8 4 7 5 6 3 7 3 6 3 7 8Source 1 World Meteorological Organisation Climate Charts comSource 2 Meteo Climat record highs and lows Deutscher Wetterdienst sun Average Sea Temperature in Havana Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec23 C 73 F 23 C 73 F 24 C 75 F 26 C 79 F 27 C 81 F 28 C 82 F 28 C 82 F 28 C 82 F 28 C 82 F 27 C 81 F 26 C 79 F 24 C 75 F Maritime claims Cuba makes maritime claims that include a territorial sea of 12 nautical miles 22 2 km 13 8 mi and an exclusive economic zone of 350 751 km2 135 426 sq mi with 200 nautical miles 370 4 km 230 2 mi Extreme points Places in Cuba Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMap Download coordinates as KML GPX all coordinates GPX primary coordinates GPX secondary coordinates Extreme points in Cuba are Point Name Location RemarksNorth on shore Punta Hicacos 23 12 19 N 81 08 35 W 23 205364996518945 N 81 14309760226082 W 23 205364996518945 81 14309760226082 On Hicacos PeninsulaNorth off shore Cayo Cruz del Padre 23 16 40 N 80 54 10 W 23 277666130750777 N 80 90271748882353 W 23 277666130750777 80 90271748882353 Part of Sabana Camaguey ArchipelagoEast Cape Maisi 20 12 32 N 74 08 01 W 20 20889 N 74 13361 W 20 20889 74 13361 Punta Maisi Near MaisiWest Cape San Antonio 21 51 39 N 84 57 25 W 21 86083 N 84 95694 W 21 86083 84 95694 Cabo San Antonio On Guanahacabibes PeninsulaSouth Cape Cruz 19 49 37 N 77 40 30 W 19 82694 N 77 67500 W 19 82694 77 67500 Cape Cruz Near NiqueroHighest point Pico Turquino 19 59 22 N 76 50 09 W 19 98944 N 76 83583 W 19 98944 76 83583 Pico Turquino Part of Sierra Maestra 1 974 m 6 476 ft Lowest point sea level Caribbean and Atlantic OceanLargest city Havana 23 08 00 N 82 23 00 W 23 13333 N 82 38333 W 23 13333 82 38333 City of Havana National capital population 2 130 431Oldest city Baracoa 20 20 55 N 74 30 38 W 20 34861 N 74 51056 W 20 34861 74 51056 Baracoa Founded in 1511Natural resourcesA tobacco field in Pinar del Rio Natural resources include cobalt nickel iron ore copper salt timber silica oil and petroleum At one time the whole island was covered with forests and there are still many cedar Cedrela odorata chechem Metopium brownei mahogany Swietenia mahagoni and other valuable trees Large areas were cleared to grow more sugarcane and so few trees remained that timber had to be imported The most important Cuban mineral economic resource is nickel Cuba has the second largest nickel reserves in the world after Russia Sherritt International a Canadian energy company operates a large nickel mining facility in Moa Cuba Another leading mineral resource is cobalt a byproduct of nickel mining operations Cuba ranks as the fifth largest producer of refined cobalt in the world Cuba has historically been dependent on oil imports As of 2011 Cuba had proven reserves of a mere 0 1 billion barrels 16 000 000 m3 of crude oil and 2 5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and mostly used oil for power generation In 2010 Cuba produced 51 000 barrels of crude oil a day Kb d in 2010 in onshore or shallow near shore development mostly heavy sour sulfur rich crude that requires advanced refining capacity to process Offshore exploration in the North Cuba Basin had revealed the possibility of an additional 4 6 billion barrels 730 000 000 m3 of technically recoverable crude oil 0 9 billion barrels of natural gas liquids and 9 8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas As of 2011 Cuba had six offshore petroleum development projects with foreign oil companies Petrovietnam Vietnam Petronas Malaysia PDVSA Venezuela Sonangol Angola ONGC India Repsol Spain and Statoil Norway Sugarcane was historically the most important part of the Cuban economy and large areas are still dedicated to its cultivation in 2018 Cuba produced an estimated 1 1 1 3 million tonnes of raw sugar The importance of the sugar harvest has declined with tourism tobacco nickel and pharmaceuticals surpassing sugar in economic importance Extensive irrigation systems are developed in the south of Sancti Spiritus Province Tobacco used for some of the world s cigars is grown especially in the Pinar del Rio Province Administrative subdivisionsCuba is divided into 15 provinces and one special municipality Provinces are further subdivided into 168 municipalities ReferencesStoner K Lynn Cuba Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2005 Archived 29 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine 31 October 2009 Iturralde Vinent M A Garcia Casco A Rojas Agramonte Y Proenza J A Murphy J B Stern R J 2016 The geology of Cuba A brief overview and synthesis GSA Today 26 10 4 10 doi 10 1130 GSATG296A 1 hdl 2445 122345 Menendez Leda Guzman Jose Manuel Capote Rene Tomas Gonzalez Armando Vicente Rodriguez Lazaro March 2005 Variabilidad de los bosques de manglares del archipielago Sabana Camaguey Implicaciones para su gestion Mapping Interactivo Revista Internacional de Ciencias de la Tierra 100 ISSN 1131 9100 Archived from the original on 22 May 2006 Retrieved 16 October 2007 Varadero YouTube Murray N J Phinn S R DeWitt M Ferrari R Johnston R Lyons M B Clinton N Thau D Fuller R A 2019 The global distribution and trajectory of tidal flats Nature 565 7738 222 225 doi 10 1038 s41586 018 0805 8 PMID 30568300 S2CID 56481043 Cuba Climate data World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal Cuba climateknowledgeportal worldbank org Retrieved 2025 03 06 BERARDELLI JEFF 29 August 2020 Climate change may make extreme hurricane rainfall five times more likely study says CBC News Retrieved 30 August 2020 Republic of Cuba SUMMARY OF THE FIRST NDC UPDATED 2020 2030 REPUBLIC OF CUBA PDF Small Island Developing States are on the frontlines of climate change here s why UNDP Climate Promise climatepromise undp org 2022 05 10 Retrieved 2025 03 06 Havana tornado Cuba s capital hit by rare twister BBC News 28 January 2019 Retrieved 28 January 2019 The Latest Havana hit by Category F3 tornado StarTribune com Star Tribune Archived from the original on 29 January 2019 Retrieved 5 February 2019 Guy Jack 28 January 2019 Cuba tornado 4 dead and 195 injured CNN Retrieved 11 April 2022 Cappucci Matthew 28 January 2019 A deadly tornado plowed through Havana on Sunday night Here s how it happened The Washington Post Retrieved 29 January 2019 Death Toll Rises to Six From Rare Havana Tornado Weather Underground 4 February 2019 Retrieved 5 February 2019 World Weather Information Service Havana Cuban Institute of Meteorology June 2011 Retrieved June 26 2010 Casa Blanca Habana Cuba Climate Global Warming and Daylight Charts and Data Archived from the original on June 23 2011 Retrieved June 26 2010 Station La Havane in French Meteo Climat Retrieved May 2 2017 Klimatafel von Havanna La Habana Obs Casa Blanca Kuba PDF Baseline climate means 1961 1990 from stations all over the world in German Deutscher Wetterdienst Retrieved July 29 2017 http minerals usgs gov minerals pubs country 1997 9509097 pdf Archived 2017 10 12 at the Wayback Machine The Mineral Resources of Cuba 1997 Neelesh Nerurkar amp Mark P Sullivan Cuba s Offshore Oil Development Background and U S Policy Considerations Congressional Research Service 28 November 2011 Pollitt Brian H 2004 The Rise and Fall of the Cuban Sugar Economy Journal of Latin American Studies 36 2 319 348 doi 10 1017 S0022216X04007448 JSTOR 3875618 Marc Frank Cuban raw sugar production headed toward 30 percent decline Reuters April 16 2018 Fifth United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names Vol II published by the United Nations New York 1991External linksWikimedia Commons has media related to Geography of Cuba Map of the Complete Island of Cuba from 1639
