The Geography Of Cuba
Nathan Jingst
Mrs. Miller
Spanish II
31 October 2014
Geography of Cuba Cuba is located in the Caribbean, and is the largest island there. Technically, the country does not border any other countries. The United States leases Guantanamo Bay, a military prison, in an eastern section of the country (Geography). Other than this, Cuba is completely surrounded by water. Cuba has an area of 42,803 sq. miles. It is about 760 miles long, and about 55 miles wide. Its closest neighbor is Haiti, about 50 miles east, and lies 100 miles south of Florida (Cuba: Location). About one third of Cuba’s land is farmland, in which sugarcane is grown (Levinson). The coordinates of Cuba are 21° 30’N, 80° 00’W. Cuba has a tropical climate, which is pacified by trade …show more content…
winds. Cuba’s dry season is from November to April, with its wet season from May to October. Furthermore, from August to November Cuba is subject to hurricanes along the east coast, which occur about every other year. Cuba’s terrain is composed of rolling plains, and in the southeast there are rugged hills and mountains. In these rugged hills and mountains, you can find some natural resources, such as nickel, cobalt, copper, chromium, iron ore, and petroleum (Geography). Havana is the country’s largest city, and is the nation’s capital.
It has a population of 2.1 million. It is located in the North West section if the country, and is adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico and the Straits of Florida. The largest cities of Cuba, in order by population, are “Havana, Santiago de Cuba, Camaguey, Holguin, Santa Clara, Guantanamo, Bayamo, Victoria de Las Tunas, Cienfuegos, Manzanillo, Pinar del Rio” (FAST). Santiago de Cuba is located in the South West part of the country, and is adjacent to the Cayman Trench. It has a population of approximately 420,000 people. It is also known as the origin of all genres of traditional Cuban music (Santiago). This includes son music, the genre in which all others derived, which is “a combination of Spanish verse & chorus, and African vocals and drumming” …show more content…
(What)
Yet another large and popular city of Cuba is Camaguey, which houses over 321,000 people. Camaguey is currently located in central Cuba, but was settled on the northern coat in 1515. Due to numerous pirate attacks, the city was moved inland, to its present location, in 1528. The city has a unique layout; the alleys and streets are defensively set up like a maze, to discourage intruders from entering the city. Camaguey has many landmarks, making it a popular tourist attraction. Some of these landmarks include a WWII country ranch which now functions as a nature preserve, a famous cemetery where independence hero Ignacio Agramonte is buried, and a three million year old petrified forest, composed of fossilized tree stumps (Doolittle).
Works Cited
"Cuba - Google Maps." Cuba - Google Maps. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2014. <https://www.google.com/maps/place/Cuba/@29.1053818,88.3557366,5z/ data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x88cd49070f7a4cb5:0x798cf7529110a41a>.
"Cuba: Location, Size, and Extent." Encyclopedia of the Nations.
Advameg Inc., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2014. <http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/ Cuba-LOCATION-SIZE-AND-EXTENT.html>.
Doolittle, Hiland. "Fun Facts Camaguey." Travel Guide Cuba. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2014. <http://www.travelguidecuba.com/destinations/camaguey-destinations/ fun-facts-camaguey.html>.
"FAST FACTS." Cuba Facts on Largest Cities, Populations, Symbols. Valnet Inc., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2014. <http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/caribb/cuba/cufacts.htm>.
"Geography and Map of Cuba." Geography and Map of Cuba. About.com, 1 Nov. 2005. Web. 14 Oct. 2014. <http://geography.about.com/library/cia/blccuba.htm>.
Levinson, Sandra H. "Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2014. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/145542/Cuba/54403/ Agriculture-forestry-and-fishing>.
"Santiago De Cuba Facts." Santiago De Cuba Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2014. <http://www.enforex.com/santiago-cuba-facts.html>.
"What Music Is Cuba Famous For?" What Music Is Cuba Famous For? | Insight Cuba. InsightCuba, n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2014.
<http://insightcuba.com/what-music-is-cuba-famous-for>.
Mrs. Miller
Spanish II
31 October 2014
Geography of Cuba Cuba is located in the Caribbean, and is the largest island there. Technically, the country does not border any other countries. The United States leases Guantanamo Bay, a military prison, in an eastern section of the country (Geography). Other than this, Cuba is completely surrounded by water. Cuba has an area of 42,803 sq. miles. It is about 760 miles long, and about 55 miles wide. Its closest neighbor is Haiti, about 50 miles east, and lies 100 miles south of Florida (Cuba: Location). About one third of Cuba’s land is farmland, in which sugarcane is grown (Levinson). The coordinates of Cuba are 21° 30’N, 80° 00’W. Cuba has a tropical climate, which is pacified by trade …show more content…
winds. Cuba’s dry season is from November to April, with its wet season from May to October. Furthermore, from August to November Cuba is subject to hurricanes along the east coast, which occur about every other year. Cuba’s terrain is composed of rolling plains, and in the southeast there are rugged hills and mountains. In these rugged hills and mountains, you can find some natural resources, such as nickel, cobalt, copper, chromium, iron ore, and petroleum (Geography). Havana is the country’s largest city, and is the nation’s capital.
It has a population of 2.1 million. It is located in the North West section if the country, and is adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico and the Straits of Florida. The largest cities of Cuba, in order by population, are “Havana, Santiago de Cuba, Camaguey, Holguin, Santa Clara, Guantanamo, Bayamo, Victoria de Las Tunas, Cienfuegos, Manzanillo, Pinar del Rio” (FAST). Santiago de Cuba is located in the South West part of the country, and is adjacent to the Cayman Trench. It has a population of approximately 420,000 people. It is also known as the origin of all genres of traditional Cuban music (Santiago). This includes son music, the genre in which all others derived, which is “a combination of Spanish verse & chorus, and African vocals and drumming” …show more content…
(What)
Yet another large and popular city of Cuba is Camaguey, which houses over 321,000 people. Camaguey is currently located in central Cuba, but was settled on the northern coat in 1515. Due to numerous pirate attacks, the city was moved inland, to its present location, in 1528. The city has a unique layout; the alleys and streets are defensively set up like a maze, to discourage intruders from entering the city. Camaguey has many landmarks, making it a popular tourist attraction. Some of these landmarks include a WWII country ranch which now functions as a nature preserve, a famous cemetery where independence hero Ignacio Agramonte is buried, and a three million year old petrified forest, composed of fossilized tree stumps (Doolittle).
Works Cited
"Cuba - Google Maps." Cuba - Google Maps. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2014. <https://www.google.com/maps/place/Cuba/@29.1053818,88.3557366,5z/ data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x88cd49070f7a4cb5:0x798cf7529110a41a>.
"Cuba: Location, Size, and Extent." Encyclopedia of the Nations.
Advameg Inc., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2014. <http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/ Cuba-LOCATION-SIZE-AND-EXTENT.html>.
Doolittle, Hiland. "Fun Facts Camaguey." Travel Guide Cuba. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2014. <http://www.travelguidecuba.com/destinations/camaguey-destinations/ fun-facts-camaguey.html>.
"FAST FACTS." Cuba Facts on Largest Cities, Populations, Symbols. Valnet Inc., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2014. <http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/caribb/cuba/cufacts.htm>.
"Geography and Map of Cuba." Geography and Map of Cuba. About.com, 1 Nov. 2005. Web. 14 Oct. 2014. <http://geography.about.com/library/cia/blccuba.htm>.
Levinson, Sandra H. "Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2014. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/145542/Cuba/54403/ Agriculture-forestry-and-fishing>.
"Santiago De Cuba Facts." Santiago De Cuba Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2014. <http://www.enforex.com/santiago-cuba-facts.html>.
"What Music Is Cuba Famous For?" What Music Is Cuba Famous For? | Insight Cuba. InsightCuba, n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2014.
<http://insightcuba.com/what-music-is-cuba-famous-for>.