Geography of Cuba

Cuba is an island located in the the Antilles, of coordinates 21°3N, 80°00O. The island is to 140 km of the Bahamas, 180km of Florida, 210 km of Mexico and 146 km of Jamaica. The island of Cuba presents a very lengthened form which points out that of a caiman - group of reptiles about the crocodiliens -, which is besides the only dangerous animal for the man on the territory. Total surface area of the island east of 110.860 km ², which gives of it the largest a report on the Antilles. Cuba extends along a convex arc from 1.250 km. To the extreme is the American territory of Guantánamo is island.

The island profits from wide plane surfaces and grounds favorable to agriculture which supported a homogeneous distribution of the settlement. However, although nearly 80% of the relief of the island is in the form of plains and of plates, three assembly lines emergent on the back of the large reptile: hills of Guaniguanico - 699 m of altitude -, in the west of Havana; solid mass of Escambray - 1.140 m -, in the center; and especially the Sierra Maestra, in south-east. In Spanish, Sierra means assembly line and Maestra, mistress. Main assembly line of Cuba thus, mistress by her height which culminates with the peak Turquino - 2.005 m -.

This small State of 114.525 km ², is approximately a hundredth of Canada, has a considerable geopolitical importance all the same. Located at the center of the Caribbean Sea, less than 180 km in the south of Florida, 44 km in the west of Haiti, 140 km in the north of Jamaica and 210 km in the east of the peninsula of Yucatan, Cuba is a territory with highly strategic positioning. Envied for its advantageous position, but also for its many natural resources; exceptional fauna and flora, ores - but, nickel - and very productive agrarian grounds - sugar, tobacco, coffee.

Statistics

Population: 11,346,670 (July 2005). 0-14 years: 19.6% %; 15-64 years: 70.1% %; + 65 years: 10.4% %
Surface: 110.860 km ²
Density: 100 hab./km²
Land borders: 29 km (29 km with the American base of Guantanamo; however the ground on which the base is belongs to Cuba)
Littoral: 3.735 km
Ends of altitude: 0 m > + 2.005 m
Life expectancy of the men: 74.94 years (in 2005)
Life expectancy of the women: 79.65 years (in 2005)
Growth rate the pop one: 0.33% (in 2005)
Birth rate: 12.03? (in 2005)
Death rate: 7.19? (in 2005)
infantile Death rate: 6.33? (in 2005), 2nd low in America after Canada
Fertility rate: 1.66 children/woman (in 2005)
Rate of migration: -1.58? (in 2005)
Independence: May 20th 1902 (old American territory)
Telephone lines: 574,400 (in 2002)
Cellphones: 17,900 (in 2002)
Radios: 3,9 million (in 1997)
Television stations: 2,64 million (in 1997)
Users of Internet: 120,000 (in 2004)
Many suppliers of access Internet: 4 (in 2001)
Roads: 60.858 km (including 29.820 tarred km) (in 1999)
Railways: 11.969 km (in 2004)
inland Waterways: 240 km (in 2004)
Many airports: 170 (in 2004)

For more current data, to see the CIA The World Factbook:

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