√ Basic information on Cuba (Caribbean Sea)
Cuba
National flag of Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is divided into 14 provinces. 169 municipalities and the Isla de la Juventud special municipality.
From West to East those provinces are: Pinar del Rio, La Habana (Havana), Ciudad de La Habana(Havana City), Matanzas, Cienfuegos, Villa Clara, Sancti Spiritus, Ciego de Avila, Camaguey, Las Tunas, Holguin, Granma, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantanamo.
In view of the actual political situation, restriction of freedom of expression and ongoing human rights violations in the country, we currently don't recommend to take Spanish languages courses in Cuba.
Cuba in numbers/basic information on Cuba
- Inhabitants: ~ 11.382.000
- Area of Cuba: 110.861 km² (42.804 square miles)
- Spoken languages: Spanish
- Capital: La Habana
- Seat of the congress/parliament: La Habana
- Seat of the government: La Habana
- Head of State and Government Chief: Raúl Castro
- Voltage: 110/220V / 60Hz
- Telephone prefix number, Cuba phone country code: +53
- Time Zone: GMT/UTC -5 hours
- When you opened this page in Cuba it was 23:05 h +/- possible difference because of summertime/daylight saving (see below).
- Summertime/daylight saving: 1 h
- Summertime/daylight saving from beginnings of April until middle of September.
- Currency: Peso Cubano ($)
Geography
Cuba is a long and narrow island, 1 200kms from Cabo de San Antonio in the west end and Punta de Maisi in the east end.
Its maximum width is 210 kms and its minimum 32 kms..Cuba is mainly a plain territory with 4 important mountainous groups:
The Guaniguanico mountain range in the west, the Guamuhaya in the central territory, and the solid Sagua-Baracoa and Sierra Maestra mountain range in the East where the highest mountain in the country, the Pico Turquino, is located, 1 974 mts above sea level.
Flora and Fauna
Rich and diverse.
There are more than 300 protected areas approximately occupying 22 percent of the national territory.
There are 6 areas declared Reservation of the Biosphere by UNESCO:
The Guanahacabibes Peninsula, the Sierra del Rosario mountain range, the Ciénaga de Zapata Marsh in the West; the Buenavista area in the center and the Baconao Park and the Cuchillas del Toa rivers in the East of the country.
Climate
Subtropical moderate with prevailing warm temperatures. An average of 330 suuny days a year.
Two seasons : a rainy season (May to October) and a dry one (November to April).
Average air temperature: 25,5 degrees centigrades.
Average coastal waters temperature: 25 degrees centigrades.
Average relative humidity a year: 78 %
More information and interesting Web-Sites regarding Cuba:
CUBA NEWS: Politics, economy, tourism, science, health, education and sports.
