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Cuba is located in the Caribbean Sea. Geographically, Cuba is an archipelago consisting of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud and over 4,000 cays and islets, with a total area of over 110,000 km2.
In the rural sites, the land is mainly farmed using the traditional method, with other words with oxen and horses. The most famous crops in Cuba are the sugar cane, the tobacco and the coffee. UNESCO declared three sites of these (one each for tobacco, sugar and coffee) as World Heritage sites due to the preservation of the traditional farming methods and the impressive history of the agriculture. Besides those three sites Cuba has another 6 other sites declared UNESCO World Heritage. In addition, Cuba has more than 25 other protected areas, amongst which seven national parks, six Ramsar sites and six UNESCO Biosphere Reserves making up 22% of the country, making Cuba one of the most environmentally protected countries in the world.
Cuban´s biodiversity is considered the most diverse and one of the best preserved in Latin America and the Caribbean. Reportedly there are over 963 species of fish, over 1,100 crustaceans, 350 birds and 1,468 molluscs. Cuba has a number of spectacular bird-watching locations spread over the island, but if you wish to glimpse the worlds smallest bird, the 6cm zunzún or pájaro mosca (bee hummingbird), head out to Ciénaga de Zapata, in Gran Parque Natural Montemar. Cuba has two other of the smallest species: the 12mm rana pigmeo or sapito (pygmy frog) and the 3cm murciélago mariposa (butterfly bat). All three of them are endimic species, living only in Cuba. Other rarities are Cuba´s national bird with its red, white, blue and green feathers, the tocororo and the manjuarí, a pre-historic fish with the body of a fish and the head of a reptile.
Fauna is also incredibly diverse with over 7,000 species of which almost half are native and to be found only in Cuba. An example is the palma corcha (cork palm), said to be prehistoric and of which only some 1,000 pieces remain, almost all in Viñales. The solandra grandiflora, the worlds biggest flower, is also a native plant from Cuba. Generally they flower between February and May. |
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