Cuba is at south of Florida in the United States of America and east of the Yucat·n Peninsula of Mexico. It forms, with various adjacent islands, the republic of Cuba. Cuba commands the two entrances to the Gulf of Mexico-the Straits of Florida and the Yucat·n Channel. On the east, Cuba is separated from the island of Hispaniola by the Windward Passage, a shipping route between the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The United States maintains a naval base at Guant·namo Bay in the southeast.
The island extends about 1225 km (about 760 mi) from Cabo de San Antonio to Cabo MaisÌ, the western and eastern extremities, respectively. The average width is about 80 km (about 50 mi), with extremes ranging from 35 to 257 km (22 to 160 mi). The total area is 114,524 sq km (44,218 mi) including the area of the Isla de la Juventud, or Isle of Youth (formerly called Isle of Pines) and of other islands of the republic.
One of the extraordinary natural features of the island is the large number of subsurface limestone caverns, notably the caves of Cotilla, situated near Havana. Most of the numerous rivers of Cuba are short and unnavigable. The chief stream is the Cauto, located in the southeast. The coast of Cuba is extremely irregular and is indented by numerous gulfs and bays; the total length is about 4025 km (about 2500 mi). The island has a large number of excellent harbors, the majority of which are almost entirely landlocked. Notable harbors are those of Havana, C·rdenas, Bahia Honda, Matanzas, and Neuvitas, on the northern coast, and Guant·namo, Santiago de Cuba, Cienfuegos, and Tri nidad, on the southern coast.
Some beautiful scenes of the islands of Cuba
