Cuba is located west of
Haiti across the
Windward Passage, south of
The Bahamas (
Cay Lobos), south of the
United States (
Key West, Florida), east of
Mexico, and north of
Jamaica. It was made in three stages. Cuba is the largest country by land area in the Caribbean. Its main island is the
17th-largest island in the world by land area. The island rises between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean. It is bordered on the north by the
Straits of Florida, on the northeast by
Nicholas Channel and the
Old Bahama Channel. The southern part is bounded by the
Windward Passage and the
Cayman Trench, while the southwest lies in the Caribbean Sea. To the west, it reaches to the
Yucatán Channel, and the northwest is open to the
Gulf of Mexico. About 4,195 islands, islets and
cays make up the country. The southern coast includes such
archipelagos as
Jardines de la Reina and the
Canarreos. The northeastern shore is lined by the
Sabana-Camagüey Archipelago, which includes
Jardines del Rey and is composed of approximately 2,517 cays and islands. The
Colorados Archipelago is developed on the northwestern coast.
Terrain Cuba's terrain is mostly flat or rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast. The lowest point is the Caribbean Sea at 0 m (
sea level) and the highest point is
Pico Turquino at , part of the
Sierra Maestra mountain range, located in the southeast of the island. Other mountain ranges are
Sierra Cristal in the southeast,
Escambray Mountains in the center of the island, and
Sierra del Rosario in the northwest. White sand beaches (most notably in
Varadero), as well as
mangroves and marshes can be found in the coastal area. The largest is the
Zapata Swamp, with over . A recent global remote sensing analysis suggested that there were 675 km2 of tidal flats in Cuba, making it the 38th-ranked country in terms of tidal flat area. Cuba has negligible inland water area. The largest natural water mirror is
Laguna de Leche at , while the man-made
Zaza Reservoir, at , is the largest inland water surface by area in the country.
Geology Climate Most of Cuba has a
tropical savanna climate (
Aw according to the
Köppen climate classification), although areas on the windward slopes of the Sierra Maestra and Sierra del Rosario have either a
tropical monsoon climate or a trade-wind
tropical rainforest climate, whilst a
hot semi-arid climate occurs in the Guantánamo Bay area because of a rain shadow from the Sierra Maestra. In most areas, the
dry season lasts from November to April and the
rainy season from May to October. The climate is tropical, though moderated by trade winds. In general (with local variations), there is a drier season from November to April, and a rainier season from May to October. The average temperature is in January and in July.
Climate change in Cuba is causing an increase in temperature,
rising sea levels and shifting precipitation patterns, with an overall decrease in rainfall predicted. These will severely impact industries key to the economy, including agriculture, forestry and tourism. As rainfall is Cuba's only water source, water security is an issue. Warmer temperatures may affect the health of the population, causing an increase in cardiovascular, respiratory and viral diseases. A temperature rise of 2°C above preindustrial levels can increase the likelihood of extreme
hurricane rainfall by three times in
Cuba. Cuba's climate
mitigation and
adaptation plans include renewable energy generation and
nature-based solutions, such as restoring mangrove ecosystems. Cuba lies in the path of
hurricanes, and these destructive storms are most common in September and October. The experience of hurricane damage has shaped Cuba's
disaster risk reduction policies, contributing to a low mortality rate compared with neighbouring countries. Tornadoes are somewhat rare in Cuba; however, on the evening of 27 January 2019, a very rare strong
F4 tornado
struck the eastern side of Havana, Cuba's capital city. The tornado caused extensive damage, destroying at least 90 homes, killing four people and injuring 195. By 4 February, the death toll had increased to six, with 11 people still in critical condition. {{Weather box Climate-Charts.com {{cite web
Maritime claims Cuba makes maritime claims that include a
territorial sea of and an
exclusive economic zone of with .
Extreme points Extreme points in Cuba are: ==Natural resources==