Cuba is the largest island and the most populated country in the Caribbean. Located at the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico in the Northwestern corner of the Caribbean, its geographic boundaries are as follows:

• North: Straits of Florida and Canal Viejo of Bahamas

• East: Straits of Paso de Los Vientos

• South: Caribbean Sea

• West: Straits of Yucatan and Gulf of Mexico:

• The nearest nations to Cuba are;                    

• North: United States of America (Key West, 90 miles) and Bahamas (Cay Salt, 45 miles)

• East: Haiti (77 km)

• South: Jamaica (140 Km)

• West: Mexico (Peninsula of Yucatan, 210 Km)

 

The geographic coordinates of Cuba are between 19.82 and 23.27 North Latitude, and between -74.10 and -84.95 West Longitude, at the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico.

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Territory:

Cuba is actually an archipelago with two main islands (Cuba and the Isle of Youth, former Isle of Pines) and more than 1600 cays and islets, with the most well-known being Cayo Largo del Sur, Cayo Coco, and Cayo Guillermo.

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Cuba's territorial numbers are:

• Total area: 109 884 sq. Km

• Cays and islets area: 3 216 sq. Km

• Coastline: 5 746 Km, with more than 280 beautiful beaches

• Length of the main island: 1 250 Km

• Width of the main island is: between 32 and 210 Km

 

Cuba has a mostly flat terrain with some rolling hills and rugged mountain in the northwest of the island consisting of the Sierra de Los Organos and the Sierra del Rosario ranges. The Sierra del Escambray in the South-central area of the island, and the Sierra Maestra and Sierra Cristal ranges located in the South-east of the island have the highest elevations in Cuba. The highest point being Pico Turquino with an elevation of 2,000 meters, followed in elevation by Pico Cuba at 1,872 meters, and Pico Suecia at 1,734 meters, all located within the Sierra Maestra range. These are followed by Pan de Guajabo at 700 meters in the Sierra del Rosario and Pico San Juan at 1,140 meters in the Sierra del Escambray.

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Population:

Cuba has a population of 11,238,000 with a population density of 102 inhabitants per square kilometer. Most of the island's population lives in urban areas, with just under 25% of the population being considered rural. The capital of Cuba is Havana which has a population of over 2.1 million.  Havana is by far the most populated city in the country. Other important cities include Santiago (population 434,300), Camaguey (population 304,000), Holguin (population 291,600), Guantanamo (population 218,000), Santa Clara (population 214,400), Las Tunas (population 166,300), Bayamo (population 159,000), Cienfuegos (population 149,200), Matanzas (population 136,500), Pinar del Rio (population 142,400), Ciego de Avila (population 117,200), and Sancti Spiritus (population 107,000).