General Facts
Cuba is the largest island of the West Indies, situated in the westernmost part of the Caribbean at the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico. More than 4000 keys and islets form the Cuban archipelago.

Area (all islands)
110,992 km²

Political system
popular democratic republic

Government
one-party system with a president (Fidel Castro) and a national assembly made up of 481 members

Capital
Havana

Currency
peso (fluctuates greatly on the black market)

Language spoken
Spanish

Population
50% Black, 50% White

Principal economic activity
Tourism

Agriculture
Rice, sweet potatoes, sugar cane (world’s 6th largest producer) and tobacco

Climate
Cuba has a moderate subtropical climate with warm temperatures year-round. There are 330 days of sun a year on average, with two main seasons: the rainy season from May to October, and the dry season from November to April. The average temperature is 25.5° C and the water temperature is 25° C.

Tourism
Situated at the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico, the island of Cuba lies in the northwestern Caribbean like a “little green crocodile,” only 140 km south of Florida and the United States. Sun-seekers come to enjoy Cuba’s 300 white sand beaches and crystal clear waters. The most famous beach is Varadero, but there are others east of Havana near Holguín and Cayo Largo del Sur.