Geography
The Cuban archipelago is located between the North American and South American continents in the western Caribbean Sea. The closest territories to Cuba are the island of Hispaniola (which hosts the states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti), 77 km to the east. 140 km to the northwest are the Bahamas, 146 km to the south – Jamaica. The United States is 180 km to the north, and Mexico is 210 km to the west. See Cuba abbreviations.
Cuba is the largest of the Antilles. The area of the main island of Cuba is 105.8 thousand km², together with the neighboring islands, the area of the state is 110.8 thousand km².
The island of Cuba proper is the fifteenth largest island in the world and 94% of the territory of the Republic of Cuba in terms of area. In length from west to east, the island stretches for 1250 kilometers, the width of the island reaches 190 kilometers.
The Cuban archipelago also includes the island of Youth, as well as more than 1,600 small islands. In the east and north, Cuba is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south side by the Caribbean Sea, and the western part of the island is located at the mouth of the Gulf of Mexico.
The coastline of Cuba has a length of more than 3750 kilometers. Flat, elevated shores predominate on the northeastern and northern coasts. The highest mountain range in Cuba is the Sierra Maestra, which stretches along the southeastern coast of the island for 250 kilometers, here is the highest point of the region – Turquino Peak, whose height is 2005 meters above sea level.
On the southwestern and southern coasts of Cuba, as well as on the island of Youth, the shores are predominantly low-lying, indented with bays and deep bays. The area is often swampy and covered with mango thickets.
Climate
According to 800zipcodes, the climate on the island of Cuba is tropical trade wind, with pronounced rainy – from May to October, and dry – from November to April, seasons. The average annual temperature in Cuba is +25 °C.
The average air temperature from May to October is +24…+35 °С, in the winter season, from November to April, the average air temperature rises to +19…+24 °С.
The climate of Cuba is greatly influenced by the northeast trade winds that carry moisture, which penetrate almost everywhere, except for some areas on the southeast coast and deep valleys in mountain heights, as well as a warm sea current. This explains the warm winter conditions as well as the more moderate summer temperatures.
In elevated places and on the northern slopes of the island, temperatures are lower.
At times, cold air masses invade the northeastern part of Cuba from the north, which lower the temperature to 0 ° C.
The average rainfall in the plains of the island ranges from 1000 to 1200 millimeters, and in the mountains up to 2200 millimeters per year.
Major cities of Cuba: Havana, Santiago de Cuba.
Famous beach resorts in Cuba: Varadero, Holguin, Cayo Guillermo, Cayo Largo, Cayo Santa Maria
Cuisine of Cuba
Cuban cuisine successfully combines the traditions of different nations. Spanish and African cuisines had a special influence on her.
The main ingredients of the national dishes of Cuba are considered to be meat (pork, chicken, beef, lamb), cereals (rice, beans, corn), vegetables and root crops (sweet potatoes), fruits (bananas, guanabana, cherimoya, mamey, guava) and seafood ( fish, delicacies).
Sauces are used for many dishes in Cuba. The most famous of the sauces is Creole, for its preparation, tomatoes, onions, peppers, garlic and oil are used. Mojo sauce is prepared on the basis of herbs, garlic, lemon juice, pepper and oil. No less often do fruit sauces, in particular from papaya and mango.
Popular Cuban dishes:
- One of the most famous dishes in Cubais a thick soup-pottage “Ajiaco Criollo” (ajiaco), prepared from stewed vegetables and root vegetables with various types of meat (pork, beef, poultry).
- Of the soups, it should also be noted “la caldosa”, which is prepared from chicken meat, sweet potatoes, ham, oregano and vegetables. All ingredients are stewed in a clay pot.
- “Kongri” – a dish of white rice and colored beans, such as red.
- A dish of white rice and black beans has the original name “Moors and Christians” (moros y cristianos).
- Often in Cuba, chicken dishes are prepared, for example, fried chicken. The sauce for that dish is made from bitter orange.
- The difficult-to-prepare dish “Picadillo a la habanera” (picadillo la habanera) is called minced meat in Havana. It is usually served with tomato sauce.
- In Cuba, fried banana dishes are very popular, which are prepared in many ways. As a rule, these are fried slices of bananas, reminiscent of crispy potatoes or small cakes.
- From Spanish cuisine, the Cubans borrowed the recipe for cod, called “bacalao a la viscaina”.
The inhabitants of Cuba are not indifferent to a variety of sweet dishes. Fruit desserts are the most common, in particular pies with fruit filling, as well as Coppelia ice cream.
Of the drinks in Cuba, coffee is extremely popular, which is served here quite strong and sweet. Most Cuban drinks are very sweet.
Among alcoholic beverages, Cuban rum is world famous. The most famous brand of rum is Havana Club. Local rum has 3 varieties: Carta Oro, Carta Blanca and Anejo, they differ in aging and ingredients.
Among tourists, popular cocktails “mojito”, ” Cuba Libre”, “saoko”, “mulatto” and “daiquiri” are widely used. In addition, Cubans sometimes serve table wine for lunch and dinner.
