Geography of Cuba

Geography of the Archipelago of Cuba

Continent	North America
Region	Caribbean Sea
Coordinates	22°00′N 80°00′W / 22.000°N 80.000°W / 22.000; -80.000
Area	Ranked 104th
• Total	110,860 km2 (42,800 sq mi)
• Land	99.06%
• Water	0.94%
Coastline	5,746 km (3,570 mi)
Borders	28,5 km² with  United States at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
Highest point	Pico Turquino 1,974 metres (6,476 ft)
Lowest point	Caribbean Sea 0 m
Longest river	Cauto River
Exclusive economic zone	350,751 km2 (135,426 sq mi)

Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean Sea. It comprises an archipelago of islands centred upon the geographic coordinates 21°3N, 80°00W. Cuba is the principal island, surrounded by four main archipelagos: the Colorados, the Sabana-Camagüey, the Jardines de la Reina and the Canarreos. Cuba's area is 110,860 km² (42,800 sq mi) including coastal and territorial waters with a land area of 109,820 km² (42,400 sq mi), which makes it the eighth-largest island country in the world. The main island (Cuba) has 5,746 km (3,570 mi) of coastline and 28.5 km (17.7 mi) of land borders—all figures including the U.S. Navy's Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. Its official area is 109,884 km² (42,426 sq mi).

Cuba lies west of the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Gulf of Mexico, south of the Straits of Florida, northwest of the Windward Passage, and northeast of the Yucatán Channel. The main island (Cuba), at 104,338 km² (40,285 sq mi), makes up most of the land area^[1] and is the 17th-largest island in the world by land area.

The island is 1,250 km (780 mi) long and 191 km (119 mi) across its widest points and 31 km (19 mi) across its narrowest points.^[1] The largest island outside the main island is the Isla de la Juventud (Isle of Youth) in the southwest, with an area of 2,204 km² (851 sq mi).^[1]

The main island consists mostly of flat to rolling plains. At the southeastern end is the Sierra Maestra, a range of steep mountains whose highest point is the Pico Turquino at 1,974 metres (6,476 ft).

Havana is the largest city and capital; other major cities include Santiago de Cuba and Camagüey. Better-known smaller towns include Baracoa, which was the first Spanish settlement on Cuba, Trinidad, a UNESCO world heritage site, and Bayamo.