General Information Location Cuba lies in the Caribbean Sea. It is very well connected via direct flights from Canada, Mexico, most Central and South American countries, as well as from Spain, France, Germany, Italy among other European nations. Size Cuba is the largest island in the Antilles with 105,006 sq. km. It is three times as large as the Dominican Republic, nine times as large as Jamaica and twelve times the size of Puerto Rico. Population 10 million people inhabit Cuba. Capital Over 2 million people live in Havana, the capital. Language The national language is Spanish, but you will find that some Cubans speak and understand other languages. Most people working in the tourism Industry are bilingual, highly educated and eager to help. In many cases - including taxi drivers - to get a job in the Cuban Tourist industry, you must be bilingual first. Flora and Fauna Cuba has royal palms, coconut trees, sugarcane and tropical fruit. It has flowers such as orchids and the butterfly jasmine, Cuba's national flower. No animals are harmful to or aggressive toward people. There are abundant marine fauna, including beaked fish, lobsters, shrimp, mollusks and sponges as well as a great variety of coral, including black coral.

Beaches There are more than 280 natural beaches. We recommend Varadero, Cayo Largo, Playa Giron, Playa Larga, Rancho Luna and Ancon. Sunshine Cubans enjoy more than 4000 hours of sunlight a year. You can get a tan in a week. Climate The climate is subtropical, without extremes. Cuba is cooled by the gentle trade winds. There are two seasons: rainy and dry. Hunting, Fishing and Scuba Diving Hunting of endemic or migratory species is permitted in several hunting preserves. There is fishing and scuba diving off the beaches and in the deep sea and freshwater fishing in the lakes. Bird Watching Bird watching is especially good at the Zapata Peninsula National Park, which is accessible from Playa Giron. It is also very rewarding in Pinar del Rio Province. Health Tourism Cuba has health spas with medicinal springs and specialized health clinics and centers. And There are conferences, cruise ships, youth and specialized tourism for professionals.

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