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    United States: Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Go Now!

    United States
    Explore the vast openness and wildlife found roaming in the western United States, including Theodore Roosevelt National Park (pictured) in North Dakota. Begin Your Journey!

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    Trinidad & Tobago
    These Caribbean islands mix Indian, African, and European cultures alongside beautiful beaches. Go Now!

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    St. Kitts & Nevis: Nevis Island. Go Now!

    St. Kitts & Nevis
    This island nation mixes aspects of European, African, and Caribbean culture... not to mention incredible beaches. Go Now!

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    The original banana republic, Honduras has made a name for itself with the banana trade; however foreign influences have also vastly altered the culture. Go Now!

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    Mexico: Sunrise over the mountains in Puerto Vallarta. Go Now!

    Mexico
    Although many people just go for the beaches, Mexico offers impressive mountain vistas (pictured in Puerto Vallarta), great food, and historic ruins that compete with the best in the world. Begin Your Journey!

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    This Caribbean island has hints of British culture, but is wholly Caribbean as well. Explore Barbados!

Geography, Weather, & Wildlife of Cuba

WARNING: International disputes with Cuba are ongoing, please read this travel warning before going!

Geography

Cuban Geography - Rocks on the beach
Rocks on the beach

Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean Sea and is a part of the Greater Antilles. Although it has no land borders, Cuba lies close to a number of island nations and territories. To Cuba's north is both Florida (a state in the United States) and the Bahamas. To the south are both the Cayman Islands (a territory of the United Kingdom) and Jamaica. To Cuba's east are Haiti and the United Kingdom's territory of Turks & Caicos.

Cuba is a long, but narrow island with a number of small mountain ranges running along it including Sierra Maestra, the Central Range, and the Sierra de los Organos. However, much of the island is flatland with an incredibly long coastline. The island is quite densely populated throughout.

Weather

Cuba is a fairly mountainous country, however these mountains rarely effect the country's weather patterns. Generally speaking, Cuba has a temperature range from about 72-80° F (22-27° C) throughout the year, with the greatest variations coming in rain and wind. The dry season lasts from about November to April and the wet season tends to last from about May to October. Wet season also nearly coincides with hurricane season, which lasts from June to November. During this time Cuba is highly susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical storms that contain high winds and rain.

Wildlife

Cuban Geography - Vinales Valley
Vinales Valley

Cuba has an odd wildlife system as the island nation has few indigenous mammals although the limited species are fairly diverse, including deer to small rodents and bats. Off the island's shore are more mammals and great sea life. In addition to mammals like dolphins and whales, as an island nation there are thousands of fish surrounding the country and these waters contain larger animals like sharks, but also include eels, angelfish, barracudas, grouper, sponges, lobsters, snapper, and thousands more.

Like the sea life, there are plenty of birds that live on the island or migrate through. These birds are mostly limited to water fowls like ducks and kingfishers, but there are other non-water fowl species that call the islands home such as the hummingbird, oriole, and woodpecker. The reptilian and amphibian life is also limited in scope, but the island is one of the largest turtle nesting areas in the world. In addition to these sea turtles are snakes, frogs, crocodiles, and lizards of all kinds. There are numerous other species, including insects and snails on the islands.

This page was last updated: March, 2013