Geography & environment — Cuba
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Geography & environment at a glance
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources. Key figure for Cuba: The Caribbean
Immigration rules and fees change frequently — confirm current requirements on official government or embassy websites.
Location & size
- Geographic Location
The Caribbean
- Geographic Coordinates
21 30 N, 80 00 W
- Total Area
42,803 Square Miles 110,860 Square Kilometers
- Land Area
42,402 Square Miles 109,820 Square Kilometers
- Water Area
402 Square Miles 1,040 Square Kilometers
- Land Boundaries
18 Miles 29 Kilometers
- Border Countries
United States Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay 29 km Note: Guantanamo Naval Base is leased by the United States and remains part of Cuba
- Coastline
2,321 Miles 3,735 Kilometers
Physical geography
- Terrain
Mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast
- Highest Point
2,005 Meters
- Highest Point Location
Pico Turquino 2,005 m
- Lowest Point Location
Caribbean Sea 0 m
- Natural Resources
Cobalt, nickel, iron ore, chromium, copper, salt, timber, silica, petroleum, arable land
- Irrigated Land
3,360 Square Miles 8,703 Square Kilometers
Climate & time
- Time Zone
UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)
- Daylight saving time
- +1hr, begins second Sunday in March
- ends first Sunday in November
- note - Cuba has been known to alter the schedule of DST on short notice in an attempt to conserve electricity for lighting
Climate
- Climate
Cuba is bordered on the south by the Caribbean Sea and on the north by the Gulf of Mexico and the Straits of Florida. Prevailing trade winds combine with warm waters of the Gulf Stream to produce a mild and semitropical climate. Cuba's mean temperature is about 77°F (25°C) in winter and only slightly more, perhaps 80°F to 85°F (26°C), in summer. Averages range only between 70°F (21°C) and 82°F (27°C) for the coldest and warmest months. Summer readings as high as 100°F (37°C) have been recorded. Occasional near-freezing temperatures occur only in mountain areas. Relative humidity varies from 60% to 70% in the daytime and from 80% to 90% during the night, regardless of the season, of which there are only two. The dry season lasts from November to April. During the May through October rainy season, Cuba receives up to 75% of its yearly rainfall, which averages 54 inches (137 cm).
- Terrain
Mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast
- Location
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida
- Total Area
42,803 Square Miles 110,860 Square Kilometers
- Border Countries
United States Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay 29 km Note: Guantanamo Naval Base is leased by the United States and remains part of Cuba
Environment
- Environment - Current Issues
Air and water pollution; biodiversity loss; deforestation
- Environment - International Agreements
Party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
