Slightly more than half the island consists of flat or rolling terrain, and the remainder is hilly or mountainous, with mountains covering about a quarter of its total area. Along the southern coast are long stretches of lowlands and swamps, including the great Zapata Swamp (Ci Г©naga de Zapata). The coastline is marked by bays, reefs, keys, and islets. TOPOGRAPHYД¬uba's spectacular natural beauty has earned it the name Pearl of the Antilles.

The largest offshore island, the Isle of Youth (Isla de la Juventud), formerly known as the Isle of Pines (Isla de Pinos), lies southwest of the main island and has an area of 2,200 sq km (849 sq mi) the other islands have a combined area of 3,715 sq km (1,434 sq mi).Д¬uba's capital city, Havana, is located on its north coast. Cuba's total coastline is 3,735 km (2,316 mi). It is separated from Florida by the Straits of Florida, from the Bahamas and Jamaica by various channels, from Haiti by the Windward Passage, and from Mexico by the Yucat ГЎn Channel and the Gulf of Mexico. Comparatively, the area occupied by Cuba is slightly smaller than the state of Pennsylvania. Cuba is the largest country in the Caribbean, accounting for more than one-half of West Indian land area. The Republic of Cuba consists of one large island and several small ones situated on the northern rim of the Caribbean Sea, about 160 km (100 mi) south of Florida. Celebration of religious holidays falling during the work-week was prohibited by a 1972 law. HOLIDAYS: Day of the Revolution, Liberation Day, 1 January Labor Day, 1 May Anniversary of the Revolution, 25 вЂ“27 July Proclamation of Yara, 10 October.

The standard unit of land measure is the caballer Гa (13.4 hectares/133.1 acres). WEIGHTS AND MEASURES: The metric system is the legal standard, but older Spanish units and the imperial system are still employed. MONETARY UNIT: The Cuban peso (c$) of 100 centavos is a paper currency with one exchange rate. FLAG: The flag consists of five alternating blue and white horizontal stripes penetrated from the hoist side by a red triangle containing a white five-pointed star.ДЄNTHEM: Himno de Bayamo (Hymn of Bayamo), beginning 'Al combate corred bayameses' ('March to the battle, people of Bayamo').

Cuba geography tests