Raining Backwards
Cuba
Cuba, situated at the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico, is the largest
island in the Caribbean. It is 780 miles (1,250 km) long, has an area of
44,218 sq. miles (114,524 sq. km), and is only 90 miles (145 km) south
of Florida.
The island has a diverse topography, ranging from beautiful beaches,
bays and inlets to high mountain peaks, valleys, and lakes. The island
has fertile soil and enjoys a subtropical climate with an average annual
temperature of 77 degrees F (25 degrees C).
As of 1994, the population of Cuba was 11,064,000. About 70% of
the population lives in urban areas, including the capital, Havana (2 million
people), Camaguey, Santiago de Cuba, Holguin, and Guantanamo.
Estimates of racial distribution vary. At present, about half
of Cuba's population is reportedly black or of interracial descent.
Cuba produces tobacco, nickel, sugar, coffee, rice, corn, oranges and
other tropical fruits. As was the case in the Soviet Union, Cuba's
centrally planned economy has brought widespread food shortages and near
bankruptcy to the country.
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