Page 26 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Cuba

24  INTRODUCING CUBA

Landscape, Flora and Fauna

The Cuban poet Nicolás Guillén once likened his native
island to a green crocodile with eyes of stone and water.
An aerial view would show the island stretching out in
the Caribbean Sea and indeed covered with vegetation
and patterned with rivers. Small islands and coral reefs
lie just offshore in the sparkling blue sea. In the interior,
the landscape is very varied, from plains of red earth to
the mogotes outcrops of Viñales, from desert cactus to
tropical forest. Protected reserves make up 22 per cent
of the national territory. There are numerous species Coral reefs, with their own distinct
ecosystem (see p151)
found only on Cuba, but no poisonous creatures.

Mountains Plains
The most important ranges are the Sierra de los Areas of plain occur throughout the island, but
Órganos to the west, the Sierra del Escambray in are particularly prevalent in the central regions –
the centre and the Sierra Maestra to the southeast. the provinces of Matanzas, Sancti Spíritus and
The latter is Cuba’s principal range and includes Camagüey – and in the Pinar del Río area.
Pico Turquino (1,974 m/ 6,475 ft), the highest The land is fertile and planted with sugar cane,
peak in the country. The slopes are covered with palm trees, mangoes and citrus fruit, or left as
forests of deciduous trees, pines and tropical grazing land for cattle.
plants, and by coffee and cocoa plantations.

The tiñosa, or turkey The cattle egret
Carpintero The cartacuba (Cuban vulture, with its follows grazing cows
(carpenter) is the tody) is an endemic unmistakable red and feeds on insects,
Cuban name for the species only a few centi­ head, flies the plains both those disturbed by
woodpecker, which metres long. It has in search of carrion. ploughing and others
nests in tree trunks. colourful plumage. on the cows’ hides.
The so-called gulf fritillary
The tocororo (Cuban is one of 190 species of
trogon) is the national butterfly in Cuba,
bird. It shares its colours about 30 of which
with the Cuban flag. are endemic to
the island.

024-025_EW_Cuba.indd 24 14/02/17 11:34 am