Cuba

The country of the West Indies, Cuba is the largest single island in the archipelago and one of the most influential states in the Caribbean. The country is made up of a group of some 1,600 islands, islets and cays, which together cover an area three-quarters the size of the US state of Florida. The rich tropical flora of Cuba contains thousands of species of flowering plants, about half of which might be endemic to the islands. Most of the original flora has been replaced by sugar cane, coffee and rice plantations, however, since the 1960s the government has replanted much of the land, and now about a quarter of the area is covered by forests. The lower coasts and reefs of the archipelago are covered by mangrove swamps. The national flower of Cuba is the mariposa, with long, green stems that can grow up to 1.5 meters tall and bear fragrant, white, butterfly-like petals. Wildlife is abundant and diverse in Cuba, home to many small mammals and reptiles, more than 7,000 species of insects and 4,000 species of land, river and marine mollusks. There are over 500 species of fish and many species of sharks, and around 300 species of birds on the island, of which about two-thirds are migratory. Noteworthy indigenous birds are flamingos, Royal Thrushes and nightingales. The Tocororo, an endemic forest-dwelling bird, has been declared the national bird of Cuba, as its bright red, white and blue plumage matches the colors of the Cuban flag. Manatees, or Sea Cows, live in estuaries. Cuba has a number of protected areas, including national parks on Turquino Peak, Cristal Peak, Romano Caye, parts of Juventud Island and the Viñales Valley.