9781422286272

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Cuba

Panoramic view of Sierra del Escambray mountains in central Cuba.

to April; the wet season, from May to October. The last three months of the rainy season are often wetter than Cubans would like—this is hurricane sea- son. Tropical storms hit Cuba most years, sometimes causing loss of life and widespread property damage. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy hit the province of Santiago, killing 11 people and damaging more than 100,000 homes. Animals and Plants Cuba has a tremendous variety of exotic flowers and tropical shrubs. Trees include the stately royal palm, the fiery red flamboyán , the wide-branched algarroba, and the ceiba, which can reach 150 feet (46 meters) in diameter and 100 feet (31 meters) in height. Mangroves grow in areas of shallow salt water, their tall, gnarled root systems often exposed at low tide. More than half of Cuba’s vegetation is endemic .