(Annual report of the United States consul-general at Habana for 1993.) GEOGRAPHICAL AND PHYSICAL FEATURES. Situation.—The island of Cuba, the largest and most westerly of the Antilles Archipelago, is situated in the Torrid Zone, between North and South America, at the entrance of the Gulf of Mexico. The island is long, narrow, and curved, the convexity being to the north. The most northern portion lies between Habana and Cardenas and the most southern between Capes Maisi and Cruz. It is bounded north by the sea, which separates it from Florida and the Bahama Islands; east, by the Strait of Maisi, or of the "Winds," separating it from the island of Haiti; south, by the Caribbean Sea; and west and northwest, by the Strait of Yucatan and the Gulf of Mexico. It is situated at a distance of 170 kilometers (105.6 miles) from Florida, 77 kilometers (47.8 miles) from Haiti, 140 kilometers (87 miles) from Jamaica, and 200 kilometers (124) miles) from Yucatan. Length. The length of the island is 1,594 kilometers (990.4 miles) from Cape San Antonio to Cape Maisi. Width.-Its greatest width (191 kilometers, or 118.68 miles) is in a line drawn from Cape Lucrecia to Cape Cruz, in the Province of Santiago de Cuba, and the narrowest portion (29 kilometers, or 16.02 miles) is from the Port of Mariel to Majana Cove, in the Province of Pinar del Rio. Area. The surface of the island is 118,832 square kilometers (45,896 square miles). No 278-03-1 411 Coasts. The perimeter of the island, following the less tortuous line of its coasts, is 2,459 kilometers (1,528 miles), of which 1,183 kilometers (735 miles) correspond to the north coast and 1,276 kilometers (793 miles) to the south coast. Some parts of the coast abound in small islands, keys, and shoals, which are dangerous to navigation. Nevertheless, between these keys and shoals exist passages of long spaces of calm sea, which facilitate the coast-navigation trade. Along the coasts, mainly the south coast, exists a belt or zone of lowlands, forming marshes, which prevent communication with said coasts during the rainy season. Ports. Notwithstanding this, and the fact that a great portion of the coasts is surrounded by rocks and banks of sand, there are many safe ports, viz: NORTH COAST. Province of Pinar del Rio.-Bahia Honda, Cabañas, and Mariel. Province of Habana.—Habana. Province of Matanzas.-Matanzas and Cardenas. Province of Santa Clara.-Isabela de Sagua and Caibarien. Province of Puerto Principe.-Nuevitas and Nuevas Grandes. Province of Santiago de Cuba.-Gibara, Banes, Bahia de Nipe, Sagua de Tanamo, and Baracoa. SOUTH COAST. Province of Pinar del Rio.-La Coloma. Province of Habana.-Batabano. Province of Santa Clara.-Cienfuegos, Casilda, and Tunas de Zaza. Province of Santiago de Cuba.—Manzanillo, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantanamo. Mountains.-Cuba is generally mountainous, although vast tracts of level ground and fertile valleys exist, such as the Yumurí, in Matanzas, San Luis, in Trinidad, and in Guantanamo, where a number. of important sugar plantations are situated. The highest mountains. are found in the Provinces of Santiago de Cuba and Santa Clara, and next to these in elevation are those in the Province of Pinar del Rio, greatly decreasing in Matanzas and Habana Provinces. Rivers. The rivers of Cuba, owing to the narrowness of the island and to the mountains rising in the center, are short, flowing to the north and to the south. Those flowing to the north are the shortest. The largest rivers of the island are found in the Provinces of Santa Clara and Santiago de Cuba. The largest of all, the Cauto, is 180 miles long. The principal rivers in each Province are: NORTH COAST, Province of Pinar del Rio.-Cuadiana, Salado, Santa Lucia ó Malas Aguas, Mantua, Pan de Azuicar, Rosario, Santiago, Dominica, and Rio Blanco. Province of Habana.-Almendares, Jaimanita, Cojimar, and Jaruco. Province of Matanzas.-Yumuri, San Juan, Canimar, Jucaro, and La Palma. Province of Santa Clara.-Sierra Morena, Carahatas, Sagua la Grande, Sagua la Chica, Caunao, and Jatibonica del Norte. Province of Puerto Principe.-Chambas ó Los Perros, Caunado, Maximo, and Nuevitas. Province of Santiago de Cuba.-Gibara, Tenemo, Sagua de Tanamo, Nibujon, and Toa. SOUTH COAST. Province of Pinar del Rio.-Cuyaguateje, San Juan y Martinez, Coloma, Rio Hondo, San Diego, and Los Palacios. Province of Habana.-Caimito, Rosario, and Mayabeque. Province of Matanzas.-Hanabana and Hatiguanico. Province of Santa Clara.-Damuji, Arimao, Caunao, Salado, Cuarabo ó Tayaba, Agabama o Manati, Tayabacoa, Zaza, and Jatibonico del Sur. Province of Puerto Principe.-Vertientes, San Pedro ó Santa Clara, Santa Cruz del Sur, Sevilla, and Tana. Province of Santiago de Cuba.-Cauto, Gua, Yara, Jibacoa, Guantanamo, and Yateras. Climate. The climate of the island is hot throughout the year, although tempered in summer by the breeze blowing constantly from the first quadrant, from 10 or 11 a. m. till sunset, and also by the rainfall from May to November. The mean temperature in the hottest months is 28° to 29° C. (82.5° to 84° F.) and the coldest 17° C. (69.8° F.) in Habana. The highest temperature marked by the centigrade thermometer in the shade is commonly 30° to 31° (83° to 85° F.), although sometimes the mercury goes up as high as 34° C. (93° F.). Rainfall. The pluviometer has reached the height of 2.25 meters (88.58 inches). Hurricanes. The hurricanes are not so frequent in this island as in the other West Indies, but when they occur they are violent and disastrous, as the remarkable ones of the years 1774, 1844, 1846, 1865, 1870, 1876, 1885, and 1894. Earthquakes.-Earthquakes occur, but not often, in the eastern portion of the island, especially in the district of Santiago de Cuba, some of them of great intensity and duration, as those of the years 1776, 1842, and 1852, all causing great damage. Population. The density or relative population of Cuba is nearly the same as that of the United States. If, therefore, as has been stated by high authorities, there is room for 1,000,000,000 inhabitants in the United States without overcrowding, it follows that in Cuba there is room for nearly 13,000,000. MINERAL RESOURCES. There is not at present sufficient knowledge regarding the real mineral richness of the island to form an exact opinion or to make an accurate estimate of the same. In former times, the mines were profitably worked. The industry afterwards was totally stopped, owing to the abnormal circumstances in which the island remained during many years. The benefits of peace are giving new vigor to this enterprise, judging from the great number of petitions for concessions filed in the offices of the civil governors of Provinces. The mineral resources of the island are represented by the following products: Gold, silver, iron, copper, manganese, lead, asphalt, petroleum, naphtha, graphite, amianthus, zinc, mercury, and, it is stated, coal. These minerals are found in most of the Provinces, but the richest mineral district is the Province of Santiago de Cuba, followed in importance by Santa Clara, Puerto Principe, Pinar del Rio, Matanzas, and Habana. Concessions.-The following statement of the existing mining concessions in the different Provinces will give an idea of the importance of the mineral interests of the island, and the list will be increased when exact and complete statistical data can be obtained: Of this number of mines, very few of iron, manganese, and copper in the Province of Santiago de Cuba are in operation. The others can be considered only as concessions waiting for funds for exploitation. The administration, according to the laws in force, can not compel the miners to operate their claims. The owner is in possession of his mine in perpetuity, and at his own will may work it or not. The only cause of forfeiture established by the law is the failure to pay the annual taxes. The applicants for mines can, according to law, ask for one or several claims at the same time. A claim (pertenencia) is 300 meters (984 feet) long by 200 meters (656 feet) wide (6 hectares, or 14.8 acres), except when the mines are iron, coal, anthracite, lignite, turf, asphalt, or bituminous clays, when the pertenencia is 500 meters (1,640 feet) long and 300 meters (984 feet) wide (15 hectares, or 37 acres). Taxes. The taxes to be paid to the Government are $5 yearly per hectare (2.471 acres), or $30 for each claim containing 6 hectares (14.8 acres), when the mines are of precious stones or metalliferous substances. In the other cases, the tax is $2 per hectare (2.471 acres), and therefore the total to be paid for the pertenencia may be $12 or $30, according to the surface of the claim. PUBLIC LANDS. Extent. The following statement shows the extent of the public lands, as far as statistics can be obtained, and also of the forests: Condition. In regard to the condition in which these public lands are, it must be stated that the limits or boundaries are not fixed, and in consequence they have not been entered in the registry of property (Registro de la Propiedad). These lands are covered with forests, and as most of them are situated in the interior of the island no availments can be made, owing to the absence of roads. Some of the public lands under the care of the Department of Finance are rented and other portions have been ceded to private parties in consideration of an annual tribute of 5 per cent of the value assigned to each caballeria (33 acres). Old concessions.-When Spain took possession of the island of Cuba large portions of lands were ceded to the Spanish settlers with the object of promoting the breeding of cattle of every kind. These concessions were called "mercedes" and were granted by the municipalities from the year 1550 to 1729, when further grants were prohibited. At first the geometric form and the surface of the lands ceded were unknown, the word “sabana" being used to express the concession of the land granted for breeding large cattle and the word "sitio" for those granted for breeding swine and other minor animals. In 1579 it was agreed to fix the boundaries of these lands, and the circular form was adopted, allowing a radius of 1 Cuban league to the "corral" (421% caballerias, or 5,651 hectares=13,958 acres) and 2 leagues to the radius of the "hato" (1,6841⁄2 caballerias, or 22,606 hectares=55,837 acres). The names "hato" and "corral" were substituted for "sabana" and "sitio." FORESTS AND FOREST TREES. The area of the public forests of the island of Cuba, it can be assured, is not less than 37,000 caballerias, or 496,540 hectares (1,226,454 acres), existing in the several Provinces into which the island is actually subdivided. The most important Provinces in this respect are Santiago de Cuba and Santa Clara. In the aforementioned area are included the forest of the littoral and those on the |