CUBA 



197 



engraved in Barcelona, which was a compilation of loeal surveys 

 of various and doubtful degrees of accuracy. 



The area of the main island has been estimated at from 40,000 

 to 43,000 square miles, that of the Isle of Pines at 1,214, and that 

 of the cays at 1,350. Some of the larger cays, like Romano, are 

 140 square miles in extent. Reclus estimates the total at 45,883 

 square miles, an area about equal to that of the state of New York 

 and nearty one-fourth the size of Spain. 



CONFIGURATION 



The distinct types of relief include regions of high mountains, 

 low hills, dissected plateaus, level plains, intermontane valleys, 

 and coastal swamps. In general, however, with the exception 

 of a strip of the south-central coast, the island as a whole stands 



<^h 



Configuration. — 1. Bench of elevated coral reef. 2. Later terraces bordering the island. 

 3. Cuehilla terraces. 4. Older and higher levels. 5. Mountains of deformation. 



well above the sea, is thoroughly drained, and presents a rugged 

 aspect when viewed from the sea. About one-fourth of the total 

 area is mountainous, three-fifths are rolling plain, valleys, and 

 gentle arable slopes, and the remainder is swampy. 



THE COAST 



The coast line of Cuba is very extensive, measuring, without 

 its meanderings, nearly 2,200 miles. On Pichardo's map the 

 coast line, measured with all its embayments and including 

 the islets, is over 6,800 miles. On all sides except the south- 

 central the coast is abrupt, except where indented by pouch- 

 like harbors, and stands above the sea as if the waters of the 

 latter were rapidly planing away what had once been a more 

 extensive land. In many places the immediate coast line is a 

 narrow bench of elevated reef rock a few yards in width and 



