Cubai

Regional Level Types
Cuba	Country

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Cuba is the largest island nation in the Caribbean, covering approximately 109,900 km², and consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and more than 4,000 smaller islands and cays. It lies at the junction of the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and Atlantic Ocean, south of Florida, west of Hispaniola, and east of the Yucatán Peninsula. The capital and largest city is Havana. Cuba’s elongated shape gives it a long coastline and a wide range of landscapes despite its relatively modest area.

Geographically, Cuba is dominated by lowlands and gently rolling plains, interspersed with several mountain ranges. The most prominent uplands are the Sierra Maestra in the south-east, which includes Pico Turquino (1,974 m), the country’s highest peak; the Escambray Mountains in central Cuba; and the Sierra de los Órganos in the west. Much of the island consists of fertile plains used for agriculture. Cuba has numerous rivers, though most are short, and extensive karst landscapes, particularly in western and central regions. The climate is tropical, moderated by trade winds, with distinct wet and dry seasons.

Geologically, Cuba occupies a complex position along the boundary between the North American Plate and the Caribbean Plate. The island is composed of a mosaic of tectonic terranes assembled during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic through subduction, arc volcanism, and collision processes. Western and central Cuba include thick sequences of Mesozoic and Cenozoic limestones and dolomites, forming extensive karst terrain. Eastern Cuba exposes older and more complex rocks, including ophiolite complexes—slices of oceanic crust and upper mantle—along with volcanic arc sequences and metamorphic rocks. These ophiolites are among the best exposed in the Caribbean.

Cuba has a notable mineral and mining heritage, particularly for nickel and cobalt, which are hosted in lateritic deposits developed over ultramafic rocks derived from ophiolites, especially in eastern Cuba near Moa and Nicaro. Cuba is one of the world’s significant producers of lateritic nickel. Other mineral resources include chromite, iron, manganese, copper, and gold, though most are of secondary importance. Non-metallic resources include limestone, marble, and construction materials, widely used domestically. The island is also known for well-crystallised mineral specimens from ophiolitic and hydrothermal environments.

Historically, Cuba’s geology influenced settlement and economic development through fertile soils, accessible building stone, and later through strategic mineral resources. Mining expanded significantly during the 20th century, particularly after the mid-century industrialisation period. Politically, Cuba was a Spanish colony until 1898, followed by a period of strong U.S. influence, and since 1959 has been a socialist state with a centrally planned economy, factors that have shaped the development and accessibility of its mineral industry.

Administratively, Cuba is divided into 15 provinces and one special municipality. From a geological perspective, the island is especially important for understanding Caribbean plate tectonics, ophiolite emplacement, lateritic nickel formation, and the interaction between tropical weathering, geology, and mineral resources in an island-arc setting.

Commodity List

This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded from this region.

Mineral List

Mineral list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities

190 valid minerals. 3 (TL) - type locality of valid minerals. 1 erroneous literature entry.

* - Minerals that have never been found, but their existence is inferred in some way (e.g. from pseudomorphs)

Rock Types Recorded

Rock list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities