Cuba

A comprehensive survey combines physical geography, regional descriptions, and historical development to explain the island's landscapes, resources, and economic life. Chapters move through mountain ranges, plains, coastal isthmuses and an offshore island, each accompanied by photographs, maps and statistical tables. The narrative traces early colonial settlement and the island's role as a maritime base, then connects agricultural and extractive industries — especially sugar and tobacco cultivation and mineral deposits — to population patterns, transport and external trade. Analytical sections examine recurring social and economic crises in relation to demographic pressures and foreign relations.