| According to experts, Cuba there
are over 6,730 botanical species and 3,180 of
them are endemic. The Cuban fauna is abundant
and varying and there are also over 13,000 species
of invertebrates in the main island and surrounding
offshore islands. All this makes Cuba an ideal
place for ecological tourism.
The vegetation is mostly concentrated towards
the East where there is a harmless fauna and a
tropical climate.The Cuban fauna is a very rich
one; the National bird is the Trogon bird, better
known as Tocororo, an onomatopoeic name given
to the bird due to its singing. Species like the
Colibrí, Rombipher Crocodile, Manatí
and Manjuary are found in certain areas of the
country.
The Manjuarí, for example, is a pre-historical
fish that now a days is only found in Cuba, it
has disappeared from the rest of the planet.
The Cuban National tree is the Royal Palm tree,
chosen as such by the guerrilla men that fought
against the Spanish domination in the 18th century.
The tree provided these fighters with shelter,
since they used the tree trunk the wood for the
walls of their houses and the frond of the tree
served as cover. Cuba’s National flower
is the butterfly jasmine, the women that supported
the independence cause in the 18th century, used
this flower as an ornament in their hair to show
their support.
Closed off from the world for many years, Cuba
is slowly opening its doors to outsiders and tourists
who are reaping the benefits of an island untouched
by the excessive development so often found in
other countries.
In the West , packages can be arranged by covering
visits to the Vinales Valley and the Sierra del
Rosario in Pinar del Rio or to the Zapata Swamp
in Matanzas where caves can be visited without
any prior speleologist experience.
Zapata Swamp has the most significant vegetation
in the country. In the central part of the swamp
valuable tall timber trees can be found whilst
the rest of the area is covered with mangrove
trees and swamp forest vegetation. It is one of
the most important winter habitats for migratory
birds and large flocks of birds spend the winter
there.
There are 16 species of reptiles and the Cuban
Rombipher crocodile are the largest in size.In
the central part of the island the Guamuaya mountains
range offers to the visitors, like the Topes de
Collantes Natural Park and the Vega Grande Waterfalls.
Another important place is the San Luis Valley
or the Valle de los Ingenios (sugar mills valley
) that has been declared by Unesco a World Heritage
Site because of its colonial buildings and the
ruins of the disused sugar mills.
Turquino National Park is found at the Sierra
Maestra range of mountains. Here the 1974 Mt over
the sea level Pico Real del Turquino mountain
,the highest point in Cuba,is found. The Gran
Piedra and the Baconao Park are also found here
in this Reserve of the Biosphere site .
The Mayari Pine Groves are also full of century
–old arborescent ferns , creeks, waterfalls,
wells and freshwater ponds. Wonderful orchids
and birds with exotic plumage and singing.
And finally in the far east of Cuba Baracoa is
found . This place is a sanctuary for some curious
species like the Almiqui, the Butterfly Bat, the
Sparrow Hawk, the Royal Woodpecker and the Polymita
Snail.
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