More of this side of the island has been developed for tourism, due in large part to the city and province of Havana.
CIEGO DE ÁVILA
Off the north coast of this province are several large cays or islands which are being developed as popular tourist resorts. The south coast is mostly mangrove swamp. The economy of the province is based on pineapples, sugar, cattle and citrus fruits.
SANCTI SPIRITUS
The primary industry of the province is tourism, mostly centered around the World Heritage city of Trinidad. The geographical mix runs from mountains in the western half of the province, mangrove swamps in the south and Cuba's largest man-made reservoir in the central part of the province.
VILLA CLARA
The coastline of Villa Clara is all on the northern face of the island and is dotted with large tourist type cays. Coral reefs, sandy beaches and resorts all have helped to turn the focus of the economy of Villa Clara from sugar and tobacco to tourism
CIENFUEGOS
Cienfuegos is Cuba's smallest province, lying south of Villa Clara and almost entirely dedicated to sugarcane. Off the coast of Cienfuegos, however are numerous popular diving areas, including underwater caves, explored by locals and tourists alike.
MATANZAS
Matanzas Province is one of the most industrialized with petroleum wells, refineries and supertanker facilities as well as sugarcane refineries. The enormous Ciénaga de Zapata swamp is the dominant geographical feature of the southern coast and is located in this province.
CIUDAD DE LA HABANA
The main feature of this province is the city of Havana, with which it shares a name. The largest metropolitan area in Cuba and in the Caribbean, it is also the ninth largest in the entire Latin American region. The province and city are the center of industry, government and economy for the island.
HAVANA
The province of Havana surrounds the city of Havana as well as the province Ciudad de la Habana. It lies on the narrow neck of Cuba. It contains numerous population centers and has both northern and southern coasts. It has the typical mangrove swamps in the southern section. Havana is one of the few Cuban provinces which does not have a large dependence upon the tobacco and sugarcane crops.
PINAR DEL RÍO
This province comprises the entire western end of the island and contains one of Cuba's three mountain ranges--Cordillera de Guaniguanico. The geography is characterized by steep sided limestone hills and fertile valleys that produce the tobacco that forms prized Cuban cigars. Tourism is a high priority industry in this province.
ISLA DE LA JUVENTUD
The Isle of the Youths is the largest of the Cuban islands and is administered by the central government of Cuba, rather than as a province with its own government. It is tied most closely with Havana and Pinar del Río.
