Sabana-Camagüey is an
archipelagoAn archipelago is a chain or cluster of islands that are formed tectonically. The word archipelago is directly derived from the Greek arkhon and pelagos...
that lines
CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is...
's north-central
AtlanticThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres , it covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface and about one-quarter of its water surface area. The first part of its name refers to the Atlas of Greek...
coast. It is located off the northern coast of the
provincesAdministratively, Cuba is divided into fourteen provinces and one special municipality.- List of provinces :From west to east, Cuba's provinces are:# Pinar del Río# La Habana# Ciudad de La Habana# Matanzas# Cienfuegos# Villa Clara...
of
MatanzasMatanzas is one of the provinces of Cuba. Major towns in the province include Cárdenas, Jovellanos and the capital of the same name, Matanzas...
,
Villa ClaraVilla Clara is one of the provinces of Cuba. It's located in the central region of the island bordering with the Atlantic at north, Matanzas Province by west, Sancti Spiritus by east, and Cienfuegos on the South. Villa Clara shares with Cienfuegos and Sancti Spiritus on the south the Escambray...
,
Sancti SpíritusSancti Spíritus is one of the provinces of Cuba. Its capital is the identically named Sancti Spíritus. Another major city is Trinidad.The southern coast of the province is flat, but the western portion of Sancti Spíritus province is mountainous. The southeast has numerous mangroves and swamps...
,
Ciego de ÁvilaCiego de Ávila is one of the provinces of Cuba, and was previously part of Camagüey Province. Its capital is Ciego de Ávila, which lies on the Carretera Central , and the second city is Morón, further north....
and
CamagüeyCamagüey is the largest of the provinces of Cuba. Its capital is Camagüey. Other towns include Florida and Nuevitas.-Geography:Camagüey is mostly low lying, with no major hills or mountain ranges passing through the province...
, and is bounded to the north by the
Atlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres , it covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface and about one-quarter of its water surface area. The first part of its name refers to the Atlas of Greek...
, specifically by the
Nicholas ChannelNicholas Channel is a strait off the northwestern coast of Cuba. It lies 90 miles east of Havana....
(Sabana segment) and Old Bahams Channel (Camagüey segment).
The archipelago is developed on a general north-east to south-west direction, and stretches for from the
Hicacos PeninsulaHicacos is a peninsula on Cuba's northern shore, in the province of Matanzas. The resort town of Varadero is located on the peninsula. The name comes from a species of cactus.-Geography:...
and Varadero to the Bay of Nuevitas.
Sabana-Camagüey is an
archipelagoAn archipelago is a chain or cluster of islands that are formed tectonically. The word archipelago is directly derived from the Greek arkhon and pelagos...
that lines
CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is...
's north-central
AtlanticThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres , it covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface and about one-quarter of its water surface area. The first part of its name refers to the Atlas of Greek...
coast. It is located off the northern coast of the
provincesAdministratively, Cuba is divided into fourteen provinces and one special municipality.- List of provinces :From west to east, Cuba's provinces are:# Pinar del Río# La Habana# Ciudad de La Habana# Matanzas# Cienfuegos# Villa Clara...
of
MatanzasMatanzas is one of the provinces of Cuba. Major towns in the province include Cárdenas, Jovellanos and the capital of the same name, Matanzas...
,
Villa ClaraVilla Clara is one of the provinces of Cuba. It's located in the central region of the island bordering with the Atlantic at north, Matanzas Province by west, Sancti Spiritus by east, and Cienfuegos on the South. Villa Clara shares with Cienfuegos and Sancti Spiritus on the south the Escambray...
,
Sancti SpíritusSancti Spíritus is one of the provinces of Cuba. Its capital is the identically named Sancti Spíritus. Another major city is Trinidad.The southern coast of the province is flat, but the western portion of Sancti Spíritus province is mountainous. The southeast has numerous mangroves and swamps...
,
Ciego de ÁvilaCiego de Ávila is one of the provinces of Cuba, and was previously part of Camagüey Province. Its capital is Ciego de Ávila, which lies on the Carretera Central , and the second city is Morón, further north....
and
CamagüeyCamagüey is the largest of the provinces of Cuba. Its capital is Camagüey. Other towns include Florida and Nuevitas.-Geography:Camagüey is mostly low lying, with no major hills or mountain ranges passing through the province...
, and is bounded to the north by the
Atlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres , it covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface and about one-quarter of its water surface area. The first part of its name refers to the Atlas of Greek...
, specifically by the
Nicholas ChannelNicholas Channel is a strait off the northwestern coast of Cuba. It lies 90 miles east of Havana....
(Sabana segment) and Old Bahams Channel (Camagüey segment).
The archipelago is developed on a general north-east to south-west direction, and stretches for from the
Hicacos PeninsulaHicacos is a peninsula on Cuba's northern shore, in the province of Matanzas. The resort town of Varadero is located on the peninsula. The name comes from a species of cactus.-Geography:...
and Varadero to the Bay of Nuevitas. The entire system covers more than and is composed of approximately 2,517
cayA cay is a small, low-elevation, sandy island formed on the surface of coral reefs...
s and isles. The western islands are grouped in the
Jardines del ReyJardines del Rey is an archipelago located off the northern coast of the island of Cuba, in the northern parts of the provinces of Ciego de Ávila and Camagüey. It is developed on the coral reef system that lines Cuba's shore, between the Atlantic and the Bay of Buena Vista and Bay of Jiguey...
archipelago, and contains
Cayo CocoCayo Coco is an island in central Cuba, well known for its luxury all inclusive resorts. It lies within the Ciego de Ávila Province and is part of a chain of islands called Jardines del Rey . The cay is administered by the Morón municipality...
,
Cayo GuillermoCayo Guillermo is a kay of the Jardines del Rey archipelago. It is located on the northern coast of Cuba, between the Bay of Dogs and the Atlantic Ocean..It is part of the Ciego de Ávila Province, and lies in the Morón municipality...
and
Cayo RomanoCayo Romano is an island on the northern coast of Cuba, in the province of Camagüey. It is the largest cay of the Jardines del Rey archipellago.It is an administrative part of the Esmeralda municipality.The cay is a popular tourist destination....
among others.
Conservation
The coastal and
marine ecosystemMarine ecosystems are among of the Earth's aquatic ecosystems. They include oceans, salt marsh and intertidal ecology, estuaries and lagoons, mangroves and coral reefs, the deep sea and the sea floor. They can be contrasted with freshwater ecosystems, which have a lower salt content.Such places are...
represented by the archipelago is undergoing conservation projects supported by the
Global Environment FacilityThe Global Environment Facility is a global partnership among 178 countries, international institutions, non-governmental organizations , and the private sector to address global environmental issues while supporting national sustainable development initiatives...
and
Environment CanadaEnvironment Canada , legally incorporated as the Department of the Environment under the Department of the Environment Act Environment Canada (EC), legally incorporated as the Department of the Environment under the Department of the Environment Act Environment Canada (EC), legally incorporated as...
.
MangroveMangroves are trees and shrubs that grow in saline coastal habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S. The saline conditions tolerated by various species range from brackish water, through pure seawater , to water of over twice the salinity of ocean seawater,...
s and coastal forests effectively create a buffer zone between the agricultural coast and the sensitive marine environment. The Sabana-Camagüey ecosystem encompasses the
Bay of Buena VistaThe Bay of Buena Vista is a bay on Cuba's northern Atlantic shore. It is located in the northern part of the provinces of Sancti Spíritus, Villa Clara and Ciego de Ávila, between mainland Cuba and the archipelago that lines its northern coast....
Biosphere ReserveThe UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve Programme was established in 1977 to promote an interdisciplinary approach to research, training and communications in ecosystem conservation and rational use of natural resources.-Development:...
, the
Caguanes National ParkCaguanes National Park is a national park in Cuba. It is located in the Yaguajay municipality in the northern part of Sancti Spíritus Province, on the northern coast of Cuba....
, as well as wetlands of northern
Ciego de Ávila ProvinceCiego de Ávila is one of the provinces of Cuba, and was previously part of Camagüey Province. Its capital is Ciego de Ávila, which lies on the Carretera Central , and the second city is Morón, further north....
. A total of 35 protected sites are located here.
Sabana section
- Cayo Piedras
- Cayo Cruz del Padre
- Cayo Blanco
- Cayo Cinco Leguas
- Cayo Ingles
- Cayo Falcones
- Cayo Megano
- Cayo Blanquizal
- Cayo Sotaviento
- Cayo Verde
- Cayo Hicacal
- Cayo La Vela
- Cayos de Pajonal
- Cayo Fragoso
Camagüey section
- Cayo Frances
- Cayo Santa Maria
Cayo Santa Maria is an island located north of Cuba in the Jardines del Rey archipelago.The principal buildings on the island are three large hotels, on the northern shore where there are extensive beaches...
- Cayo Caiman Grande
- Jardines del Rey
Jardines del Rey is an archipelago located off the northern coast of the island of Cuba, in the northern parts of the provinces of Ciego de Ávila and Camagüey. It is developed on the coral reef system that lines Cuba's shore, between the Atlantic and the Bay of Buena Vista and Bay of Jiguey...
- Cayo Guillermo
Cayo Guillermo is a kay of the Jardines del Rey archipelago. It is located on the northern coast of Cuba, between the Bay of Dogs and the Atlantic Ocean..It is part of the Ciego de Ávila Province, and lies in the Morón municipality...
- Cayo Coco
Cayo Coco is an island in central Cuba, well known for its luxury all inclusive resorts. It lies within the Ciego de Ávila Province and is part of a chain of islands called Jardines del Rey . The cay is administered by the Morón municipality...
- Cayo Judas
- Cayo Romano
Cayo Romano is an island on the northern coast of Cuba, in the province of Camagüey. It is the largest cay of the Jardines del Rey archipellago.It is an administrative part of the Esmeralda municipality.The cay is a popular tourist destination....
- Cayo Paredon Grande
- Cayo Megano Grande
- Cayo Eusebio
- Cayo Cruz
- Cayo Guajaba
Cayo Guajaba is a cay on the northern coast of Cuba, in the province of Camagüey.It is part of Jardines del Rey archipelago, and is located west of Cayo Sabinal, east of Cayo Romano, north of The Bay of la Gloria and borders the Atlantic Ocean to the north.The island is administered as part of...
- Cayo Sabinal
Cayo Sabinal is a cay on the northern coast of Cuba, in the province of Camagüey.It is the southrnmost island of the Jardines del Rey archipelago, and is located north of the Bay of Nuevitas , east of Cayo Guajaba and the Bay of la Gloria and borders the Atlantic Ocean to the north...