Forests of pine and mahogany cover 23 per cent of the land. Rain falls between May and October.
Hurricanes sometimes threaten the country in autumn.
The government has, however, announced that in future it will work 'collectively' and will depend less on the authority of a single leader. The USSR was also generous with aid donations. However, the break-up of the USSR and the collapse of Communism have led to a major disruption of Cuba's trade relations and an end to the aid packages. In 1994 Russia suspended oil shipments because Cuba had not met its quota for the supply of sugar. Cuba has suffered a decline in production, fuel shortages, serious power cuts, and food rationing.