Sierra Cristal National Park
Encyclopedia
Sierra Cristal National Park is a national park
in Cuba
. It is located in the municipalities of Mayarí and Sagua de Tánamo
in southern Holguín Province
. It was the first National Park created in Cuba in 1930, and covers an area of 185.37 km² (71.6 sq mi).
It is located in the heights of Sierra Cristal (Cristal Mountains), one of the highest mountain range in Cuba (second only to Sierra Maestra
). Cristal Peak (Pico Cristal) reaches an elevation of 1300 m (4,265.1 ft).
. Caribbean Pine
(Pinus caribaea) can reach heights of 30 m (98.4 ft) in this area. The endangered Cuban Solenodon
(Solenodon cubanus) can be found in Sierra Cristal.
A research center established in 1988 in Pinares de Mayarí monitors the ecology of the region.
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main 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...
. It is located in the municipalities of Mayarí and Sagua de Tánamo
Sagua de Tánamo, Cuba
Sagua de Tánamo is a municipality and city in the Holguín Province of Cuba.The Sierra Cristal National Park is partly located in the Sagua de Tánamo municipality and partly in neighboring Mayarí....
in southern Holguín Province
Holguín Province
Holguín is one of the provinces of Cuba, the third most populous after Ciudad de la Habana and Santiago de Cuba. It lies in the northeast of the country. Its major cities include Holguín , Banes, Antilla, Mayarí, and Moa....
. It was the first National Park created in Cuba in 1930, and covers an area of 185.37 km² (71.6 sq mi).
It is located in the heights of Sierra Cristal (Cristal Mountains), one of the highest mountain range in Cuba (second only to Sierra Maestra
Sierra Maestra
Sierra Maestra is a mountain range that runs westward across the south of the old Oriente Province from what is now Guantánamo Province to Niquero in southeast Cuba, rising abruptly from the coast. Some view it as a series of connecting ranges , which joins with others extending to the west...
). Cristal Peak (Pico Cristal) reaches an elevation of 1300 m (4,265.1 ft).
Conservation
The ranges are dominated by pine forestsCuban pine forests
The Cuban pine forests are a tropical coniferous forest ecoregion on the Caribbean islands of Cuba and Isla de la Juventud. They cover an area of , occurring in separate sections in eastern Cuba and western Cuba and Isla de la Juventud.-Description:...
. Caribbean Pine
Caribbean Pine
The Caribbean Pine, Pinus caribaea, is a hard pine native to Central America, Cuba, Jamaica, the Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. It inhabits tropical and subtropical coniferous forests, which include both lowland savannas and montane forests...
(Pinus caribaea) can reach heights of 30 m (98.4 ft) in this area. The endangered Cuban Solenodon
Cuban Solenodon
The Cuban Solenodon or Almiqui , is a species of soricomorph that is endemic to Cuba. It belongs to the family Solenodontidae along with a similar species, the Hispaniolan Solenodon...
(Solenodon cubanus) can be found in Sierra Cristal.
A research center established in 1988 in Pinares de Mayarí monitors the ecology of the region.