India has dispatched 20 tonnes each of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) materials to Jamaica and Cuba in response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa

About Hurricane Melissa 

• Category: Hurricane Melissa was a Category 5 Atlantic hurricane, one of the most powerful ever recorded in the region.
• Formation & Path: Originated from a tropical wave in the central Atlantic and made landfall in Jamaica before striking Cuba and the Bahamas.
• Intensity: Recorded maximum sustained winds ~185 mph (≈ 295 km/h) and minimum central pressure ~892 mbar — ranking among the strongest hurricanes on record.

About Jamaica

• Location: An island nation located in the Caribbean Sea, part of the Greater Antilles group.
• Bordering Countries / Waterbodies:
  • North: Caribbean Sea (and Cuba across the water)
  • East: Hispaniola Island (Haiti & Dominican Republic) across the Jamaica Channel
  • South & West: Caribbean Sea
• Terrain: Predominantly mountainous interior, with narrow coastal plains.
• Major mountain ranges:
  • Blue Mountains (eastern Jamaica) — highest peak Blue Mountain Peak (2,256 m).
  • John Crow Mountains (east).
• Climate: Tropical — hot and humid on coast, cooler inland
• Rivers: Numerous short rivers originating from the mountains, mostly flowing north or south to the coast.
  • Black River – Longest river (~53 km), navigable for a portion.
• Economy: Bauxite and Alumina mining: Jamaica is one of the world’s leading producers of bauxite.

About Cuba

• Location: Northern Caribbean, at the junction of the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and Atlantic Ocean.
• It is the largest island country in the Caribbean.
• Bordering Countries / Waterbodies:
  • North: United States (Florida) across the Straits of Florida.
  • East: Hispaniola (Haiti) across the Windward Passage.
  • South: Caribbean Sea.
  • West: Yucatán Peninsula (Mexico) across the Yucatán Channel.
• Terrain: Predominantly flat to rolling plains, suitable for agriculture.
• Mountain ranges:
  • Sierra Maestra (southeast) – highest range.
  • Sierra de los Órganos (west) and Escambray Mountains (central Cuba).
• Highest Peak: Pico Turquino – 1,974 m, located in Sierra Maestra.
• Climate: Tropical climate, moderated by trade winds; Prone to Atlantic hurricanes
• Key water body: Ciénaga de Zapata (Zapata Swamp) – One of the largest wetlands in the Caribbean, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and Ramsar site.

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