Havana, Cuba Facts
Havana, Cuba, was founded in 1514, and is an important Latin American city and capital of the Republic of Cuba. King Philip II of Spain dubbed the port "Key to the New World and Rampart of the West Indies." Known for cigars and classic cars, it is the largest Caribbean city. Its energy and atmosphere are the subject of music and art.
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History
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San Cristóbal de la Habana, originally established on Cuba's southern coast in 1514, moved to its current location on the north coast by 1519. It sits at the mouth of a deep protected harbor. By 1607, Havana became the capital of colonial Cuba and became the third largest city in the Spanish empire after Mexico City and Lima, Peru. U.S. influence over the city came after the sinking of the USS Maine in Havana harbor in 1909 and remained until the 1959 Revolution. This era saw the influence of U.S. mob figures like Al Capone and Lucky Luciano.
Post-revolution decades of economic hardship left the city in decay. Architecture and industry under the influence of the Soviet Union no longer reflected the past colonial glory. Today, Havana has 2.5 million inhabitants, is experiencing an economic and tourism boom and is the Caribbean's political, business and cultural center.
The Harbor
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Havana harbor fortress remnants from the Colonial Era. Havana harbor's natural protection offered Spanish fleets shelter in their conquest of Central and South America. The Spanish furthered that protection by building a wall around the city and constructing large fortresses at the harbor's entrance. The harbor area is the focus of modern Cuba's youth culture with its hotels and discotheques.
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Central Havana
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La Habana Vieja (Old Havana) and Centro Habana have the densest populations in Havana. The main shopping street, Calle San Rafael, crosses the district from the Parque Central to the west. A mixture of residential, commercial and industrial, the area's Partagas tobacco factory produces five million cigars a year.
Real Fabrica de Tabacos Partagas
Barcelona y Industria
La Habana
Cuba
011-07-86-24-604
Vedado
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Primarily office buildings and hotels, Vedado is a business district. This area also contains the Museo Napoleonico, containing Napoleonic memorabilia, and the Cementerio de Cristobal Colon, with more than 500 major chapels, family vaults and mausoleums.
Museo Napoleonico
San Miguel 1159
La Habana
CubaCementerio de Cristobal Colon
Av 23 y Calle 26
La Habana
Cuba
Miramar
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Farther west is Miramar, which is home to expensive hotels, restaurants and stately mansions on tree-lined avenues housing the country's foreign embassies and other elite. Miramar's Museo del Ministerio del Interior displays remnants of the Cold War era.
Museo del Ministerio del Interior
Av 5 y 14
La Habana
Cuba
011-07-203-4432
Beaches
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Playa del Este is home to beaches just 20 minutes from downtown Havana. Bacuranao Beach is closest to Havana and is popular with local Habaneros. Playa Santa Maria del Mar is a non-touristy beach with white sand and coral and shell remains. Guanabo is home to a rich nightlife and discos.
Interesting Facts
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Havana's official nickname is Ciudad de las Columnas (the City of Columns), which is in reference to its Colonial grand architecture. The street running next to the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales is paved with wood. In 1848, Havana became the world's third city to install gas streetlights.
Ernest Hemingway's former home in the city is now a museum and a cemetery for the writer's four dogs and more than 60 cats. A statue of former Beatle John Lennon stands in John Lennon Park, unveiled in 2000 after Fidel Castro declared him a "true revolutionary." Cuban officials banned Parker Brothers' game Monopoly.Palacio de los Capitanes Generales
O'Relly
La Habana
Cuba
(0)7-61-2876Museo Ernest Hemingway
Finca Vigía Km. 12 ½
La Habana
Cuba
(0)7-91-0809John Lennon Park
Calle 8
Havana, Cuba
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References
- Photo Credit street scene havana image by Natasha Owen from Fotolia.com Castillo del Morro image by Amaury Sánchez Téllez from Fotolia.com
