Cienfuegos

Cienfuegos
—  Municipality  —
Marti Park and City Hall
Nickname(s): La Perla del Sur (Pearl of the South)
Location of Cienfuegos in Cuba
Coordinates:
Country  Cuba
Province Cienfuegos
Founded 1819[1]
Area[2]
 • Total 333 km2 (128.6 sq mi)
Elevation 25 m (82 ft)
Population (2004)[3]
 • Total 163,824
 • Density 492.0/km2 (1,274.3/sq mi)
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
Area code(s) +53-43

Cienfuegos is a city on the southern coast of Cuba, capital of Cienfuegos Province. It is located about 250 km (160 mi) from Havana, and has a population of 150,000. The city is dubbed La Perla del Sur (Pearl of the South). Cienfuegos literally translates to "Hundred fires".

Contents

Geography

Near the entrance to Bahia de Cienfuegos (bahia meaning "bay") is Castillo de Jagua (full name Castillo de Nuestra Señora de los Angeles de Jagua), a fortress erected in 1745 for protection against Caribbean pirates.

Cienfuegos, one of the chief seaports of Cuba, is a center of the sugar trade, as well as coffee and tobacco. While sugarcane is the chief crop, local farmers grow coffee.

The downtown contains 6 buildings from 1819–50, 327 buildings from 1851–1900, and 1188 buildings from the 20th century. There is no other place in the Caribbean which contains such a remarkable cluster of Neoclassical structures.

Demographics

In 2004, the municipality of Cienfuegos had a population of 163,824.[3] With a total area of 333 km2 (129 sq mi),[2] it has a population density of 492.0 /km2 (1,274 /sq mi).

Climate

Climate data for Cienfuegos
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 27
(81)
28
(82)
29
(84)
29
(85)
31
(87)
32
(89)
32
(90)
32
(90)
32
(89)
31
(88)
28
(83)
28
(82)
29.9
(85.8)
Average low °C (°F) 17
(63)
17
(62)
18
(64)
19
(67)
21
(69)
22
(71)
22
(72)
22
(72)
22
(71)
22
(71)
19
(67)
18
(64)
19.9
(67.8)
Precipitation mm (inches) 18
(0.7)
25
(1)
33
(1.3)
46
(1.8)
119
(4.7)
152
(6)
122
(4.8)
160
(6.3)
173
(6.8)
160
(6.3)
41
(1.6)
23
(0.9)
1,072
(42.2)
Source: Weatherbase [4]

History

The area was called the Cacicazgo de Jagua by the early Spaniards, and was settled by indigenous people.

The city was settled by French immigrants from Bordeaux and Louisiana, led by Don Louis de Clouet, on April 22, 1819.[1] Its original name was Fernardina de Jagua, in honor of Ferdinand VII of Spain. The settlement became a town (Spanish: Villa) in 1829, and a city in 1880. The city was subsequently named Cienfuegos, sharing the name with Cienfuegos, a Captain General in this time, in the island.

Near Cienfuegos was the scene of a battle on May 11, 1898, between American marines who attempted to sever underwater Spanish communication lines and the Spanish defenders.

During the Cuban Revolution the city saw an uprising against Fulgencio Batista and was bombed, on September 5, 1957.[5]

World Heritage Site

Urban Historic Centre of Cienfuegos *
Country Cuba
Type Cultural
Criteria ii, v
Reference 1202
Region ** Latin America and the Caribbean
Inscription history
Inscription 2005 (29th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List
** Region as classified by UNESCO

In 2005, UNESCO inscribed the Urban Historic Centre of Cienfuegos on the World Heritage List, citing Cienfuegos as the best extant example of the 19th-century early Spanish Enlightenment implementation in urban planning.[6]

Hurricane Dennis 2005

In 2005, Hurricane Dennis made its second landfall near Cienfuegos at about 1:00PM AST (17:00 UTC) with winds of 232 km/h (144 mph), and gusts reaching 285 km/h (177 mph).

Attractions

Famous residents

Gallery

See also

References

External links