Guantánamo Province

Guantánamo Province
Province
Country  Cuba
Capital Guantánamo
Area 6,167.97 km2 (2,381 sq mi)
Population 510,706 (2004[1])
Density 82.8 / km2 (214 / sq mi)
Timezone EST (UTC-5)
Area code +53-021
Location of Guantánamo Province in Cuba

Guantánamo is the easternmost province of Cuba. Its capital is also called Guantánamo. Other towns include Baracoa. The province surrounds the U.S. Navy base at Guantánamo Bay.

Contents

History

Guantánamo's architecture and culture is distinct from that of the rest of Cuba. The original settlement was done by Catalan families from the Ampurdán region of north-eastern Catalonia, Spain in 1764. British forces had occupied the area for over 40 years and Scot-Irish settlers were a constant preoccupation to the Spanish authorities. In 1805, when the French were forced out of St. Domingue (Haiti) 35,000 French settlers were given lands in Cuba, many French families settled in the Guantanamo area becoming coffee and cacao planters meaning that many buildings are comparable to those of the French Quarter of New Orleans in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Guantánamo also has a number of immigrants from Jamaica.

Before the Cuban Revolution of 1959, the Carnivals of Guantanamo were famous in Cuba.

Geography

The province is only 80 km (50 mi) away from Haiti its closest point, across the Windward Passage and close enough to see lights in Haiti on a clear night.

The Nipe-Sagua-Baracoa mountains (Sierra de Cristal) dominate the province, dividing both climate and landscape. The northern coast, battered by prevailing winds, is the wettest part of the country, while the south, sheltered and dry, is the hottest. The north is characterized by rainforests, while the south is arid and has many cacti.

Municipalities

Municipality Population
(2004)		 Area
(km²)		 Location Remarks
Baracoa &1000000000008179400000081,794 &10000000000000977000000977
Caimanera &1000000000001056200000010,562 &10000000000000366000000366
El Salvador &1000000000004566200000045,662 &10000000000000637000000637
Guantánamo &10000000000244603000000244,603 &10000000000000741000000741 Provincial capital
Imías &1000000000002095900000020,959 &10000000000000524000000524
Maisí &1000000000002827600000028,276 &10000000000000525000000525 La Máquina
Manuel Tames &1000000000001420000000014,200 &10000000000000526000000526
Niceto Pérez &1000000000001778300000017,783 &10000000000000640000000640
San Antonio del Sur &1000000000002650900000026,509 &10000000000000585000000585
Yateras &1000000000002035800000020,358 &10000000000000664000000664 Palenque
Source: Population from 2004 Census.[1] Area from 1976 municipal re-distribution.[2]

Demographics

In 2004, the province of Guantanamo had a population of 510,706.[1] With a total area of 6,167.97 km2 (2,381.47 sq mi),[3] the province had a population density of 82.8 /km2 (214 /sq mi).

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Atenas.cu (2004). "2004 Population trends, by Province and Municipality". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. http://web.archive.org/web/20070927111826/http://www.atenas.inf.cu/todo/Estadisticas/TABLA+No_3balance.htm. Retrieved 2007-10-06.  (Spanish)
  2. ^ Statoids (July 2003). "Municipios of Cuba". http://www.statoids.com/ycu.html. Retrieved 2007-10-06. 
  3. ^ Government of Cuba (2002). "Population by Province". http://www.cubagob.cu/otras_info/censo/tablas_html/ii_4.htm. Retrieved 2007-10-02.  (Spanish)

External links

Current
Historical
Municipalities of Guantanamo