Guantanamo

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.

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

Baracoa 81,794 977 20.35056°N 74.51028°W

Caimanera 10,562 366 19.995°N 75.15972°W

El Salvador 45,662 637 20.20972°N 75.22278°W

Guantánamo 244,603 741 20.13694°N 75.21389°W Provincial capital

Imías 20,959 524 20.07694°N 74.65167°W

Maisí 28,276 525 20.24333°N 74.15583°W La Máquina

Manuel Tames 14,200 526 20.18056°N 75.05139°W

Niceto Pérez 17,783 640 20.12778°N 75.34194°W

San Antonio del Sur 26,509 585 20.05694°N 74.80778°W

Yateras 20,358 664 20.35028°N 74.92417°W Palenque

[show]Map of all coordinates from Google

Map of all coordinates from Bing

Source: Population from 2004 Census. Area from 1976 municipal re-distribution.

Demographics

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