Matanzas

Matanzas is one of the provinces of Cuba. Major towns in the province include Cárdenas, Colón, Jovellanos and the capital of the same name, Matanzas. The resort town of Varadero is also located in this province.

Of Cuba's provinces, Matanzas is one of the most industrialised, with petroleum wells, refineries, supertanker facilities, and 21 sugar mills to process the harvests of the fields of sugarcane in the province.

Geography

The second largest in Cuba, Matanzas province is largely flat, with its highest point (Pan de Matanzas) at only 380m above sea level.

The north-western coast is largely rocky, with a few beaches, while the north-eastern coast has numerous small cays of its coast (part of Sabana-Camaguey Archipelago), and scrubland and mangroves near the shoreline. Cuba's northern most point is located in on Hicacos Peninsula.

The southern coast has one of Cuba's most distinctive features: an enormous marsh, Ciénaga de Zapata that covers both the southern part of the province and the Zapata Peninsula. East of the peninsula lies the Bay of Pigs, the site of the failed US backed invasion.

Municipalities

From 1976 to 2010 Matanzas was sub-divided into 14 municipalities. Starting from 2011, the municipality of Varadero was abolished and merged to Cárdenas. This Matanzas now has 13 municipalities.

Municipality Population

(2004) Area

(km²) Location Remarks

Calimete 29,736 958 22.53389°N 80.90972°W

Cárdenas 103,087 566 23.04278°N 81.20361°W

Cienaga de Zapata 8,750 4,320 22.28806°N 81.1975°W Playa Larga

Colón 71,579 597 22.7225°N 80.90639°W

Jagüey Grande 57,771 882 22.52944°N 81.1325°W

Jovellanos 58,685 505 22.81056°N 81.19778°W

Limonar 25,421 449 22.95611°N 81.40861°W

Los Arabos 25,702 762 22.74°N 80.71583°W

Martí 23,475 1,070 22.9525°N 80.916667°W

Matanzas 143,706 317 23.05139°N 81.575°W Province capital

Pedro Betancourt 32,218 388 22.73056°N 81.29083°W

Perico 31,147 278 22.77528°N 81.015°W

Unión de Reyes 40,022 856 22.80056°N 81.53694°W

Varadero 24,681 32 23.13972°N 81.28611°W Abolished in 2010

Demographics

In 2004, the province of Matanzas had a population of 675,980. With a total area of 11,802.72 km2 (4,557.06 sq mi), the province had a population density of 57.3 /km2 (148 /sq mi).