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| Santiago de Cuba | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | Cuba |
| Province | Santiago de Cuba |
| Established | 1514 |
| Area | |
| - Total | 1,023.8 km² (395.3 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 82 m (269 ft) |
| Population (2004)Atenas.cu (2004). 2004 Population trends, by Province and Municipality. Retrieved on 2007-10-05. (Spanish) | |
| - Total | 494,337 |
| - Density | 461.3/km² (1,194.8/sq mi) |
| Area code(s) | +53-22 |
| Website: Santiago.cu | |
Santiago de Cuba is the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in the south-eastern area of the island nation of Cuba, some 540 miles (869 km) east south-east of the Cuban capital of Havana.
The municipality extends over 1,023.8 square kilometers (395 sq mi)Santiago.cu (2006). Municipalities of Santiago de Cuba. Retrieved on 2007-10-05. (Spanish), and contains the communities of El Caney, Guilera, Antonio Maceo, Bravo, Castillo Duany, Leyte Vidal and Moncada.Guije.com. Palma Soriano. Retrieved on 2007-10-05. (Spanish)
Historically Santiago de Cuba has long been the second most important city on the island after Havana, and still remains the second largest. It is on a bay connected to the Caribbean Sea and is an important sea port. In 2004 the city of Santiago de Cuba had a population of about 494,337 peopleCuba demographics.
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The Castillo del Morro
Santiago de Cuba was founded by Spanish conquistador Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar on June 28, 1514. In 1516 the settlement was destroyed by fire, and was immediately rebuilt. This was the starting point of the expeditions led by Juan de Grijalba and Hernán Cortés to the coasts of Mexico in 1518, and in 1538 by Hernando de Soto\'s expedition to Florida. The first cathedral was built in the city in 1528. From 1522 until 1589 Santiago was the capital of the Spanish colony of Cuba.
The city was plundered by French forces in 1553, and by British forces under Christopher Myngs in 1662.
On June 12, 1766, the city was almost destroyed by an earthquake.
The city experienced an influx of French immigrants in the late 18th century and early 19th century, many coming from Haiti after the Haitian slave revolt of 1791. This added to the city\'s eclectic cultural mix, already rich with Spanish and African culture.
It was also the location where Spanish troops faced their main defeat at San Juan Hill on July 1, 1898, during the Spanish-American War. Spain later surrendered to the United States after the destruction of its Atlantic fleet just outside Santiago\'s harbor.
Cuban poet, writer, and national hero, José Martí, is buried in Cementerio Santa Efigenia.
The Antonio Maceo monument
Santiago was also the home of the revolutionary hero, Frank Pais. On July 26, 1953, the Cuban Revolution began with an ill-prepared armed attack on the Moncada Barracks by small contingent of rebels led by Fidel Castro. Shortly after this disastrous incident, País began talking with students and young working people informally, drawing around him what became an extremely effective urban revolutionary alliance. This developed into highly organized cells coordinating a large scale urban resistance that became instrumental in the success of the Cuban Revolution.Cannon, Terrance (1981). Frank País and the Underground Movement in the cities. historyofcuba.com. Retrieved on 2006-05-21.
País\' group prepared carefully, accruing weapons, collecting money, collecting medical supplies. They published a cheap newsletter that reported news that criticized the government, attempting to counter Batista\'s censorship.Who was Frank Pais? (English). historyofcuba.com (1981). Retrieved on 2006-05-21.
In the summer of 1955, País’ organization merged with Castro\'s July 26 Movement. País became the leader of the new organization in Oriente province.
On 1 January 1959, Fidel Castro proclaimed the victory of the Cuban Revolution from a balcony on Santiago de Cuba\'s city hall.
Until a rearrangement of province boundaries in 1976, Santiago de Cuba was the capital of Cuba\'s Oriente Province, which included the present day provinces of Holguín, Las Tunas, Guantánamo, Granma and Santiago de Cuba.
The local citadel of San Pedro de la Roca is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as "the most complete, best-preserved example of Spanish-American military architecture, based on Italian and Renaissance design principles".World Heritage Site
The Baconao Park was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Biosphere Reserve List in 1987. Heritage Biosphere Reserve Site
In 2004, the municipality of Santiago de Cuba had a population of 494,337. With a total area of 1,024 km² (395.4 sq mi), it has a population density of 482.8/km² (1,250.4/sq mi).
| | Cuba Portal |
Santiago is served by Antonio Maceo Airport.
The main secondary education institution is the University of Santiago de Cuba (Universidad de Oriente - Santiago de Cuba, UO).
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
| Palma Soriano | San Luis | Songo-La Maya El Caney |
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| Guamá | 
| Caimanera | ||
 Santiago de Cuba 
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| Puerto de Santiago | Puerto Siboney Caribbean Sea | Guantánamo Bay Windward Passage |
| Subdivisions of Cuba | ||
|---|---|---|
| Provinces | Camagüey · Ciego de Ávila · Cienfuegos · Ciudad de La Habana · Granma · Guantánamo · Holguín · Isla de la Juventud · La Habana · Las Tunas · Matanzas · Pinar del Río · Sancti Spíritus · Santiago de Cuba · Villa Clara | |
| Historical provinces | Santa Clara (Las Villas) · Camagüey (Puerto Principe) · Oriente (Santiago de Cuba) | |
| Capitals | Bayamo · Camagüey · Ciego de Ávila · Cienfuegos · Guantánamo · Havana · Holguín · Victoria de Las Tunas · Matanzas · Pinar del Río · Sancti Spiritus · Santa Clara · Santiago de Cuba | |
| Municipalities in Santiago de Cuba | Contramaestre · Guamá · Mella · Palma Soriano · San Luis · Santiago de Cuba · Segundo Frente · Songo - La Maya · Tercer Frente | |
| World Heritage Sites in Cuba | |
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Alejandro de Humboldt National Park · Urban Historic Centre of Cienfuegos · Archaeological Landscape of the First Coffee Plantations in the South-East of Cuba · Desembarco del Granma National Park · Old Havana and its Fortifications · San Pedro de la Roca Castle, Santiago de Cuba · Trinidad and the Valley de los Ingenios · Viñales Valley | |
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