Ciego de Ávila
Encyclopedia
Ciego de Ávila is a city in the central part of Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
and the capital of Ciego de Ávila Province
Ciego de Ávila Province
Ciego de Ávila is one of the provinces of Cuba, and was previously part of Camagüey Province. Its capital is Ciego de Ávila, which lies on the Carretera Central , and the second city is Morón, further north....
. The city has a population of about 86,100.
Ciego de Ávila lies on the Carretera Central highway and on a major railroad. Its port, Júcaro, lies 24 km (14.9 mi) south-southwest on the coast of the Gulf of Ana Maria in the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
. The city is located about 460 km (285.8 mi) east of Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
and 110 km (68.4 mi) west of the city of Camagüey
Camagüey
Camagüey is a city and municipality in central Cuba and is the nation's third largest city. It is the capital of the Camagüey Province.After almost continuous attacks from pirates the original city was moved inland in 1528.The new city was built with a confusing lay-out of winding alleys that made...
. It was part of the Camagüey province
Camagüey Province
Camagüey is the largest of the provinces of Cuba. Its capital is Camagüey. Other towns include Florida and Nuevitas.-Geography:Camagüey is mostly low lying, with no major hills or mountain ranges passing through the province...
until 1976, when Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
's government made Ciego de Ávila the capital of the newly created Ciego de Ávila Province
Ciego de Ávila Province
Ciego de Ávila is one of the provinces of Cuba, and was previously part of Camagüey Province. Its capital is Ciego de Ávila, which lies on the Carretera Central , and the second city is Morón, further north....
.
By 1945, the municipality was divided into the barrio
Barrio
Barrio is a Spanish word meaning district or neighborhood.-Usage:In its formal usage in English, barrios are generally considered cohesive places, sharing, for example, a church and traditions such as feast days...
s of Angel Castillo, Ceballos, Guanales, Jagüeyal, Jicotea, José Miguel Gómez, Júcaro, La Ceiba, Majagua, Norte, San Nicolás and Sur. After the new political and administrative division of Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
in 1976, it was divided into four municipalities (Majagua
Majagua
Majagua can refer to:* Hampea reynae, a plant species endemic to El Salvador* Majagua, Cuba, a municipality in Ciego de Ávila Province, Cuba...
, Ciego de Ávila, Baragua and Venezuela).
History
The city of Ciego de Ávila was founded by 1840, having at the time 263 inhabitants. In 1877, its municipal government was created and the city became independent of the city of MorónMorón, Cuba
Morón is one of ten municipalities in province Ciego de Ávila in central Cuba. It is the second in importance and the oldest. Morón is the closest city to the tourist resorts on Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo.- Geography :...
. Ciego de Ávila gained importance when the Spanish army built a fortified military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
line, known as Trocha de Jucaro a Morón
Trocha from Júcaro to Morón
The Trocha from Júcaro to Morón was a fortified military line built between 1869 and 1872 in Cuba by slave work force and Chinese immigrants to impede the pass of insurrectionist forces to the western part of the island during the 1st War of Independence and was 68 km long between Jucaro and...
, to impede the pass of insurrectionist forces to the western part of the island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
during the 1st War of Independence
Ten Years' War
The Ten Years' War , also known as the Great War and the War of '68, began on October 10, 1868 when sugar mill owner Carlos Manuel de Céspedes and his followers proclaimed Cuba's independence from Spain...
(1868-1878). This "trocha", which made this region famous, was thought to be strong enough to stop the Cuban forces, but was not able to stop the pass of General Máximo Gómez
Máximo Gómez
Máximo Gómez y Báez was a Major General in the Ten Years' War and Cuba's military commander in that country's War of Independence ....
and several hundred of men. Many of the old Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
colonial buildings in Ciego de Ávila were built by Angela Hernández Viuda de Jiménez, a rich socialite who battled to create a cultural mecca in her home town. She is sometimes credited to be the founder of the city.
Demographics
In 2004, the municipality of Ciego de Ávila had a population of 135,736. With a total area of 445 km² (171.8 sq mi), it has a population density of 305 /km2.Media
Its present radio station, Radio Surco (previously Radio Cuba) was founded October 10, 1952.Attractions
- Parque Martí is the largest park in the city of Ciego de Ávila.
- Teatro Principal is a 500-seat theatre located just a few blocks from Parque Martí.
- University of Ciego de ÁvilaUniversity of Ciego de ÁvilaThe University of Ciego de Ávila is a university located in Ciego de Ávila, Cuba. It was founded in 1978 and is organized in 5 Faculties.-Organization:These are the 5 faculties in which the university is divided into:* Faculty of Engineering...
(Universidad de Ciego de Ávila, UNICA) is the province's secondary education institution. - IPVCE Ignacio Agramonte Instituto Pre-Universitario Vocacional de Ciencias Exactas(10 a 12 grado) con emphasis en las ciencias basicas: Fisica, Quimica, Matematica, Biologia y Electronica. Se encuentra en la carretera a Ceballos.