Villa Clara Province
Encyclopedia
Villa Clara is one of the provinces of Cuba
. It is located in the central region of the island bordering with the Atlantic at north, Matanzas
Province by west, Sancti Spiritus
by east, and Cienfuegos
on the South. Villa Clara shares with Cienfuegos and Sancti Spiritus on the south the Escambray Mountain Range. Its main cities are Santa Clara
(the capital), Sagua La Grande
, Placetas
, Camajuani
, Remedios
and Caibarién
.
, Sancti Spíritus
, and Villa Clara were once all part of the now defunct province of Las Villas, but Villa Clara is still referred some times just as "Las Villas" using the shorter old name. Santa Clara
was the capital of historical Las Villas and still capital of Villa Clara.
During Pre-Spanish settlement in Cuba what now is Villa Clara province was populated by Taíno
people with chieftains of Sabanaque (north west), Sabana (north east), and Cubanacan, literally "The Middle Land" in the center where Santa Clara city is located nowadays. In this region from the eastern landing point of the Spanish was where Columbus believed the "King of India" was living.
In early colonial Cuba, historical province Las Villas was center to cattle industry but by 18th and 19th centuries it has shifted to sugar production with a large concentration of mills. At the beginning of the 20th century it had the highest percentage of land farms (90%). In 1950 was second to Havana in manufacturing establishments.
After Castro's revolution in the 60's it still lead in sugar production on the island, but in the late 80's and 90's after the collapse of the Soviet Union and lack of support thereof, most of the already inefficient mills were closed down, some of them disassembled, while others became museums. Only the most efficient mills are still producing sugar. Since then the province concentrated its efforts on building beach resorts.
Sugar
, the commodity
that Cuban economy used to rely upon was basically based on the plains in the north of this province, and several large mills provided employment to many people. Now in a new structure of Cuban economy most of this mills have been abandoned and the economy is focusing on newly built beach resort in the north cays. Sugar and Tobacco are still the second most important agricultural activity of the province.
The northern coast of Villa Clara is dotted with numerous cay
s (part of the Sabana-Camaguey Archipelago
), and there are many coral
reef
s, sandy beaches, and newly constructed touristic resorts.
The Cays are a capricious cluster of some 500 islands, strewn along a sea of varying shades of blues and greens off the northern coast of the central province of Villa Clara and close to the second largest coral barrier reef in the world. It’s a tropical paradise with more than 17 km of fine-white sand beaches.
Villa Clara Cays, covering more than 77 844 hectares, are a veritable wildlife refuge and provide a habitat for some 248 species of plans. The most precious jewels are Cayo Las Brujas, Cayo Ensenachos and Cayo Santa Maria, renowned for their immaculate landscape of incredible beauty, with sugary-white sand beaches and crystal-clear waters, fringed by autochthonous vegetation and connected to Caibarien, a small fishing town on the Cuban mainland, by a 48 km causeway stretching over the sea -accorded an international prize for its harmonious combination of nature and engineering in an area declared a World Biosphere Reserve- thus enabling visitors to access the cays directly from Santa Clara City, site of the international airport. The causeway has a total of 46 bridges especially designed to allow the flow of sea water, therefore protecting both the biodiversity and sustainability of the area.
There is a small air terminal in Cayo Las Brujas for the operation of small and medium size aircraft.
Villa Clara Cays, located approximately 300 km from Havana, are part of the Jardines del Rey archipelago, the largest archipelago surrounding Cuba which extends 465 km along the northern coast of the country.
A site of legends, it is said that this island, maze of singular biodiversity, was once a haven for pirates and buccaneers ready to pounce on ship passing along Cuba’s shores.
Cayo Las Brujas takes its name from an old legend about a young couple whose love was thwarted by a jealous uncle, who in turn is the namesake of another islet: Cayo Borracho, which means drunkard. The remains of the San Paulo, a ship that ran aground many years ago, can be observed a mile away from the cay. Built in San Francisco, California and launched in 1919, the ship evokes the presence of American writer Ernest Hemingway in the area. From its deck, Cuban painter Leopold Romañach found inspiration for some of his famous marine landscapes.
Cayo Ensenachos is the smallest of the three cays but it’s a refuge for 22 endemic plants and 39 wildlife species. Shaped like a horseshoe, the islet was originally an aboriginal settlement. The beach is always calm due to the position of the cay which prevents the large waves from hitting the shore with force.
Cay Santa Maria is also known as the White Rose of Jardines del Rey. The cay was named after the flagship of Christopher Columbus’s fleet on his maiden voyage to the New World. Legend has it that this strip of land-some 13 km long and 2 km in width- is haunted by the spirit of Rosa Maria Coraje, a woman who hid aboard a ship in a desperate attempt to find both paradise and her beloved. She landed on the cay and managed to survive hiding in the marshes, among the mangroves and feeding on fish, until she finally discovered her dearly-loved in a neighboring cay.
Around Santa Clara, the land rises into the Alturas de Santa Clara. The highest point in the Santa Clara region is in the Alturas, at 464 m (1,522.3 ft) above sea level
, while the south, dominated by the Escambray Mountains
, reach elevations of over 900 m (2,952.8 ft). Villa Clara also has numerous lakes, which are used for both water sports and fishing
. The largest Cuban river to drain into the Atlantic, Río Sagua la Grande, is also in Villa Clara province.
In 2004, the province of Villa Clara had a population of 817,070. With a total area of 8412.41 km² (3,248 sq mi), the province had a population density of 97.1 /km2.
Provinces of Cuba
Administratively, Cuba is divided into 15 provinces and one special municipality not included in any province. The last modification was approved in August 2010 , splitting Havana province into two new provinces: Artemisa and Mayabeque...
. It is located in the central region of the island bordering with the Atlantic at north, Matanzas
Matanzas
Matanzas is the capital of the Cuban province of Matanzas. It is famed for its poets, culture, and Afro-Cuban folklore.It is located on the northern shore of the island of Cuba, on the Bay of Matanzas , east of the capital Havana and west of the resort town of Varadero.Matanzas is called the...
Province by west, Sancti Spiritus
Sancti Spíritus
Sancti Spíritus is a municipality and capital city of the province of Sancti Spíritus in central Cuba. Sancti Spíritus, Latin for "Holy Spirit," is one of the best preserved cities in the Caribbean from the time of the sugar trade.-History:...
by east, and Cienfuegos
Cienfuegos
Cienfuegos is a city on the southern coast of Cuba, capital of Cienfuegos Province. It is located about from Havana, and has a population of 150,000. The city is dubbed La Perla del Sur...
on the South. Villa Clara shares with Cienfuegos and Sancti Spiritus on the south the Escambray Mountain Range. Its main cities are Santa Clara
Santa Clara, Cuba
Santa Clara is the capital city of the Cuban province of Villa Clara. It is located in the most central region of the province and almost in the most central region of the country.- History :Santa Clara was founded by 175 people on July 15th, 1689...
(the capital), Sagua La Grande
Sagua La Grande
Sagua La Grande is a municipality and city located on the north coast of the province of Villa Clara in central Cuba, on the Sagua la Grande River. The city is close to Mogotes de Jumagua, limestone cliffs...
, Placetas
Placetas
Placetas is a city in the Villa Clara Province in the center of Cuba; before the change in the country's government in 1959 the province was called Las Villas. Close towns include Zulueta , San Juan de los Remedios , Cabaiguán and Fomento , and Santa Clara and Camajuani...
, Camajuani
Camajuaní
-History:In 1819 was decided the construction of a new port in near Caibarién to replace an old one located in Tesisco. From that moment, settlers established in the surroundings creating a new village. In 1832 blueprints for the new town of Caibarien were presented, and finally in 1841 this city...
, Remedios
Remedios, Cuba
Remedios is a city and municipality located from the northern coast of Cuba, in the center of the island. It is part of the province of Villa Clara. It was declared a City by Isabel the Second, Queen of Spain, when the Island was still a colony...
and Caibarién
Caibarién
Caibarién is a municipality city in the Villa Clara province of Cuba.Caibarien is known as "La Villa Blanca" for its sands and beaches. They are famous for their "Parrandas" along with Remedios and Camajuani.-History:The town was founded on October 26, 1832 from a map designed by Estratón Bauza...
.
History
The current provinces of CienfuegosCienfuegos Province
Cienfuegos is one of the provinces of Cuba. The capital city of the province is also called Cienfuegos and was founded by French settlers in 1819....
, Sancti Spíritus
Sancti Spíritus Province
Sancti Spíritus is one of the provinces of Cuba. Its capital is the identically named Sancti Spíritus. Another major city is Trinidad.The southern coast of the province is flat, but the western portion of Sancti Spíritus province is mountainous. The southeast has numerous mangroves and swamps...
, and Villa Clara were once all part of the now defunct province of Las Villas, but Villa Clara is still referred some times just as "Las Villas" using the shorter old name. Santa Clara
Santa Clara, Cuba
Santa Clara is the capital city of the Cuban province of Villa Clara. It is located in the most central region of the province and almost in the most central region of the country.- History :Santa Clara was founded by 175 people on July 15th, 1689...
was the capital of historical Las Villas and still capital of Villa Clara.
During Pre-Spanish settlement in Cuba what now is Villa Clara province was populated by Taíno
Taíno people
The Taínos were pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. It is thought that the seafaring Taínos are relatives of the Arawak people of South America...
people with chieftains of Sabanaque (north west), Sabana (north east), and Cubanacan, literally "The Middle Land" in the center where Santa Clara city is located nowadays. In this region from the eastern landing point of the Spanish was where Columbus believed the "King of India" was living.
In early colonial Cuba, historical province Las Villas was center to cattle industry but by 18th and 19th centuries it has shifted to sugar production with a large concentration of mills. At the beginning of the 20th century it had the highest percentage of land farms (90%). In 1950 was second to Havana in manufacturing establishments.
After Castro's revolution in the 60's it still lead in sugar production on the island, but in the late 80's and 90's after the collapse of the Soviet Union and lack of support thereof, most of the already inefficient mills were closed down, some of them disassembled, while others became museums. Only the most efficient mills are still producing sugar. Since then the province concentrated its efforts on building beach resorts.
Economy
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
, the commodity
Commodity
In economics, a commodity is the generic term for any marketable item produced to satisfy wants or needs. Economic commodities comprise goods and services....
that Cuban economy used to rely upon was basically based on the plains in the north of this province, and several large mills provided employment to many people. Now in a new structure of Cuban economy most of this mills have been abandoned and the economy is focusing on newly built beach resort in the north cays. Sugar and Tobacco are still the second most important agricultural activity of the province.
Geography
Cay
A cay , also spelled caye or key, is a small, low-elevation, sandy island formed on the surface of coral reefs. Cays occur in tropical environments throughout the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans , where they provide habitable and agricultural land for hundreds of thousands of people...
s (part of the Sabana-Camaguey Archipelago
Sabana-Camaguey Archipelago
Sabana-Camagüey is an archipelago that lines Cuba's north-central Atlantic coast. It is located off the northern coast of the provinces of Matanzas, Villa Clara, Sancti Spíritus, Ciego de Ávila and Camagüey, and is bounded to the north by the Atlantic Ocean, specifically by the Nicholas Channel ...
), and there are many coral
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
reef
Reef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
s, sandy beaches, and newly constructed touristic resorts.
The Cays are a capricious cluster of some 500 islands, strewn along a sea of varying shades of blues and greens off the northern coast of the central province of Villa Clara and close to the second largest coral barrier reef in the world. It’s a tropical paradise with more than 17 km of fine-white sand beaches.
Villa Clara Cays, covering more than 77 844 hectares, are a veritable wildlife refuge and provide a habitat for some 248 species of plans. The most precious jewels are Cayo Las Brujas, Cayo Ensenachos and Cayo Santa Maria, renowned for their immaculate landscape of incredible beauty, with sugary-white sand beaches and crystal-clear waters, fringed by autochthonous vegetation and connected to Caibarien, a small fishing town on the Cuban mainland, by a 48 km causeway stretching over the sea -accorded an international prize for its harmonious combination of nature and engineering in an area declared a World Biosphere Reserve- thus enabling visitors to access the cays directly from Santa Clara City, site of the international airport. The causeway has a total of 46 bridges especially designed to allow the flow of sea water, therefore protecting both the biodiversity and sustainability of the area.
There is a small air terminal in Cayo Las Brujas for the operation of small and medium size aircraft.
Villa Clara Cays, located approximately 300 km from Havana, are part of the Jardines del Rey archipelago, the largest archipelago surrounding Cuba which extends 465 km along the northern coast of the country.
A site of legends, it is said that this island, maze of singular biodiversity, was once a haven for pirates and buccaneers ready to pounce on ship passing along Cuba’s shores.
Cayo Las Brujas takes its name from an old legend about a young couple whose love was thwarted by a jealous uncle, who in turn is the namesake of another islet: Cayo Borracho, which means drunkard. The remains of the San Paulo, a ship that ran aground many years ago, can be observed a mile away from the cay. Built in San Francisco, California and launched in 1919, the ship evokes the presence of American writer Ernest Hemingway in the area. From its deck, Cuban painter Leopold Romañach found inspiration for some of his famous marine landscapes.
Cayo Ensenachos is the smallest of the three cays but it’s a refuge for 22 endemic plants and 39 wildlife species. Shaped like a horseshoe, the islet was originally an aboriginal settlement. The beach is always calm due to the position of the cay which prevents the large waves from hitting the shore with force.
Cay Santa Maria is also known as the White Rose of Jardines del Rey. The cay was named after the flagship of Christopher Columbus’s fleet on his maiden voyage to the New World. Legend has it that this strip of land-some 13 km long and 2 km in width- is haunted by the spirit of Rosa Maria Coraje, a woman who hid aboard a ship in a desperate attempt to find both paradise and her beloved. She landed on the cay and managed to survive hiding in the marshes, among the mangroves and feeding on fish, until she finally discovered her dearly-loved in a neighboring cay.
Around Santa Clara, the land rises into the Alturas de Santa Clara. The highest point in the Santa Clara region is in the Alturas, at 464 m (1,522.3 ft) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
, while the south, dominated by the Escambray Mountains
Escambray Mountains
The Escambray Mountains are a mountain range in the central region of Cuba, in the provinces of Sancti Spíritus, Cienfuegos and Villa Clara....
, reach elevations of over 900 m (2,952.8 ft). Villa Clara also has numerous lakes, which are used for both water sports and fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
. The largest Cuban river to drain into the Atlantic, Río Sagua la Grande, is also in Villa Clara province.
Municipalities
| Municipality Municipalities of Cuba The provinces of Cuba are divided into 169 municipalities or municipios. They were defined by Cuban Law Number 1304 of July 3, 1976.-Summary:The municipalities are listed below, by province:... | Population (2004) | Area (km²) | Location | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caibarién | 22°30′57"N 79°28′20"W | |||
| Camajuaní | 22°28′5"N 79°43′25"W | |||
| Cifuentes Cifuentes, Cuba Cifuentes is a municipality and city in the Villa Clara Province of Cuba founded in 1819 and established as a municipality in 1919.-Demographics:In 2009 the municipality of Cifuentes had a population of 28,850, having dropped from 41,789 in 1976... |
22°37′15"N 80°03′57"W | |||
| Corralillo Corralillo, Cuba Corralillo is a municipality and city in the Villa Clara Province of Cuba.It was founded in 1831 and established as a municipality in 1879.-Geography:... |
22°59′9"N 80°34′58"W | |||
| Encrucijada Encrucijada, Cuba Encrucijada is a municipality and city in the Villa Clara Province of Cuba.It was founded in 1850 and established as a municipality in 1910.-Demographics:... |
22°37′2"N 79°51′58"W | |||
| Manicaragua Manicaragua, Cuba Manicaragua is a municipality and city in the Villa Clara Province of Cuba. It is located in the southern part of Villa Clara, bordering the provinces of Cienfuegos to the west and Sancti Spíritus to the east.-Demographics:... |
22°09′1"N 79°58′34"W | |||
| Placetas | 22°18′58"N 79°39′19"W | |||
| Quemado de Güines | 22°47′24"N 80°15′21"W | |||
| Ranchuelo Ranchuelo, Cuba Ranchuelo is a municipality and city in the Villa Clara Province of Cuba.It was founded in 1734 and established as a municipality in 1879.-Demographics:... |
22°20′10"N 80°06′46"W | |||
| Remedios Remedios, Cuba Remedios is a city and municipality located from the northern coast of Cuba, in the center of the island. It is part of the province of Villa Clara. It was declared a City by Isabel the Second, Queen of Spain, when the Island was still a colony... |
22°29′32"N 79°32′44"W | |||
| Sagua la Grande | 22°48′32"N 80°04′15"W | |||
| Santa Clara Santa Clara, Cuba Santa Clara is the capital city of the Cuban province of Villa Clara. It is located in the most central region of the province and almost in the most central region of the country.- History :Santa Clara was founded by 175 people on July 15th, 1689... |
22°24′20"N 79°57′14"W | Provincial capital | ||
| Santo Domingo Santo Domingo, Cuba Santo Domingo is a municipality and city in the Villa Clara Province of Cuba.It was founded in 1819 and established as a municipality in 1879.-Demographics:In 2004, the municipality of Santo Domingo had a population of 53,840... |
22°35′1"N 80°14′18"W |
- Source: Population from 2004 Census. Area from 1976 municipal re-distribution.
Demographics
Notable residents
- Liván HernándezLiván HernándezEisler Liván Hernández Carrera is a Cuban professional baseball pitcher. He is the half-brother of pitcher Orlando "El Duque" Hernández.-Playing career:...
, baseball player - Orlando HernándezOrlando HernándezOrlando Hernández Pedroso , nicknamed "El Duque", is a former Cuban right-handed baseball pitcher....
, baseball player - Rolando ArrojoRolando ArrojoLuis Rolando Arrojo Avila was a Major League Baseball pitcher who pitched from to .Arrojo made his mark with the teams from Villa Clara in the Cuban National Series, where he still is the all-time leader in hit batsmen. He was the staff ace on the Villa Clara team that won 3 consecutive Cuban...
, baseball player