Santiago de Cuba is the capital city of
Santiago de Cuba ProvinceSantiago de Cuba Province is the second most populated province in the island of Cuba. The largest city Santiago de Cuba is the main administrative center...
in the south-eastern area of the island nation of
CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the 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. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is...
, some east south-east of the Cuban capital of
HavanaHavana is the capital city, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city is one of the 14 Cuban provinces. The city/province has 2.4 million inhabitants, and the urban area over 3.7 million, making Havana the largest city in both Cuba and the Caribbean region...
.
The municipality extends over , and contains the communities of
El CaneyEl Caney is a small village 4 miles to the northeast of Santiago, Cuba. "Caney" means longhouse in Taíno.It was known in centuries past as the site where Hernán Cortés received a vision supposedly ordering him to Christianize Mexico. The settlement was host to the Battle of El Caney on July 1,...
, Guilera, Antonio Maceo, Bravo, Castillo Duany, Leyte Vidal and Moncada.
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 SeaThe Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean situated in the tropics of the Western hemisphere, bounded to the south and west by the American landmass, with the North Atlantic Ocean proper to the northeast and the Gulf of Mexico to the northwest...
and is an important sea port. In 2004 the city of Santiago de Cuba had a population of about 494,337 people.
History
Santiago de Cuba was founded by
SpanishSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
conquistadorConquistador is the term widely used to refer to the Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th through the 17th centuries following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
Diego Velázquez de CuéllarDiego Velázquez de Cuéllar was a Spanish conquistador. He conquered and governed Cuba for Spain....
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 CortésHernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro, 1st Marqués del Valle de Oaxaca was a Spanish conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under the King of Castile, in the early 16th century...
to the coasts of
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in 1518, and in 1538 by
Hernando de SotoHernando de Soto was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who, while leading the first European expedition deep into the territory of the modern-day United States, was the first European to discover the Mississippi River....
's expedition to
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
. The first
cathedralA cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
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
FrenchFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
forces in 1553, and by
BritishGreat Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island. With a population of about 59.6 million people, it is the third most populated island on Earth. Great Britain is surrounded by over 1000 smaller...
forces under
Christopher MyngsSir Christopher Myngs , English admiral and pirate, came of a Norfolk family. Pepys' story of his humble birth, in explanation of his popularity, is said to be erroneous. His name is often given as Mings....
in 1662.
The city experienced an influx of French immigrants in the late 18th century and early 19th century, many coming from
HaitiHaiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Creole- and French-speaking Caribbean country. Along with the Dominican Republic, it occupies the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago...
after the
Haitian slave revolt of 1791The Haitian Revolution is, as historian C.L.R. James affirms, "the only successful slave revolt in history." It established Haiti as the first republic ruled by blacks. At the time of the revolution, Haiti was known as Saint-Domingue and was a colony of France...
. 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 WarThe Spanish–American War was an armed military conflict between Spain and the United States that took place between April and August 1898, over the issues of the liberation of Cuba. The war began after American demands for the resolution of the Cuban fight for independence were rejected by Spain...
.
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
later surrendered to the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
after the destruction of its Atlantic fleet just outside Santiago's harbor.
Cuban poet, writer, and national hero,
José MartíJosé Julián Martí Pérez was a Cuban national hero and an important figure in Latin American literature. In his short life he was a poet, an essayist, a journalist, a revolutionary philosopher, a translator, a professor, a publisher, and a political theorist...
, is buried in Cementerio Santa Efigenia.
Role in the Cuban Revolution
Santiago was also the home of the revolutionary hero,
Frank PaísFrank País was a Cuban revolutionary who campaigned for the overthrow of General Fulgencio Batista's government in Cuba...
. On July 26, 1953, the
Cuban RevolutionThe Cuban Revolution was an armed revolt that led to the overthrow of U.S.-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista of Cuba on January 1, 1959 by the 26th of July Movement led by Fidel Castro....
began with an ill-prepared armed attack on the
Moncada BarracksThe Moncada Barracks was a military barracks in Santiago de Cuba, named after General Guillermon Moncada, a hero of the War of Independence. On July 26, 1953, the barracks was the site of an armed attack by a small group of revolutionaries led by Fidel Castro. This armed attack is widely accepted...
by small contingent of rebels led by
Fidel CastroFidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban politician, one of the primary leaders of the Cuban Revolution, the Prime Minister of Cuba from February 1959 to December 1976, and then the President of the Council of State of Cuba until his resignation from the office in February 2008...
. 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.
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.
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 RevolutionThe Cuban Revolution was an armed revolt that led to the overthrow of U.S.-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista of Cuba on January 1, 1959 by the 26th of July Movement led by Fidel Castro....
from a balcony on Santiago de Cuba's city hall.
Change in province boundaries
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
HolguínHolguín is one of the provinces of Cuba, the second most populous after Ciudad de la Habana. It lies in the southeast of the country. Its major cities include Holguín , Banes, Antilla, Mayarí, and Moa....
,
Las TunasLas Tunas is one of the provinces of Cuba. Major towns include Puerto Padre and Amancio, as well as the capital, Victoria de Las Tunas ....
,
GuantánamoGuantánamo 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:...
,
GranmaGranma is one of the provinces of Cuba. Its capital is Bayamo. Other towns include Manzanillo and Pilón.-History:...
and
Santiago de CubaSantiago de Cuba Province is the second most populated province in the island of Cuba. The largest city Santiago de Cuba is the main administrative center...
.
World Heritage Site
The local citadel of
San Pedro de la RocaThe Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca is a fortress on the coast of the Cuban city of Santiago de Cuba...
is inscribed on the
UNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on 16 November 1945...
World Heritage List as "the most complete, best-preserved example of Spanish-American military architecture, based on Italian and
RenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Florence in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe...
design principles".
World Heritage Biosphere Reserve
The
BaconaoBaconao Park is a large park region, located about 20 kilometers away from the city of Santiago de Cuba, with a total surface of .-History:The name Baconao is related to the name of a little native that lived in the south of Cuba during the pre-Columbian period...
Park was inscribed on the
UNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on 16 November 1945...
World Heritage Biosphere Reserve List in 1987.
Demographics
In 2004, the municipality of Santiago de Cuba had a population of 494,337. With a total area of , it has a population density of .
Personalities
- Desi Arnaz
Desi Arnaz was a Cuban-American musician, actor and television producer. He gained international renown for leading a Latino music band, the Desi Arnaz Orchestra...
- television actor and producer/bandleaderA bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
- Emilio Bacardí
Emilio Bacardi Moreau was a Cuban industrialist, politician, and writer who managed the Bacardi Rum Company and served as mayor of Santiago....
- Industrialist, Philanthropist, Politician, Author, Artist
- Rubén Cuesta Palomo (CandyMan) - reggaeton
Reggaeton is a form of urban music that became popular with Latin American youth in the early 1990s. After its mainstream exposure in 2004, it spread to North American, European and Asian audiences. Reggaeton's predecessor was originated in Panama as reggae en español...
/hip hopHip hop music is a musical genre which developed alongside hip hop culture, and is commonly based on concepts of loop, rapping, freestyle, DJing, scratching, sampling and beatboxing. The music is used to express concerns of political, social, and personal issues...
singer
- Emilio Estefan
Emilio Estefan, Jr. is a Cuban-American of Lebanese ancestry who is a musician and producer. Estefan's first taste of celebrity came as a member of the Miami Sound Machine, but he is currently better known as the producer of many famous singers...
- Music and Producer
- Luis Haza - Violinist
- Antonio Rente - Founder of the Rente Thermal Electric Power Plant
- Alberto Juantorena
Alberto Juantorena Danger is a Cuban former track athlete. At the 1976 Summer Olympics, he became the first and so far only athlete to win both the 400 and 800 m Olympic titles....
- won 2 gold medals in the 1976 Olympics in running
- José Martí
José Julián Martí Pérez was a Cuban national hero and an important figure in Latin American literature. In his short life he was a poet, an essayist, a journalist, a revolutionary philosopher, a translator, a professor, a publisher, and a political theorist...
- independence hero, born in Havana, interred in Santiago de Cuba
- Frank Pais
Frank País was a Cuban revolutionary who campaigned for the overthrow of General Fulgencio Batista's government in Cuba...
- revolutionary and urban organizer for the 26th of July Movement
- Jorge Reyes
Jorge Reyes is a Cuban-born, American author known for authoring books in several genres. He is an honor graduate of Barry University, from which he received a B.A...
- Cuban-born American author
- Compay Segundo
Compay Segundo was a Cuban trova guitarist and composer.-Biography:...
- SonThe Son cubano is a style of music that originated in Cuba and gained worldwide popularity in the 1930s. Son combines the structure and elements of Spanish canción and the Spanish guitar with African rhythms and percussion instruments of Bantu and Arará origin. In New York City, it mixed with other...
singer
- Mey Vidal
Mey Vidal , in the city of Palma Soriano in the province of Santiago de Cuba.She is a Cuban Reggae en Español, Dance hall, and Reggaeton singer and composer....
- reggaetonReggaeton is a form of urban music that became popular with Latin American youth in the early 1990s. After its mainstream exposure in 2004, it spread to North American, European and Asian audiences. Reggaeton's predecessor was originated in Panama as reggae en español...
singer
- Esteban Salas y Castro
Esteban Salas y Castro was a Cuban composer of religious music. His compositions focused chiefly on vocal music, and are a fine representation of the late Baroque style...
- Baroque composer
- Charles Ashenoff - Pro Wrestler
- José María Heredia y Heredia
José María Heredia y Heredia , Cuban poet, was born at Santiago de Cuba.He studied at the University of Havana, and was called to the bar in 1823. In the autumn of 1823 he was arrested on a charge of conspiracy against the Spanish government, and was sentenced to banishment for life...
- poet
- Rita Marley
Alpharita Constantia Anderson, better known as Rita Marley, and sometimes called "Nana Rita", is the widow of legendary Reggae musician Bob Marley, and a member of the trio the I Threes, Bob Marley's back up singers.-Biography:...
- wife of Bob Marley and singer
Infrastructure
Santiago is served by
Antonio Maceo AirportAntonio Maceo Airport is an international airport located in Santiago, CubaThe airport has a drawing of Che Guevara on one of its outside walls. Pope John Paul II flew to this airport during his last visit to Cuba, flying round-trip between here and José Martí International Airport in Havana.The...
.
The main secondary education institution is the
University of Santiago de CubaThe University of Oriente - Santiago de Cuba is a university located in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba...
(
Universidad de Oriente - Santiago de Cuba, UO).
See also
- Battle of Santiago de Cuba
The Battle of Santiago de Cuba, fought between Spain and the United States on July 3, 1898, was the largest naval engagement of the Spanish-American War and resulted in the destruction of the Spanish Caribbean Squadron .-Spanish fleet:The Spanish realized that the war could be made or broken by the...
, 1898
- List of places in Cuba
- Carnaval of Santiago de Cuba
Whether they are called carnavales, charangas or parrandas, large public celebrations dating at least as far back as the 17th century are common throughout Cuba...
- Oriente
right|thumb|300px|The seal of the Province of Oriente.Oriente was one of six provinces of Cuba until 1976. It was known as "Santiago de Cuba Province" before 1905. The name is still used to refer to the eastern part of the country. The provincial capital was Santiago de Cuba...
External links