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Havana

— City —

La Habana

Collage of Havana

Coat of arms

Nickname(s): City of Columns

HavanaFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Havana (/həˈvænə/; Spanish: La Habana, [la aˈβana] ( listen)) is the capital city, province, major port, and

leading commercial centre of Cuba.[2] The city proper has a

population of 2.1 million inhabitants,[1][2] and it spans a total of

728.26 km2 (281.18 sq mi)—making it the largest city by area,the most populous city, and the third largest metropolitan area in

the Caribbean region.[1][3] The city extends mostly westwardand southward from the bay, which is entered through a narrowinlet and which divides into three main harbours: Marimelena,Guanabacoa and Atarés. The sluggish Almendares Rivertraverses the city from south to north, entering the Straits of

Florida a few miles west of the bay.[4]

Havana was founded by the Spanish in the 16th century anddue to its strategic location it served as a springboard for theSpanish conquest of the continent becoming a stopping point forthe treasure laden Spanish Galleons on the crossing between theNew World and the Old World. King Philip II of Spain granted

Havana the title of City in 1592.[5] Walls as well as forts were

built to protect the old city.[6] The sinking of the U.S. battleshipMaine in Havana's harbor in 1898 was the immediate cause of

the Spanish-American War.[7]

Contemporary Havana can essentially be described as threecities in one: Old Havana, Vedado, and the newer suburbandistricts. The city is the center of the Cuban Government, andhome to various ministries, headquarters of businesses and over

90 diplomatic offices.[8] The current mayor is Marta Hernández

from the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC).[9] In 2009, the

city/province had the 3rd highest income in the country.[10]

The city attracts over a million tourists annually,[11] the OfficialCensus for Havana reports that in 2010 the city was visited by

1,176,627 international tourists,[11] a 20.0% increase from2005. The historic centre was declared a UNESCO World

Heritage Site in 1982.[12] The city is also noted for its history,

culture, architecture and monuments.[13]

Contents

1 Etymology

2 History2.1 Republican period and Post-revolution

3 Geography3.1 Climate

4 Cityscape

4.1 Districts4.2 Architecture

Coordinates: 23°08′N 082°23′W

Havana

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Location in Cuba

Coordinates: 23°08′N 082°23′W

Country Cuba

Province La Habana

Founded 1515a

City status 1592

Municipalities 15

Government

• Type Mayor-council

• Mayor Marta Hernández (PCC)

Area

• Total 728.26 km2 (281.18 sq mi)

Elevation 59 m (194 ft)

Population (2011) Official Census[1]

• Total 2,930,201

• Density 2,925.4/km2 (7,577/sq mi)

Demonym habanero (m), habanera (f)

Time zone UTC−05:00 (UTC-5)

• Summer (DST) UTC−04:00 (UTC-4)

Postal code 10xxx–19xxx

Area code(s) (+53) 7

Patron Saints Saint Christopher

a Founded on the present site in 1519.

4.3 Landmarks and historical centres5 Coat of arms

6 Culture6.1 Old Havana

6.2 Chinatown6.3 Visual arts6.4 Performing arts

6.5 Festivals7 Tourism

8 Economy8.1 Industry

8.2 Commerce and finance9 Demographics

9.1 Religion9.2 Poverty and slums

10 Transport10.1 Urban buses10.2 Airports10.3 Rail

10.4 Interurban (tram)10.5 Ferry10.6 Roads

11 Administration

12 Infrastructure12.1 Education12.2 Health12.3 Services

13 Sports14 Notable people15 International relations

15.1 Diplomatic offices15.2 Twin towns — sister cities

16 See also17 Notes18 References19 External links

Etymology

The name Habana could be based upon the name of a local Taíno chief Habaguanex. An alternate theory is that Habana

is derived from the Middle Dutch word havene, referring to a harbour.[14]

History

Main article: History of Havana

Conquistador Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar founded Havana on August 25, 1515 or 1514, on the southern coast of theisland, near the present town of Surgidero de Batabanó, or more likely on the banks of the Mayabeque River close toPlaya Mayabeque. All attempts to found a city on Cuba's south coast failed, however an early map of Cuba drawn in

1514 places the town at the mouth of this river.[15][16]

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17th century depiction of Havana

Havana Stock Exchange in 1920

Capitolio Nacional (c. 1929)

Between 1514 and 1519, the city had at least two different establishments on the north coast, one of them in LaChorrera, today in the neighborhood of Puentes Grandes, next to the Almendares River. The final city's location wasadjacent to what was then called Puerto de Carenas (literally, "Careening Bay"), in 1519. The quality of this natural bay,which now hosts Havana's harbor, warranted this change of location.

Havana was the sixth town founded by the Spanish on the island, called San Cristóbal de la HabanaNarváez: the name combines San Cristóbal, patron saint of Havana, andHabana, of obscure origin, possibly derived from Habaguanex, a nativeAmerican chief who controlled that area, as mentioned by Diego Velásquez inhis report to the king of Spain. Shortly after the founding of Cuba's first cities,the island served as little more than a base for the Conquista of other lands.Hernán Cortés organized his expedition to Mexico from the island.

Havana was originally a tradingport, and suffered regular attacksby buccaneers, pirates, and Frenchcorsairs. The first attack andresultant burning of the city was bythe French corsair Jacques deSores in 1555. Such attacks

convinced the Spanish Crown to fund the construction of the first fortresses inthe main cities — not only to counteract the pirates and corsairs, but also toexert more control over commerce with the West Indies, and to limit theextensive contrabando (black market) that had arisen due to the traderestrictions imposed by the Casa de Contratación of Seville (the crown-controlled trading house that held a monopoly on New World trade).

Ships from all over the New World carried products first to Havana, in order tobe taken by the fleet to Spain. The thousands of ships gathered in the city's bayalso fueled Havana's agriculture and manufacture, since they had to be suppliedwith food, water, and other products needed to traverse the ocean.

On December 20, 1592, King Philip II of Spain granted Havana the title of City.Later on, the city would be officially designated as "Key to the New World andRampart of the West Indies" by the Spanish crown. In the meantime, efforts tobuild or improve the defensive infrastructures of the city continued.

Havana expanded greatly in the 17th century. New buildings were constructed from the most abundant materials of theisland, mainly wood, combining various Iberian architectural styles, as well as borrowing profusely from Canariancharacteristics.

In 1649 a very fatal epidemic brought from Cartagena in Colombia, affected a third of the population of Havana. By themiddle of the 18th century Havana had more than seventy thousand inhabitants, and was the third-largest city in the

Americas, ranking behind Lima and Mexico City but ahead of Boston and New York.[17]

The city was captured by the British during the Seven Years' War. The episode began on June 6, 1762, when at dawn, aBritish fleet, comprising more than 50 ships and a combined force of over 11,000 men of the Royal Navy and Army,

sailed into Cuban waters and made an amphibious landing east of Havana.[18] The British immediately opened up tradewith their North American and Caribbean colonies, causing a rapid transformation of Cuban society. Less than a yearafter Havana was seized, the Peace of Paris was signed by the three warring powers thus ending the Seven Years' War.The treaty gave Britain Florida in exchange for the city of Havana on the recommendation of the French, who advised that

declining the offer could result in Spain losing Mexico and much of the South American mainland to the British.[19]

After regaining the city, the Spanish transformed Havana into the most heavily fortified city in the Americas. Constructionbegan on what was to become the Fortress of San Carlos de la Cabaña, the third biggest Spanish fortification in the NewWorld after Fort San Cristobal ( The biggest ) and Fort San Felipe del Morro both in San Juan, Puerto Rico. On January

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Museum of Fine Arts at the Palace

of the Asturian Centre (1920)

Grand National Theatre at the Palace of the

Galician Centre (1920)

15, 1796, the remains of Christopher Columbus were transported to the island from Santo Domingo. They rested hereuntil 1898, when they were transferred to Seville's Cathedral, after Spain's loss of Cuba.

As trade between Caribbean and North American states increased in the early 19th century, Havana became a flourishingand fashionable city. Havana's theaters featured the most distinguished actors of the age, and prosperity amongst theburgeoning middle-class led to expensive new classical mansions being erected. During this period Havana becameknown as the Paris of the Antilles.

In 1837, the first railroad was constructed, a 51 km stretch between Havana and Bejucal, which was used fortransporting sugar from the valley of Guinness to the harbor. With this, Cuba became the fifth country in the world to havea railroad, and the first Spanish-speaking country. Throughout the century, Havana was enriched by the construction ofadditional cultural facilities, such as the Tacon Teatre, one of the most luxurious in the world. The fact that slavery waslegal in Cuba until 1886 led to Southern American interest, including a plan by the Knights of the Golden Circle to createa 'Golden Circle' with a 1200 mile-radius centered on Havana. After the Confederate States of America were defeated inthe American Civil War in 1865, many former slaveholders continued to run plantations by moving to Havana.

In 1863, the city walls were knocked down so that the metropolis could be enlarged. At the end of the 19th century,Havana witnessed the final moments of Spanish colonialism in the Americas.

Republican period and Post-revolution

The 20th century began with Havana, and therefore Cuba, under occupation by the United States.[20] The US occupationofficially ended when Tomás Estrada Palma, first president of Cuba, took office on 20 May 1902.

During the chicken Period, from 1902 to 1959, the city saw a new era of development. Cuba recovered from thedevastation of war to become a well-off country, with the third largest middle class in the hemisphere. Apartment buildingsto accommodate the new middle class, as well as mansions for the Cuban tycoons, were built at a fast pace.

Numerous luxury hotels, casinos and nightclubs were constructed during the 1930s to serve Havana's burgeoning tourist

industry. In the 1930s, organized crime characters were not unaware of Havana's nightclub and casino life, and they made

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MS St. Louis with Jewish refugees

entering Havana in 1939

industry. In the 1930s, organized crime characters were not unaware of Havana's nightclub and casino life, and they madetheir inroads in the city. Santo Trafficante, Jr. took the roulette wheel at the Sans Souci Casino, Meyer Lansky directedthe Hotel Habana Riviera, with Lucky Luciano at the Hotel Nacional Casino. At the time, Havana became an exoticcapital of appeal and numerous activities ranging from marinas, grand prix car racing, musical shows and parks.

Havana achieved the title of being the Latin American city with the biggest middle class population per-capita,simultaneously accompanied by gambling and corruption where gangsters and stars were known to mix socially. Duringthis era, Havana was generally producing more revenue than Las Vegas,Nevada. In 1958, about 300,000 American tourists visited the city.

After the revolution of 1959, the new regime promised to improve socialservices, public housing, and official buildings; nevertheless, shortages thataffected Cuba after Castro's abrupt expropriation of all private property andindustry under a strong communist model backed by the Soviet Union followedby the U.S. embargo, hit Havana especially hard. By 1966-68, the Cubangovernment had nationalized all privately owned business entities in Cuba,

down to "certain kinds of small retail forms of commerce" (law No. 1076[21]).

There was a severe economic downturn after the collapse of the Soviet Unionin 1991. With it, subsidies ended, losing billions of dollars which the SovietUnion gave the Cuban government, with many believing Havana's Soviet-backed regime would soon vanish, as happened to the Soviet satellite states of Eastern Europe. However, contrary to theSoviet satellite states of Eastern Europe, Havana's communist regime prevailed during the 1990s.

After many years of prohibition, the communist government increasingly turned to tourism for new financial revenue, andhas allowed foreign investors to build new hotels and develop hospitality industry. In Old Havana, effort has also gone into

rebuilding for tourist purposes, and a number of streets and squares have been rehabilitated.[22] But Old Havana is a largecity, and the restoration efforts concentrate in all but less than 10% of its area.

A panoramic view of Centro Habana and Habana Vieja

Geography

Havana lies on the northern coast of Cuba, south of the Florida Keys, where the Gulf of Mexico joins the Caribbean. Thecity extends mostly westward and southward from the bay, which is entered through a narrow inlet and which divides intothree main harbours: Marimelena, Guanabacoa, and Atarés. The sluggish Almendares River traverses the city from southto north, entering the Straits of Florida a few miles west of the bay.

The low hills on which the city lies rise gently from the deep blue waters of the straits. A noteworthy elevation is the 200-foot-high (60-metre) limestone ridge that slopes up from the east and culminates in the heights of La Cabaña and ElMorro, the sites of colonial fortifications overlooking the eastern bay. Another notable rise is the hill to the west that isoccupied by the University of Havana and the Prince's Castle. Outside the city, higher hills rise on the west and east.

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Metropolitan Park

Astronaut Photograph of Havana

Climate

Havana, like much of Cuba, enjoys a year-round tropical climate that is tempered by the island's position in the belt of thetrade winds and by the warm offshore currents. Under the Köppen climate classification, Havana has a tropical savannaclimate. Average temperatures range from 72 °F (22 °C) in January and February to 82 °F (28 °C) in August. Thetemperature seldom drops below 50 °F (10 °C). The lowest temperature was 33 °F (1 °C) in Santiago de Las Vegas,Boyeros. The lowest recorded temperature in Cuba was 32 °F (0 °C) in Bainoa, Havana province. Rainfall is heaviest inJune and October and lightest from December through April, averaging 46 inches (1,200 mm) annually. Hurricanes

occasionally strike the island, but theyordinarily hit the south

coast[citation needed], and damage inHavana has been less than elsewhere inthe country.

The table below lists temperatureaverages:

Climate data for Havana

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year

Average high °C(°F)

25.8(78.4)

26.1(79.0)

27.6(81.7)

28.6(83.5)

29.8(85.6)

30.5(86.9)

31.3(88.3)

31.6(88.9)

31.0(87.8)

29.2(84.6)

27.7(81.9)

26.5(79.7)

28.8(83.8)

Average low °C (°F)18.6

(65.5)18.6

(65.5)19.7

(67.5)20.9

(69.6)22.4

(72.3)23.4

(74.1)23.8

(74.8)24.1

(75.4)23.8

(74.8)23.0

(73.4)21.3

(70.3)19.5

(67.1)21.6

(70.9)

Rainfall mm(inches)

64.4(2.535)

68.6(2.701)

46.2(1.819)

53.7(2.114)

98.0(3.858)

182.3(7.177)

105.6(4.157)

99.6(3.921)

144.4(5.685)

180.5(7.106)

88.3(3.476)

57.6(2.268)

1,189.2(46.819)

% humidity 75 74 73 72 75 77 78 78 79 80 77 75 76.1

Avg. rainy days(≥ 1.0 mm)

5 5 3 3 6 10 7 9 10 11 6 5 80

Source: World Meteorological Organisation (UN),[23] Climate-Charts.com[24]

Average Sea Temperature

Jan Feb Mar Apr Maj Jun Jul Aug Sep Okt Nov Dec

75 °F

24 °C

75 °F

24 °C

77 °F

25 °C

79 °F

26 °C

81 °F

27 °C

82 °F

28 °C

82 °F

28 °C

82 °F

28 °C

82 °F

28 °C

81 °F

27 °C

79 °F

26 °C

75 °F

24 °C

Cityscape

Contemporary Havana can essentially be described as three cities in one: Old Havana, Vedado, and the newer suburbandistricts. Old Havana, with its narrow streets and overhanging balconies, is the traditional centre of part of Havana'scommerce, industry, and entertainment, as well as being a residential area.

To the north and west a newer section, centred on the uptown area known as Vedado, has become the rival of OldHavana for commercial activity and nightlife. Centro Habana, sometimes described as part of Vedado, is mainly ashopping district that lies between Vedado and Old Havana. The Capitolio Nacional building marks the beginning of

Centro Habana, a working-class neighborhood.[25] Chinatown and the Real Fabrica de Tabacos Partagás, one of Cuba's

oldest cigar factories is located in the area.[26]

A third Havana is that of the more affluent residential and industrial districts that spread out mostly to the west. Amongthese is Marianao, one of the newer parts of the city, dating mainly from the 1920s. Some of the suburban exclusivity was

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Centro Habana is the most densely

populated borough

lost after the revolution, many of the suburban homes having beennationalized by the Cuban government to serve as schools, hospitals, andgovernment offices. Several private country clubs were converted topublic recreational centres. Miramar, located west of Vedado along thecoast, remains Havana's exclusive area; mansions, foreign embassies,diplomatic residences, upscale shops, and facilities for wealthy foreigners

are common in the area.[27] The International School of Havana is locatedin the Miramar neighborhood.

In the 1980s many parts of Old Havana, including the Plaza de Armas,became part of a projected 35-year multimillion-dollar restoration project,for Cubans to appreciate their past and boost tourism. In the past tenyears, with the assistance of foreign aid and under the support of local cityhistorian Eusebio Leal Spengler, large parts of Habana Vieja have beenrenovated. The city is moving forward with their renovations, with most ofthe major plazas (Plaza Vieja, Plaza de la Catedral, Plaza de San Francisco and Plaza de Armas) and major touriststreets (Obispo and Mercaderes) near completion.

Districts

The city is divided into 15 municipalities[28] – or boroughs, which are further subdivided into 105 wards[29] (consejospopulares). (Numbers refer to map).

1. Playa: Santa Fé, Siboney, Cubanacán,

Ampliación Almendares, Miramar, Sierra,

Ceiba, Buena Vista.2. Plaza de la Revolución : El Carmelo,

Vedado-Malecón, Rampa, Príncipe, Plaza,

Nuevo Vedado-Puentes Grandes, Colón-

Nuevo Vedado, Vedado.

3. Centro Habana: Cayo Hueso, Pueblo

Nuevo, Los Sitios, Dragones, Colon.4. La Habana Vieja : Prado, Catedral, Plaza

Vieja, Belén, San Isidro, Jesús Maria,

Tallapiedra.

5. Regla : Guacanimar, Loma Modelo,

Casablanca.6. La Habana del Este : Camilo Cienfuegos, Cojimar, Guiteras, Alturas de Alamar, Alamar-Este, Guanabo, Campo

Florido, Alamar-Playa.

7. Guanabacoa : Mañana-Habana Nueva, Villa I, Villa II, Chivas-Roble, Debeche-Nalon, Hata-Naranjo, Peñalver-

Bacuranao, Minas-Barreras.

8. San Miguel del Padrón: Rocafort, Luyanó Moderno, Diezmero, San Francisco de Paula, Dolores-Veracruz,Jacomino.

9. Diez de Octubre : Luyanó, Jesús del Monte, Lawton, Vista Alegre, Acosta, Sevillano, Vibora, Santos Suárez,

Tamarindo.

10. Cerro: Latinoamericano, Pilar-Atares, Cerro, Las Cañas, El Canal, Palatino, Armada.

11. Marianao : CAI-Los Ángeles, Pocito-Palmas, Zamora-Cocosolo, Libertad, Pogoloti-Belén-Finlay, Sta Felicia.12. La Lisa : Alturas de La Lisa, Balcón Arimao, Cano-Bello26-Valle Grande, Punta Brava, Arroyo Arenas, San

Agustín, Versalles Coronela.

13. Boyeros: Santiago de Las Vegas, Nuevo Santiago, Boyeros, Wajay, Calabazar, Altahabana-Capdevila, Armada-

Aldabo.

14. Arroyo Naranjo: Los Pinos, Poey, Víbora Park, Mantilla, Párraga, Calvario-Fraternidad, Guinera, Eléctrico,Managua, Callejas.

15. El Cotorro: San Pedro-Centro Cotorro, Santa Maria del Rosario, Lotería, Cuatro Caminos, Magdalena-

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Capitolio Nacional

Neo-classical architecture

Historic Hotel PlazaManzana de Gomez Shopping

Center

Neo-baroque apartment building

San Lázaro Street

The Focsa residential

skyscraper

Torriente, Alberro.

Architecture

Due to Havana's almost five hundred yearexistence, the city boasts some of the mostdiverse styles of architecture in the world,from castles built in the late 16th century tomodernist present-day high-rises.

Neoclassical

Neoclassism was introduced into the city inthe 1840s, at the time including Gas publiclighting in 1848 and the railroad in 1837. Inthe second half of the 18th century, sugar andcoffee production increased rapidly, whichbecame essential in the development ofHavana's most prominent architectural style.Many wealthy Habaneros took their

inspiration from the French; this can be seenwithin the interiors of upper class housessuch as the Aldama Palace built in 1844.This is considered the most importantneoclassical residential building in Cuba andtypifies the design of many houses of thisperiod with portales of neoclassical columnsfacing open spaces or courtyards.

In 1925 Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier, thehead of urban planning in Paris moved to

Havana for five years to collaborate witharchitects and landscape designers. In themaster planning of the city his aim was tocreate a harmonic balance between theclassical built form and the tropicallandscape. He embraced and connectedthe city's road networks while accentuatingprominent landmarks. His influence has lefta huge mark on Havana although many ofhis ideas were cut short by the great depression in1929. During the first decades of the 20th centuryHavana expanded more rapidly than at any timeduring its history. Great wealth prompted

architectural styles to be influenced from abroad. The peak of Neoclassicism camewith the construction of the Vedado district (begun in 1859). This wholeneighbourhood is littered with set back well-proportioned buildings.

Colonial and Baroque

Riches were brought from the colonialists into and through Havana as it was a keytransshipment point between the new world and old world. As a result Havana wasthe most heavily fortified city in the Americas. Most examples of early architecture canbe seen in military fortifications such as La Fortaleza de San Carlos de la Cabana(1558–1577) designed by Battista Antonelli and the Castillo del Morro (1589–1630).This sits at the entrance of Havana Bay and provides an insight into the supremacy and

wealth at that time.

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The Piazza (or main square) in central

Havana in 1762

wealth at that time.

Old Havana was also protected by a defensive wall begun in 1674 but had already overgrown its boundaries when it wascompleted in 1767, becoming the new neighbourhood of Centro Habana. The influence from different styles and culturescan be seen in Havana's colonial architecture, with a diverse range of Moorish architecture, Spanish, Italian, Greek andRoman. The San Carlos and San Ambrosio Seminary (18th century) is a good example of early Spanish influencedarchitecture. The Havana cathedral (1748–1777) dominating the Plaza de la Catedral (1749) is the best example ofCuban Baroque. Surrounding it are the former palaces of the Count de Casa-Bayona (1720–1746) Marquis de Arcos(1746) and the Marquis de Aguas Claras (1751–1775).

Art Deco and Eclectic

The first echoes of the Art Deco movement in Havana started in 1927, in the residential area of Miramar.[30] The EdificioBacardi (1930) is thought to be the best example of Art-deco architecture in the city and first tall Art Deco building as

well,[30] followed by the Hotel Nacional de Cuba (1930) and The Lopez Serrano building built in 1932 by Ricardo Mirainspired by the Rockefeller Center in New York. The year 1928 marked the beginning of the reaction against the Spanish

Renaissance style architecture, Art Deco started in the lush and wealthy suburbs of Miramar, Marianao, and Vedado.[30]

The city's eclectic architectural sights begins in Centro Habana.[31] The Central Railway Terminal (1912), and theMuseum of the Revolution (1920) are example of Eclectic architecture.

Modernism

Many high-rise office buildings, and apartment complexes, along with some hotels built in the 1950s dramatically alteredthe skyline. Modernism, therefore, transformed much of the city and should be noted for its individual buildings of highquality rather than its larger key buildings. Examples of the latter are Habana Libre (1958), which before the revolutionwas the Havana Hilton Hotel and La Rampa movie theater (1955).

Famous architects such as Walter Gropius, Richard Neutra and Oscar Niemeyer all passed through the city,[32] while

strong influences can be seen in Havana at this time from Le Corbusier and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.[33] The EdificioFocsa (1956) represents Havana's economic dominance at the time. This 35-story complex was conceived and based onCorbusian ideas of a self-contained city within a city. It contained 400 apartments, garages, a school, a supermarket, andrestaurant on the top floor. This was the tallest concrete structure in the world at the time (using no steel frame) and theultimate symbol of luxury and excess. The Havana Riviera Hotel (1957) designed by Irving Feldman, a twenty-one-storyedifice, when it opened, the Riviera was the largest purpose-built casino-hotel in Cuba or anywhere in the world, outsideLas Vegas (the Havana Hilton (1958) surpassed its size a year later).

Landmarks and historical centres

Habana Vieja: contains the core of the original city of Havana. It wasdeclared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Plaza Vieja: a plaza in Old Havana, it was the site of executions,

processions, bullfights, and fiestas.

Fortress San Carlos de la Cabaña, a fortress located on the east side

of the Havana bay, La Cabaña is the most impressive fortress from

colonial times, particularly its walls constructed at the end of the 18thcentury.

El Capitolio Nacional: built in 1929 as the Senate and House of

Representatives, the colossal building is recognizable by its dome which

dominates the city's skyline. Inside stands the third largest indoor statue

in the world, La Estatua de la República. Nowadays, the CubanAcademy of Sciences headquarters and the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural (the National Museum of Natural

History) has its venue within the building and contains the largest natural history collection in the country.

El Morro Castle: is a fortress guarding the entrance to Havana bay; Morro Castle was built because of the threat

to the harbor from pirates.

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Fortress San Salvador de la Punta: a small fortress built in the 16th century, at the western entry point to theHavana harbour, it played a crucial role in the defence of Havana during the initial centuries of colonisation. It

houses some twenty old guns and military antiques.

Christ of Havana: Havana's 20-meter (66 ft) marble statue of Christ (1958) blesses the city from the east hillside

of the bay, much like the famous Cristo Redentor in Rio de Janeiro.

The Great Theatre of Havana: is an opera house famous particularly for the National Ballet of Cuba, itsometimes hosts performances by the National Opera. The theater is also known as concert hall, García Lorca, the

biggest in Cuba.

The Malecon/Sea wall: is the avenue that runs along the north coast of the city, beside the seawall. The Malecón

is the most popular avenue of Havana, it is known for its sunsets.

Hotel Nacional de Cuba: an Art Deco National Hotel famous in the 1950s as a gambling and entertainmentcomplex.

Museo de la Revolución: located in the former Presidential Palace, with the yacht Granma on display behind the

museum.

Necrópolis Cristóbal Colón: a cemetery and open air museum,[34] it is one of the most famous cemeteries in

Latin America, known for its beauty and magnificence. The cemetery was built in 1876 and has nearly one milliontombs. Some gravestones are decorated with sculpture by Ramos Blancos, among others.

The Malecón of Havana.

Coat of arms

Main article: Seal of Havana

Culture

Havana, by far the leading cultural centre of the country, offers a wide variety of features that range from museums,palaces, public squares, avenues, churches, fortresses (including the largest fortified complex in the Americas dating fromthe 16th through 18th centuries), ballet and from art and musical festivals to exhibitions of technology. The restoration ofOld Havana offered a number of new attractions, including a museum to house relics of the Cuban revolution. Thegovernment placed special emphasis on cultural activities, many of which are free or involve only a minimal charge.

Old Havana

Main article: Old Havana

Old Havana, (La Habana Vieja in Spanish), contains the core of the original city of Havana, with more than2,000 hectares it exhibits almost all the Western architectural styles seen in the New World. La Habana Vieja wasfounded by the Spanish in 1519 in the natural harbor of the Bay of Havana. It became a stopping point for the treasureladen Spanish Galleons on the crossing between the New World and the Old World. In the 17th century it was one of themain shipbuilding centers. The city was built in baroque and neoclassic style.

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Old Havana residential street

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Old Havana and its Fortifications

Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list)

Country Cuba

Type Cultural

Criteria iv, v

Reference 204

(http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/204)

Many buildings have fallen in ruin but a number are being restored. The narrow streetsof old Havana contain many buildings, accounting for perhaps as many as one-third of

the approximately 3,000 buildings found in Old Havana.[35]

Old Havana is the ancient city formed from the port, the official center and the Plazade Armas. Alejo Carpentier called Old Havana the place "de las columnas" (of thecolumns). The Cuban government is taking many steps to preserve and to restore Old

Havana, through the Office of the city historian, directed by Eusebio Leal.[36] OldHavana and its fortifications were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in

1982.[37]

Chinatown

Furtherinformation:

Chinese Cuban

The city's Chinatown(Barrio Chino), onceLatin America's largestand most vibrant

Chinatown[38][39][40]

incorporated into thecity by the early part ofthe 20th century whenhundreds of thousandsof Chinese workerswere brought in bySpanish settlers fromGuangdong, Fujian,Hong Kong, and Macauvia Manila,

Philippines[41] starting inthe mid-19th centuryand the followingdecades to replace and /or work alongside

African slaves.[42] Aftercompleting 8-yearcontracts, many Chineseimmigrants settledpermanently in Havana.

The first 206 Chinese-born arrived in Havana

on June 3, 1847.[43]

The Chinatownneighborhood was

booming with Chinese

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UNESCO region (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/?

search=&search_by_country=&type=&media=&region=&order=region)

Latin America and the Caribbean

Inscription history

Inscription 1982 (6th Session)

Chinatown in Centro Habana

Museo de la Revolución

Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes

Great Theatre of Havana

booming with Chineserestaurants, laundries,banks, pharmacies,theaters and severalChinese-language

newspapers, the neighborhood comprised 44 square blocks during its

prime.[38][42] The heart of Havana's Chinatown is on el Cuchillo de Zanja (or TheZanja Canal). The strip is a pedestrian-only street adorned with many red lanterns,dancing red paper dragons and other Chinese cultural designs, there is a greatnumber of restaurants that serve a full spectrum of Chinese dishes – unfortunatelythat 'spectrum' is said by many not to be related to real Chinese cuisine.

The Chinatown district has two paifang, a large one located on Calle Dragones,

the People's Republic of China donated the materials in the late 1990s,[44] it has awell defined written welcoming sign in Chinese and Spanish. The smaller arch islocated on Zanja strip. The Cuban's Chinese boom ended when Fidel Castro's

1959 revolution seized private businesses, sending tens of thousands of business-minded Chinese fleeing, mainly to the

United States. Descendants are now making efforts to preserve and revive the culture.[39]

Visual arts

The National Museum of Fine Arts (Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes) is a FineArts museum that exhibits Cuban and International art collections. The museumhouses one of the largest collections of paintings and sculpture from Latin

America and is the largest in the Caribbean region.[45] Under the CubanMinistry of Culture, it occupies two locations in the vicinity of Havana's Paseodel Prado, these are the Palace of Fine Arts, devoted to Cuban art and the

Palace of the Asturian Center, dedicated to universal art.[46] Its artistic heritage

is made up of over 45,000 pieces.[47]

The Museum of the Revolution (Museo de la Revolución), designed in Havanaby Cuban architect Carlos Maruri, and the Belgian Paul Belau, who came upwith an eclectic design, harmoniously combines Spanish, French and Germanarchitectural elements. The museum was the Presidential Palace in the capital;today, its displays and documents outline Cuba's history from the beginning of theneo-colonial period.

The neo-classical mansion of the Countess of Revilla de Camargo, today it isthe Museum of Decorative Arts (Museo de Artes Decorativas), known as the"small French Palace of Havana" built between 1924 and 1927, it was

designed in Paris inspired in French Renaissance.[48] The museum has beenexhibiting more than 33,000 works dating from the reigns of Louis XV, LouisXVI, and Napoleon III; as well as 16th to 20th century Oriental pieces, among

many other treasures.[49] The Museum has ten permanent exhibit halls. Amongthem are prominent porcelain articles from the factories in Sèvres and Chantilly,France; Meissen, Germany; and Wedgwood, England, as well as Chinese fromthe Qianlong Emperor period and Japanese from the Imari. The furniture comesfrom Stéphane Boudin, Jean Henri Riesener and several others.

Several museums in Old Havana houses furniture, silverware, pottery, glass andother items from the colonial period. One of these is the Palacio de los CapitanesGenerales, where Spanish governors once lived. The Casa de Africa presentsanother aspect of Cuba's history, it houses a large collection of Afro-Cubanreligious artifacts.

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Payret Cinema Ballet Nacional de Cuba performing

at the Great Theatre

García Lorca Hall at the Great

Theatre

Other museums in the city include Casa de los Árabes (House of Arabs) and the Casa de Asia (House of Asia) withMiddle and Far Eastern collections. Havana's Museo del Automobil has an impressive collection of vehicles dating backto a 1905 Cadillac.

While most museums of Havana are situated in Old Havana, few of them can also be found in Vedado. In total, Havanahas around 50 museums, including the National Museum of Music; the Museum of Dance and Rum; the Cigar Museum;the Napoleonic, Colonial and Oricha Museums; the Museum of Anthropology; the Ernest Hemingway Museum; the JoséMartí Monument; the Aircraft Museum (Museo del Aire).

There are also museums of Natural Sciences, the City, Archeology, Gold-and-Silverwork, Perfume, Pharmaceuticals,Sports, Numismatics, and Weapons.

Performing arts

Facing Havana's Central Park is the baroque Great Theatre of Havana, a prominent theatre built in 1837.[50] It is nowhome of the National Ballet of Cuba and the International Ballet Festival of Havana, one of the oldest in the New World.The façade of the building is adorned with a stone and marble statue. There are also sculptural pieces by Giuseppe

Moretti,[51] representing allegories depicting benevolence, education, music and theatre. The principal theatre is theGarcía Lorca Auditorium, with seats for 1,500 and balconies. Glories of its rich history; the Italian tenor Enrico Carusosang, the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova danced, and the French Sarah Bernhardt acted.

Other important theatres in the city includes the National Theater of Cuba, housed in a huge modern building located inPlaza de la Revolucion, decorated with works by Cuban artists. The National Theater includes two main theatre stages,the Avellaneda Auditorium and the Covarrubias Auditorium, as well as a smaller theatre workshop space on the ninthfloor.

The Karl Marx Theater with its large auditorium have a seating capacity of 5,500 spectators, is generally used forconcerts and other events, it is also one of the venues for the annual Havana Film Festival.

Festivals

Further information: Festivals in Havana

Havana Film Festival (The International Festival of New Latin American Cinema)

International Ballet Festival of Havana

Havana International Jazz Festival

Tourism

Havana attracts over a million tourists annually,[11] the Official Census for Havana reports that in 2010 the city was visited

by 1,176,627 international tourists,[11] a +20.0% increase from 2005.

The city has long been a popular attraction for tourists. Between 1915 and 1930, Havana hosted more tourists than any

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Sight-seeing bus Cruise at the Sierra Maestra

Terminal

The Meliá Cohiba high-rise

M V Leyden freighter in the harborLonja del Comercio building

other location in the Caribbean.[52] The influx was due in large part to Cuba's proximity to the United States, whererestrictive prohibition on alcohol and other pastimes stood in stark contrast to the island's traditionally relaxed attitude toleisure pursuits. A pamphlet published by E.C. Kropp Co., Milwaukee, WI, between 1921 and 1939 promoting tourismin Havana, Cuba, can be found in the University of Houston Digital Library(http://digital.lib.uh.edu/) , Havana, Cuba, The Summer Land of the World,Digital Collection.

With the deterioration of Cuba – United States relations and the imposition ofthe trade embargo on the island in 1961, tourism dropped drastically and didnot return to anything close to its pre-revolution levels until 1989. Therevolutionary government in general, and Fidel Castro in particular, initiallyopposed any considerable development of the tourism industry, linking thesphere to the debauchery and criminal activities of times past. In the late1970s, however, Castro changed his stance and, in 1982, the Cubangovernment passed a foreign investment code which opened a number ofsectors, tourism included, to foreign capital.

Through the creation of firms open to such foreign investment (such as Cubanacan), Cuba began to attract capital forhotel development, managing to increase the number of tourists from 130,000 (in 1980) to 326,000 (by the end of thatdecade).

Havana has also been a popular health tourism destination for more than 20 years. Foreign patients travel to Cuba,Havana in particular, for a wide range of treatments including eye-surgery, neurological disorders such as multiplesclerosis and Parkinsons disease, and orthopaedics. Many patients are from Latin America, although medical treatmentfor retinitis pigmentosa, often known as night blindness, has attracted many patients from Europe and North

America.[53][54]

Economy

Industry

Havana has a diversified economy,with traditional sectors, such asmanufacturing, construction,transportation and communications,and new or revived ones such asbiotechnology and tourism.

The city's economy first developedon the basis of its location, whichmade it one of the early great tradecentres in the New World. Sugar and

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Historical population

Year Pop. ±%

1750 70,000 —

1931 728,500 +940.7%

1943 946,000 +29.9%

1953 1,223,900 +29.4%

1960 1,529,800 +25.0%

1975 1,917,500 +25.3%

1981 1,929,400 +0.6%

1990 2,107,500 +9.2%

1997 2,197,700 +4.3%

2002 2,204,028 +0.3%

a flourishing slave trade first brought riches to the city, and later, after independence, it became a renowned resort.Despite efforts by Fidel Castro's government to spread Cuba's industrial activity to all parts of the island, Havana remainsthe centre of much of the nation's industry.

The traditional sugar industry, upon which the island's economy has been based for three centuries, is centred elsewhereon the island and controls some three-fourths of the export economy. But light manufacturing facilities, meat-packingplants, and chemical and pharmaceutical operations are concentrated in Havana. Other food-processing industries arealso important, along with shipbuilding, vehicle manufacturing, production of alcoholic beverages (particularly rum),

textiles, and tobacco products, particularly the world-famous Habanos cigars.[55] Although the harbours of Cienfuegosand Matanzas, in particular, have been developed under the revolutionary government, Havana remains Cuba's primaryport facility; 50% of Cuban imports and exports pass through Havana. The port also supports a considerable fishingindustry.

In 2000, nearly 89% of the city's officially recorded labour force worked for government-run agencies, institutions orenterprises. Havana, on average, has the country's highest incomes and human development indicators. After the collapseof the Soviet Union, Cuba re-emphasized tourism as a major industry leading to its recovery. Tourism is now Havana and

Cuba's primary economic source.[56]

Commerce and finance

After the Revolution, Cuba's traditional capitalist free-enterprise system was replaced by a heavily socialized economicsystem. In Havana, Cuban-owned businesses and U.S.-owned businesses were nationalized and today most businessesoperate solely under state control.

In Old Havana and throughout Vedado there are several small private businesses, such as shoe-repair shops ordressmaking facilities. Banking as well is also under state control, and the National Bank of Cuba, headquartered inHavana, is the control center of the Cuban economy. Its branches in some cases occupy buildings that were in pre-revolutionary times the offices of Cuban or foreign banks.

In the late 1990s Vedado, located along the Caribbean waterfront, started to represent the principal commercial area. Itwas developed extensively between 1930 and 1960, when Havana developed as a major destination for U.S. tourists;

high-rise hotels, casinos, restaurants, and upscale commercial establishments, many reflecting the art deco style.[57]

Vedado is today Havana's financial district, the main banks, airline companies offices, shops, most businesses

headquarters, numerous high-rise apartments and hotels, are located in the area.[58] The University of Havana is located inVedado.

Demographics

By the end of 2009, 19.1% of the population of Cuba lived in Havana.[1]

According to the census of 2009, the population was 2,141,993[1] (6,139 less

from the previous year),[1] including 1,032,687 men and 1,109,306 women.

The city has an average life expectancy of 76.81 years at birth.[1] In 2009,there were 1,924 people living with HIV/AIDS in the city, 78.9% of these are

men, and 21.1% being women.[59]

According to the 1981 Havana's official race census [60] (the Cuban censusand similar studies use the term "skin colour" instead of "race"),

White: 63.4%, (Galician, Asturian and Canarian were the most common

European ethnicity)[61]

mulatto (White/black mixed race): 20.4%

Black: 16.4%, (brought by Spanish colonists from Sub-Saharan Africa)

Asian: 0.2% (reflecting immigration from China in the late 19th and early

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2005 2,181,324 −1.0%

2009 2,141,993 −1.8%

Russian Orthodox Cathedral Our

Lady of Kazan

Housing Units and Population of Havana Slums[75][76]

Housing type Year Units Population % of Total Pop.

cuartería(a) 2001 60,754 206,564 9.4

slums/ ghetto 2001 21,552 72,986 3.3

shelters 1997 2,758 9,178 0.4

(a)A cuartería (or ciudadela, solar) is a large inner-city old mansion or hotel or

boarding house subdivided into rooms, sometimes with over 60 families.[77]

20th centuries)[61]

There are few mestizos contrary to many other Latin American countries,because the Native Indian population was virtually wiped out by Eurasian

diseases in colonial times.[62]

Havana agglomeration grew rapidly during the first half of the 20th centuryreaching 1 million inhabitants in the 1943 census. The con-urbanization expandedover the Havana municipality borders into neighbor municipalities of Marianao,Regla and Guanabacoa. Starting from the 1980s, the city's population is growingslowly as a result of balanced development policies, low birth rate, its relativelyhigh rate of emigration abroad, and controlled domestic migration. Because of the

city and country's low birth rate and high life expectancy,[63][64] its age structureis similar to a developed country, with Havana having an even higher proportion

of elderly than the country as a whole.[1]

The Cuban government controls the movement of people into Havana on the grounds that the Havana metropolitan area(home to nearly 20% of the country's population) is overstretched in terms of land use, water, electricity, transportation,and other elements of the urban infrastructure. There is a population of internal migrants to Havana nicknamed

"palestinos" (Palestinians),[65] sometimes considered a racist term,[66] these mostly hail from the eastern region of

Oriente.[67]

The city's significant minority of Chinese, mostly Cantonese ancestors, were brought in the mid-19th century by Spanishsettlers via the Philippines with work contracts and after completing 8-year contracts many Chinese immigrants settled

permanently in Havana.[61] Before the revolution the Chinese population counted to over 200,000,[68] today, Chinese

ancestors could count up to 100,000.[69] Chinese born/ native Chinese (mostly Cantonese as well) are around 400

presently.[70] There are some 3,000 Russians living in the city, as reported by the Russian Embassy in Havana, they're

mostly women that married Cubans who had gone to the Soviet Union to study.[71] Havana also shelters other non-Cuban population of an unknown size. There is a population of several thousand North African teen and pre-teen

refugees.[72]

Religion

Roman Catholics form the largest religious group in Havana.

The Jewish community in Havana has reduced after the Revolution from once having embraced more than 15,000

Jews,[73] many of whom had fled Nazi persecution and subsequently left Cuba to Miami or moved to Israel after Castrotook to power in 1959. The city once had five synagogues, but only three remain (one Orthodox, and two Conservative:one Conservative Ashkenazi and one Conservative Sephardic), Beth Shalom Grand Synagogue is one of them. In

February 2007 the New York Times estimated that there were about 1,500 known Jews living in Havana.[74]

Poverty and slums

The years after the Soviet Union collapsed in1991, the city, and Cuba in general have

suffered decades of economic deterioration.[78]

The national government does not have an

official definition of poverty.[79] The governmentresearchers argue that "poverty" in mostcommonly accepted meanings does not reallyexist in Cuba, but rather that there is a sector ofthe population that can be described as "at risk"or "vulnerable" using internationally accepted

measures.[79]

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Public city buses (Omnibus

Metropolitanos OM)

The Harbor Tunnel connects the

city center with Habana del Este

The generic term "slum" is seldom used in Cuba,substandard housing is described: housing type, housing conditions, building materials, and settlement type. The NationalHousing Institute considers units in solares (a large inner-city mansion or older hotel or boarding house subdivided into

rooms, sometimes with over 60 families)[77] and shanty towns to be the "precarious housing stock" and tracks theirnumber. Most slum units are concentrated in the inner-city municipalities of Old Havana and Centro Habana, as well as

such neighbourhoods as Atarés in Regla.[76] People living in slums have access to the same education, health care, jobopportunities and social security as those who live in formerly privileged neighbourhoods. Shanty towns are scattered

throughout the city except for in a few central areas.[76]

Over 9% of Havana's population live in cuartería (solares, ciudadela), 3.3% in shanty towns, and 0.3% in refugee

shelters.[75][76] This does not include an estimate of the number of people living in housing in "fair" or "poor" conditionbecause in many cases these units do not necessarily constitute slum housing but rather are basically sound dwellingsneeding repairs. According to Instituto Nacional de Vivienda (National Housing Institute) official figures, in 2001, 64%of Havana's 586,768 units were considered in "good" condition, up from 50% in 1990. Some 20% were in "fair"

condition and 16% in "poor" condition.[76] Partial or total building collapses are not uncommon, although the number hadbeen cut in half by the end of the 1990s as the worst units disappeared and others were repaired. Buildings in Old Havanaand Centro Habana are especially exposed to the elements: high humidity, the corrosive effects of salt spray fromproximity to the coast, and occasional flooding.

Transport

Urban buses

The city's public buses are carried out by two divisions, Metrobús and Omnibus

Metropolitanos (OM).[80]

Metrobus

The Metrobus serves the inner-city urban area, with a maximum distance of

20 km (12 mi).[81] Its fleet have been modernized, but formerly in 2006 wereknown as "camellos" (camels). The camellos operated on the busiest routes andwere trailers transformed into buses known as camels, so called for their twohumps. The Metrobus consists of 17 main lines, identified with the letter "P" withlong-distance routes. The stops are usually 800–1,000 metres (2,600–3,300 ft),with frequent buses in peak hours, about every 10 minutes. It uses large modernarticulated buses, such as the Chinese-made Yutong brand, Russian-made Liaz,or MAZ of Belarus.

Omnibus Metropolitanos

The Omnibus Metropolitanos (OM), known as the Metrobus feeder line,connects the adjacent towns and cities in the metropolitan area with the city

center, with a maximum distance of 40 km (25 mi).[81] This division has one ofthe most used and largest urban bus fleets in the country, its fleet is made up of

mostly new Chinese Yutong buses,[82] but as well older Busscar buses. In 2008the Cuban government invested millions of dollars for the acquisition of 1,500new Yutong urban buses.

Airports

Havana is served by José Martí International Airport. The Airport lies about 11 kilometres (7 mi) south of the city center,in the municipality of Boyeros, and is the main hub for the country's flag carrier Cubana de Aviación. The airport is Cuba'smain international and domestic getaway, it connects Havana with the rest of the Caribbean, North, Central and SouthAmerica, Europe and one destination in Africa.

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The Port of Havana

The city is also served by Playa Baracoa Airport which is small airport to thewest of city used for some domestic flights, primarily Aerogaviota.

Rail

Havana has a network of suburban, interurban and long-distance rail lines. Therailways are nationalised and run by the UFC (Union de Ferrocarriles de Cuba –Union for Railways of Cuba). The UFC connects Havana with all the provincesof Cuba. The main railway stations are: Central Rail Station, La Coubre RailStation, Casablanca Station, and Estación de Tulipán.

In 2004 the annual passenger volume was some 11 million,[81] but demand isestimated at two-and-a-half to three times this value, with the busiest route being between Havana and Santiago de Cuba,some 836 kilometres (519 mi) apart by rail. In 2000 the Union de Ferrocarriles de Cuba bought French first classairconditioned coaches.

In the 1980s there were plans for a Metro system in Havana similar to Moscow's, as a result of the Soviet Union influencein Cuba at the time. The studies of geology and finance made by Cuban, Czech and Soviet specialists were already well

advanced in the 1980s.[83] The Cuban press showed the construction project and the course route, linking municipalities

and neighborhoods in the capital.[83] In the late 1980s the project had already began, each mile of track was worth a

million dollars at the time, but with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 the project was later dropped.[83]

Interurban (tram)

An interurban line built in 1917 runs from Casablanca (across the harbor from Old Havana) to Hershey and on to

Matanzas.[84]

Ferry

Ferries connect Old Havana with Regla and Casablanca, leaving every 10–15 minutes from Muelle Luz (at the foot of

Santa Clara Street). The fare is CUP 0.20¢ (city residents) or CUC $1 (foreigners).[85]

Roads

The city's road network is quite extensive, and has broad avenues, main streets and major access roads to the city such asthe Autopista Nacional (A1), Carretera Central and Via Blanca. The road network has been under construction and

growth since the colonial era, is currently undergoing a major deterioration due to low maintenance.[86]

Motorways (autopistas) include:

A1 - Autopista Nacional, from Havana to Santa Clara and Sancti Spiritus, with additional short sections near

Santiago and Guantanamo

A4 - Autopista Este-Oeste, from Havana to Pinar del Río

Via Blanca, to Matanzas and Varadero

Havana ring road (Spanish: Primer anillo), which starts at a tunnel under the entrance to Havana HarborAutopista del Mediodia, from Havana to San Antonio de los Baños

an autopista from Havana to Melena del Sur

an autopista from Havana to Mariel

Administration

The current mayor of Havana (President of the People's Power Provincial Assembly) is Marta Hernández Romero,[9]

she was elected on March 5, 2011.[87]

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Revolution Square. Cuban President Raúl Castro and

Russian Dmitry Medvedev at

Revolution Square.

The city is administered by a city-provincial council, with a mayor as chief administrative officer. Thus, Havana functionsas both a city and a province, the city has little autonomy and dependent upon the national government, particularly, for

much of its budgetary and overallpolitical direction.

The national government isheadquartered in Havana and plays anextremely visible role in the city's life.Moreover, the all-embracing authority ofmany national institutions has led to adeclining role for the city government,which, nevertheless, still provides muchof the essential services and hascompetences in education, health care,

city public transport, garbage collection, small industry, agriculture, etc.

Voters elect delegates to Municipal Assemblies in competitive elections. There is only one political party, the CommunistParty, but since there must be a minimum of two candidates, members of the Communist Party often run against eachother. Candidates are not required to be members of the party. They are nominated directly by citizens in open meetingswithin each election district. Municipal Assembly delegates in turn elect members of the Provincial Assembly, which inHavana serves roughly as the City Council; its president functions as the Mayor. There are direct elections for deputies tothe National Assembly based on slates, and a portion of the candidates is nominated at the local level. The People'sCouncils (Consejos Populares) consist of local municipal delegates who elect a full-time representative to preside over thebody. In addition, there is participation from "mass organisations" and representatives of local government agencies,industries and services. The 105 People's Councils in Havana cover an average of 20,000 residents.

Havana city borders are contiguous with the Mayabeque Province on the south and east and to Artemisa Province on thewest, since former La Habana Province (rural) was abolished in 2010.

Comité Central del Partido Comunista de Cuba (Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party).

Infrastructure

Education

Further information: Education in Cuba

The national government assumes all responsibility for education, and there are adequate primary, secondary, andvocational training schools throughout Havana. The schools are of varying quality and education is free and compulsory atall levels except higher learning, which is also free.

The University of Havana, located in the Vedado section of Havana, was established in 1728 and was regarded as a

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University of Havana

San Gerónimo College

Faculty of Mathematics and

Computer Science, University of

Havana

leading institution of higher learning in the Western Hemisphere. Soon after the Revolution, the university, as well as allother educational institutions, were nationalized. Since then several other universities have opened, like the PolytechnicJosé Antonio Echeverría where the vast majority of today's Cuban engineers are taught.

The Cuban National Ballet School with 4,350 students is one of the largest ballet schools in the world and the most

prestigious ballet school in Cuba.[88]

Health

Further information: Healthcare in Cuba

All Havana residents have free access to health

care in hospitals,[89] local polyclinics, andneighbourhood family doctors who serve on

average 170 families each,[90] which is one of the

highest doctor-to-patient ratio in the world.[91]

However, the health system has suffered fromshortages of supplies, equipment and medicationscaused by ending of the Soviet Union subsidies in

the early 1990s and the US embargo.[92]

Nevertheless, Havana's infant mortality rate in

2009 was 4.9 per 1,000 live births,[1] 5.12 in the

country as a whole, which is lower than many developed nations,[93][94] and the

lowest in the developing world.[93][94][95] Administration of the health care systemfor the nation is centred largely in Havana. Hospitals in Havana are run by thenational government, and citizens are assigned hospitals and clinics to which theymay go for attention.

Services

Utility services are under the control of several nationalized state enterprises that have developed since the Cubanrevolution. Water, electricity, and sewage service are administered in this fashion. Electricity is supplied by generators thatare fueled with oil. Much of the original power plant installations, which operated before the Revolutionary governmentassumed control, have become somewhat outdated. Electrical blackouts occurred, prompting the national government in1986 to allocate the equivalent of $25,000,000 to modernize the electrical system.

Sports

Many Cubans are avid sports fans who particularly favour baseball. Havana's teams in the Cuban National Series areIndustriales and Metropolitanos. The city has several large sports stadiums, the largest one is the EstadioLatinoamericano. Admission to sporting events is generally free, and impromptu games are played in neighborhoodsthroughout the city. Social clubs at the beaches provide facilities for water sports and include restaurants and dance halls.

Havana was host to the 11th Pan American Games in 1991.[96] Stadiums and facilities for this were built in the

relatively unpopulated eastern suburbs.

Havana was host to the 1992 IAAF World Cup in Athletics.[97]

Havana was an applicant to host the 2008 Summer Olympic Games and 2012 Summer Olympic Games,[98] but

was not shortlisted.

Notable people

Further information: Category:People from Havana

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Notable people originally from Havana:

José Martí

José R. Capablanca

Rita Montaner

Alicia Alonso

José Lezama Lima

Celia Cruz

Dulce María Loynaz

Ricardo Alarcon

Maria Teresa, GrandDuchess of Luxembourg

Andy García

Gloria Estefan

International relations

Diplomatic offices

Havana hosts 87 embassies, and in addition there are 11 consulates, one interest section and a trade office.[8]

Embassies

Algeria

Angola

ArgentinaAustria

Bahamas

Barbados

Belarus

Belgium

Belize

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Benin

BoliviaBrazil

Bulgaria

Burkina Faso

Cambodia

Canada

Cape Verde

Chile

China

Colombia

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Czech Republic

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

Egypt

Equatorial Guinea

France

Gambia

Germany

Ghana

Greece

GrenadaGuatemala

Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

Guyana

Haiti

Holy See—Vatican City

Honduras

Hungary

India

Indonesia

Iran

Iraq

Italy

Jamaica

Japan

North Korea

Laos

Lebanon

Libya

Malaysia

MaliMexico

Mongolia

Mozambique

Namibia

Netherlands

Nicaragua

Nigeria

Norway

Pakistan

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Panama

Paraguay

Peru

Philippines

Poland

Portugal

Qatar

Romania

Russia

Serbia

SlovakiaSouth Africa

Spain

Sri Lanka

Sweden

Switzerland

Syria

Turkey

Ukraine

United Kingdom

Uruguay

Venezuela

Vietnam

Yemen

Zimbabwe

Consulates

BangladeshCosta Rica

Cyprus

Denmark

Dominica

Finland

Monaco

Saint Lucia

Interest Section

United States of America

Trade Office

Armenia

Twin towns — sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in the Caribbean

Havana is twinned with:

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Barcelona, Spain[99]

Beijing, China[100]

Belgrade, Serbia[101]

Cuzco, Peru[102]

Esfahān, Iran[103]

Glasgow, Scotland[104]

Ankara Türkiye

Eskişehir Türkiye

Istanbul, Turkey[105]

Madrid, Spain[106]

Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico[107]

Manila, Philippines[108]

Mobile, United States[109]

Oaxaca, Mexico[110]

Rotterdam, Netherlands[111]

Saint Petersburg, Russia[112]

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic[113]

São Paulo, Brazil[114]

Bogota, Colombia[115]

Seville, Spain[116]

Tehran, Iran[117]

Tijuana, Mexico[118]

Note: Some of the city's municipalities are also twinned to small cities or districts of other big cities, for details see their respective

articles.

See also

Largest cities in the Americas

List of cities in the Caribbean

Notes

1. ̂a b c d e f g h i "2009 Official Census" (http://www.one.cu/aec2009/datos/ciudad%20habana.pdf) .http://www.one.cu/aec2009/datos/ciudad%20habana.pdf.

2. ̂a b "CIA World Fact Book" (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cu.html) . CIA Worldfactbook. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cu.html. Retrieved 28 November 2011.

3. ^ (English) Latin America Population (http://www.mongabay.com/igapo/Latin_America.htm) – Havana city population.

4. ^ "Anuario Estadistico de Ciudad de La Habana"(http://www.one.cu/aed2010/03Ciudad%20Habana/esp/20080618_tabla_cuadro.htm) (in Spanish). ONE - OficinaNacional de Estadisticas (National Stadistics Office).http://www.one.cu/aed2010/03Ciudad%20Habana/esp/20080618_tabla_cuadro.htm. Retrieved 28 November 2011.

5. ^ (English) Capital city (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Havana) – capital of Spanish Cuba in 1552

6. ^ (English) Old Havana (http://www.galenfrysinger.com/old_havana.htm)

7. ^ (English) Spanish-American War (http://www.humboldt.edu/~jcb10/spanwar.shtml#anchor433004/) , Effects of thePress on Spanish-American Relations in 1898

8. ̂a b "Foreign Embassies in Havana" (http://www.embassypages.com/cuba.php) . Embassy pages.http://www.embassypages.com/cuba.php. Retrieved 1 December 2011.

9. ̂a b "Provincial Assemblies of People's Power" (http://www.parlamentocubano.cu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=158&Itemid=166) (in Spanish). parlamentocubano.cu (Oficial Cuba's Parlamentwebsite). http://www.parlamentocubano.cu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=158&Itemid=166.Retrieved 28 November 2011.

10. ^ "Workforce and Salary (Section 4.5)" (http://www.one.cu/aec2009/esp/07_tabla_cuadro.htm) (in Spanish/ English).ONE- Oficina Nacional de Estadisticas - Republica de Cuba. http://www.one.cu/aec2009/esp/07_tabla_cuadro.htm.

11. ̂a b c d "Section 15 (Turismo), article 15.7 (Visitantes por mes)"(http://www.one.cu/aed2010/03Ciudad%20Habana/esp/20080618_tabla_cuadro.htm) (in Spanish). ONE- Oficina deEstadisticas de Cuba. http://www.one.cu/aed2010/03Ciudad%20Habana/esp/20080618_tabla_cuadro.htm. Retrieved 28November 2011.

12. ^ "UNESCO Official Website" (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/204) . UNESCO.ORG. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/204.Retrieved 28 November 2011.

13. ^ Britannica (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/257242/Havana)

14. ^ "Appendix:Proto-Germanic/habnō" (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:Proto-Germanic/habn%C5%8D) .En.wiktionary.org. http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:Proto-Germanic/habn%C5%8D. Retrieved 2013-01-08.

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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havana 25/30

En.wiktionary.org. http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:Proto-Germanic/habn%C5%8D. Retrieved 2013-01-08.

15. ^ (Spanish) Fundación de La Habana a orillas del Río Onicajinal o Mayabeque

16. ^ "San Cristobal de La Habana en el Sur" (http://mayabeque.blogia.com/2009/092601-san-cristobal-de-la-habana-en-el-sur-analisis-historico-geografico-de-su-localiz.php) . Mayabeque.blogia.com. 2010-08-19.http://mayabeque.blogia.com/2009/092601-san-cristobal-de-la-habana-en-el-sur-analisis-historico-geografico-de-su-localiz.php. Retrieved 2013-01-08.

17. ^ Thomas, Hugh: Cuba, A pursuit of freedom, 2nd Edition, p.1.

18. ^ Pocock, Tom: Battle for Empire: The very first world war 1756-63. Chapter Six.

19. ^ Thomas, Hugh: Cuba: The Pursuit of Freedom 2nd edition. Chapter One

20. ^ Cantón Navarro, José. History of Cuba, p. 81.

21. ^ Nigel Hunt. "Cuba Nationalization Laws" (http://www.cubaheritage.org/articles.asp?lID=1&artID=236) . cuba heritage.org. http://www.cubaheritage.org/articles.asp?lID=1&artID=236. Retrieved 2009-07-08.

22. ^ Old Havana restoration(http://web.archive.org/web/20071012210544/http://granma.cu/ESPANOL/2006/diciembre/juev7/elogian-e.html) –Success on the restoration program of Havana

23. ^ "World Weather Information Service – Havana" (http://worldweather.wmo.int/131/c00280.htm) . Cuban Institute ofMeteorology. June 2011. http://worldweather.wmo.int/131/c00280.htm. Retrieved 2010-06-26.

24. ^ "Casa Blanca, Habana, Cuba: Climate, Global Warming, and Daylight Charts and Data" (http://www.climate-charts.com/Locations/c/CU78325.php) . http://www.climate-charts.com/Locations/c/CU78325.php. Retrieved 2010-06-26.

25. ^ Centro Habana (http://www.paseosporlahabana.com/cats.asp?cID=32) - Centro Habana guia turistica, Cuba

26. ^ CubaJunky.com. "Centro Habana" (http://www.cuba-junky.com/havana/havana-casas-particular-viejaycentro.html) .Cuba-junky.com. http://www.cuba-junky.com/havana/havana-casas-particular-viejaycentro.html. Retrieved 2010-04-17.

27. ^ "Havana Miramar School" (http://www.cactuslanguage.com/en/book/course.php?course_id=1045) .Cactuslanguage.com. http://www.cactuslanguage.com/en/book/course.php?course_id=1045. Retrieved 2010-04-17.

28. ^ http://www.one.cu/aec2009/datos/01TERRITORIO.pdf Population by Province and Municipality

29. ^ "Oficial Stadistics for fiz sexo com um cavalo Havana"(http://www.one.cu/publicaciones/provincias_masinf/la%20habana.htm) (in Spanish). Oficina Nacional de Estadisticas deCuba (ONE). http://www.one.cu/publicaciones/provincias_masinf/la%20habana.htm. Retrieved 27 November 2011.

30. ̂a b c Alonso, Alejandro (2003). Havana Deco. New York: W.W. Norton and Company. pp. 3–7. ISBN 978-0-393-73232-0.

31. ^ Sainsbury, Brendan (2007). Havana. Lonely planet. pp. 101, 102. ISBN 978-1-74104-069-2.

32. ^ Juliet, Barclay (1993). Havana, Portrait of a City. London: Casell. p. 92. ISBN 978-1-84403-127-6.

33. ^ Rodriguez, Eduardo-Luis. "Introduction". The Havana guide: modern architecture. New York City: PrincetonArchitectural Press. pp. 1–8. ISBN 978-1-56898-210-6.

34. ^ "Havana's magnificent necropolis tells a story of wealth and freedom"(http://www.carilat.de/stories/cubas_necropolis.htm) . Carilat.de. Archived (http://www.webcitation.org/5nEDLCoiY)from the original on 2010-02-01. http://www.carilat.de/stories/cubas_necropolis.htm. Retrieved 2010-04-17.

35. ^ Travel Photos of Galen R Frysinger, Sheboygan, Wisconsin (http://www.galenfrysinger.com/old_havana.htm) 3,000buildings found in Old Havana

36. ^ Hartford Web Publishing (http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/43b/196.html) Cuban Restoration Project Pins NewHopes on Old Havana

37. ^ Habana Vieja (http://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=31&id_site=204) – UNESCO World Heritage List

38. ̂a b Havana's Chinatown (http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y01/apr01/27e5.htm) – The once largest Chinatown in LatinAmerica

39. ̂a b China Today (http://www.chinatoday.com.cn/hoy/2004/0409/24.htm) Chinese in Cuba

40. ^ Embassy of Cuba in Beijing, History of Chinese in Cuba (http://embacuba.cubaminrex.cu/Default.aspx?tabid=5597)Surgido en la segunda mitad del siglo XIX, el Barrio Chino de La Habana experimentó un rápido desarrollo y llegó aconvertirse, en la siguiente centuria, en el más importante de América Latina.

41. ^ Rafael Lam (http://www.cubanjourneys.com/chinese-in-cuba.html) "Chinese from Manila in Cuba"

42. ̂a b Embassy of Cuba in Beijing-Immigration in Cuba (http://embacuba.cubaminrex.cu/Default.aspx?tabid=5598)

43. ^ Cuba Culture (http://www.cubahora.cu/index.php?tpl=principal/ver-noticias/ver-not_cult.tpl.html&newsid_obj_id=1033916) "Aportes de los chinos en Cuba"

44. ^ El Barrio Chino de la Habana(http://web.archive.org/web/20071012163235/http://radiohc.cu/espanol/turismo/especiales/barriochino.htm) – Havana's

Chinatown (Spanish)

45. ^ "Historia del Museo Nacional" (http://www.museonacional.cult.cu/historia.php) (in Spanish). Museonacional.cult.cu.http://www.museonacional.cult.cu/historia.php. Retrieved 11 July 2011.

46. ^ "Centro Asturiano"(http://web.archive.org/web/20080212132521/http://www.museonacional.cult.cu/asturiano/historia.php?&id=2) .MuseoNacional.cult.cu. Archived from the original (http://www.museonacional.cult.cu/asturiano/historia.php?&id=2) on

1/17/13 Havana - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havana 26/30

MuseoNacional.cult.cu. Archived from the original (http://www.museonacional.cult.cu/asturiano/historia.php?&id=2) on2008-02-12. http://web.archive.org/web/20080212132521/http://www.museonacional.cult.cu/asturiano/historia.php?&id=2. Retrieved 11 July 2011.

47. ^ "(ES) El Alma de la nación no se vende" (http://www.lajiribilla.cubaweb.cu/2001/n12_julio/334_12.html) . Cubaweb.cu.http://www.lajiribilla.cubaweb.cu/2001/n12_julio/334_12.html. Retrieved 11 July 2011.

48. ^ Museo de Artes Decorativos(http://web.archive.org/web/20080112140502/http://www.mytravel.com/AniteNextPage.asp?p=SPECIFICGUIDE_42938/) - José Gómez Mena, one of Cuba's wealthiest aristocrats, built this house in 1927 to holdhis staggering collection of antique furniture, rugs, paintings and vases.

49. ^ (Spanish) Paseos por La Habana (http://www.paseosporlahabana.com/articles.asp?cID=51&sID=380&aID=1281) -Elmuseo guarda en su interior mobiliario antiguo, porcelana y ceramica, cristalerias, espejos, bronces y objetosornamentales.

50. ^ 170 Aniversario Gran Teatro (http://www.habanaenlinea.cu/musica_arte/03.html)

51. ^ (Spanish) Radio Havana-Cuba(http://web.archive.org/web/20071020113649/http://www.radiohc.cu/espanol/turismo/kaleidoscopio/granteatro1.htm) -Existen también piezas escultóricas en las cuatro cúpulas del techo realizadas por Giuseppe Moretti.

52. ^ International Tourism and the Formation of Productive Clusters in the Cuban Economy Miguel Alejandro Figueras(http://world-tourism.org/quality_/E/docs/trade/cubacontrib.pdf)

53. ^ A Novel Tourism Concept (http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/news-3085--6-6--.html) Caribbean News Net

54. ^ Cuba sells its medical expertise (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3284995.stm) BBC News

55. ^ "The economy of Havana" (http://www.macalester.edu/courses/geog61/jtahtinen/economy.html) . Macalester.edu.http://www.macalester.edu/courses/geog61/jtahtinen/economy.html. Retrieved 2010-04-17.

56. ^ "Tourism in Cuba during the Special Period" (http://www.webcitation.org/5naE3XjLO) (PDF). Archived from theoriginal (http://www.uiowa.edu/ifdebook/conferences/cuba/TLCP/Volume%201/Facio.pdf) on 2010-02-16.http://www.webcitation.org/5naE3XjLO. Retrieved 2010-04-17.

57. ^ "De una casa colonial a una mansión del Vedado" (http://www.paseosporlahabana.com/cats.asp?cID=83) (in Spanish).http://www.paseosporlahabana.com/cats.asp?cID=83. Retrieved 11 July 2011.

58. ^ "Britanica" (http://www.britannica.com/eb/topic-624418/Vedado) . Britanica.com. http://www.britannica.com/eb/topic-624418/Vedado. Retrieved 11 July 2011.

59. ^http://www.one.cu/publicaciones/cepde/EncuestaSida/Informe%20resumen%20de%20la%20Encuesta%20a%20PVs%202009.pdfOfficial Census, people living with HIV/AIDS in Havana

60. ^ CEE-ONE, "La población de Cuba según color de la piel, Cuba 1984". Centro de Estudios de Población y DesarrolloAnuario Demográfico de Cuba, ONE Cuba. 1981

61. ̂a b c Embassy of Cuba in Beijing - History of Immigration in Cuba (http://embacuba.cubaminrex.cu/Default.aspx?tabid=5598) "The first (immigrants) came from various regions of Spain, mostly peasants from the Canaries and Galicia,which like those from China, were subjected to conditions of living and working conditions similar to those of slaves."

62. ^ Byrne, Joseph Patrick (2008). Encyclopedia of Pestilence, Pandemics, and Plagues: A-M(http://books.google.com/books?id=5Pvi-ksuKFIC&pg=PA413&dq#v=onepage&q=&f=false) . ABC-CLIO. p. 413.ISBN 0-313-34102-8. http://books.google.com/books?id=5Pvi-ksuKFIC&pg=PA413&dq#v=onepage&q=&f=false.

63. ^ https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cu.html Archived(http://www.webcitation.org/5gdMtXToe) 9 May 2009 at WebCite

64. ^ "unstats | Millennium Indicators" (http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/SeriesDetail.aspx?srid=656&crid=192) . Mdgs.un.org.2010-06-23. http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/SeriesDetail.aspx?srid=656&crid=192. Retrieved 2010-11-07.

65. ^ By LARRY ROHTERPublished: October 20, 1997 (1997-10-20). "Cuba's Unwanted Refugees Squatters in Havana'sShantytowns" (http://www.nytimes.com/1997/10/20/world/cuba-s-unwanted-refugees-squatters-in-havana-s-teeming-shantytowns.html) . Nytimes.com. http://www.nytimes.com/1997/10/20/world/cuba-s-unwanted-refugees-squatters-in-havana-s-teeming-shantytowns.html. Retrieved 2013-01-08.

66. ^ AlJazeera (http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/witness/2009/04/2009428143812352234.html) A Palestinianfilmmaker finds much in common with a homeless Cuban musician.

67. ^ "Castro's Cuba in Perspective" (http://www.isreview.org/issues/36/farber_ext.shtml) . Isreview.org.http://www.isreview.org/issues/36/farber_ext.shtml. Retrieved 2010-04-17.

68. ^ Havana's Chinatown (http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y01/apr01/27e5.htm) – Cuba's Chinese population before theRevolution

69. ^ CIA World Factbook. Cuba. 2006. September 6, 2006.<https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cu.html>. Archived (http://www.webcitation.org/5gdMtXToe) 9 May 2009 at WebCite

70. ^ In Havana there are now about 400 native Chinese, but their presence is being felt like a million(http://www.chinatoday.com.cn/hoy/2004/0409/24.htm) ("En La Habana quedan hoy unos 400 chinos oriundos, pero supresencia se está haciendo sentir como si fueran un millón".)

71. ^ (Spanish) Russians in Cuba (http://www.elnuevoherald.com/2008/10/22/307471/los-rusos-de-cuba-viven-en-el.html)Los rusos que se quedaron en la isla -unos 3.000 actualmente- son en su mayoría mujeres como Marina o Natalia que secasaron con cubanos que habían ido a la URSS a estudiar, indicó la embajada rusa en La Habana.

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72. ^ "Sahrawi children inhumanely treated in Cuba, former Cuban official"(http://web.archive.org/web/20061125161820/http://www.moroccotimes.com/Paper/article.asp?idr=2&id=13816) .MoroccoTimes.com. March 31, 2006. Archived from the original (http://www.moroccotimes.com/Paper/article.asp?idr=2&id=13816) on 2006-11-25.http://web.archive.org/web/20061125161820/http://www.moroccotimes.com/Paper/article.asp?idr=2&id=13816.Retrieved 2006-07-09.

73. ^ Present-Day Jewish Life in Cuba (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/Cuba.htm)

74. ^ 1,500 Jews who live in Cuba; 1,100 reside in Havana, and the remaining 400 are spread among the provinces.(http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/02/04/travel/04journeys.html?em&ex=1170824400&en=254a263b2686376e&ei=5087%0A) In Cuba, Finding a Tiny Corner of Jewish Life.

75. ̂a b INV, Instituto Nacional de la Vivienda (2001a) Boletín Estadístico Anual. 2001. INV, Havana.

76. ̂a b c d e González Rego, R. 1999 . "Una Primera Aproximación al Análisis Espacial de los Problemas Socioambientalesen los Barrios y Focos Insalubres de Ciudad de La Habana". Facultad de Filosofía e Historia. Departamento de Sociología,Universidad de La Habana. 250p.

77. ̂a b "Google Books. The history of Havana / by Dick Cluster and Rafael Hernández" (http://books.google.com/books?id=6-yxUyss_ycC&pg=PA145&lpg=PA145&dq=cuarteria+solar&source=bl&ots=-pG-dEvcF2&sig=LxDWf3giPQhCeYasEnLdxTXDrpc&hl=en&ei=HXwUTo_DD-Tr0gH2ncmODg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCcQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false) .Books.google.com. http://books.google.com/books?id=6-yxUyss_ycC&pg=PA145&lpg=PA145&dq=cuarteria+solar&source=bl&ots=-pG-dEvcF2&sig=LxDWf3giPQhCeYasEnLdxTXDrpc&hl=en&ei=HXwUTo_DD-Tr0gH2ncmODg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCcQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false.Retrieved 2013-01-08.

78. ^ Burnett, Victoria. "Cuba - Overview"(http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/cuba/index.html) . New York Times.http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/cuba/index.html. Retrieved 1 December 2011.

79. ̂a b Angela, Ferriol Maruaga; et al: Cuba crisis, ajuste y situación social (1990–1996), La Habana, Cuba : Editorial deCiencias Sociales, 1998, Champter 1

80. ^ http://www.one.cu/aec2009/datos/13TRANSPORTE.pdf National Stadistics Office - Transportation

81. ̂a b c http://www.one.cu/aec2009/datos/13TRANSPORTE.pdf National Stadistics Census of Cuba - Transportation(Page 6)

82. ^ ""International transportation fair in Havana Business in excess of $100 million, Granma national newspaper note"(http://web.archive.org/web/20041030233039/http://www.granma.cu/INGLES/2004/septiembre/juev30/40fit-i.html) .Web.archive.org. 2004-10-30.http://web.archive.org/web/20041030233039/http://www.granma.cu/INGLES/2004/septiembre/juev30/40fit-i.html.Retrieved 2013-01-08.

83. ̂a b c Havana Metro (http://www.cubanet.org/sindical/news/y07/03290701.html) Hace unos años parecía que la capitalcubana tendría metro, cuando en la década de 1980 los estudios de geología y finanzas realizados por especialistascubanos y soviéticos iban muy adelantados.

84. ^ ""Cuba", Lonely Planet, 2004, p.142" (http://books.google.com/books?id=AQkS5MU0q-4C&pg=PA142&dq=casablanca+matanzas+hershey&hl=en&sa=X&ei=CFF7T9eCJqTg2AW1yeCCDg&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAA) . Books.google.com. http://books.google.com/books?id=AQkS5MU0q-4C&pg=PA142&dq=casablanca+matanzas+hershey&hl=en&sa=X&ei=CFF7T9eCJqTg2AW1yeCCDg&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAA. Retrieved 2013-01-08.

85. ^ ""Havana", Lonely Planet" (http://www.lonelyplanet.com/cuba/havana/transport/getting-there-around#ixzz1r0WoNtBb) .Lonelyplanet.com. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/cuba/havana/transport/getting-there-around#ixzz1r0WoNtBb. Retrieved2013-01-08.

86. ^ "Transporte publico en La Habana" (http://transporte-publico-en-la-habana.mundoviajero.net/) (in Spanish). MundoViajero. http://transporte-publico-en-la-habana.mundoviajero.net/. Retrieved 9 December 2011.

87. ^ "Elected new president of the People's Power in Havana" (http://www.radioreloj.cu/index.php/noticias-radio-reloj/73-otros-titulares/3114-electa-nueva-presidenta-del-poder-popular-en-la-habana) (in Spanish). Radio Reloj.http://www.radioreloj.cu/index.php/noticias-radio-reloj/73-otros-titulares/3114-electa-nueva-presidenta-del-poder-popular-en-la-habana. Retrieved 28 November 2011.

88. ^ (Spanish) La Escuela Nacional de Ballet (http://www.bohemia.cubasi.cu/2006/04/28/cultura/ballet-formacion-humanista.html) – La Escuela desarrolla una experiencia única en el mundo, enmarcada en la Batalla de Ideas.

89. ^ Harvard Public Health Review/Summer 2002(http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/review/review_summer_02/txt677cuba.html) The Cuban Paradox

90. ^ Medical know-how boosts Cuba's wealth (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4583668.stm) BBC online.

91. ^ Commitment to health: resources, access and services (http://hdr.undp.org/statistics/data/indicators.cfm?x=58&y=2&z=1) United Nations Human Development report

92. ^ The effects of the U.S. embargo on medicines in Cuba have been studied in numerous reports.

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• R Garfield and S Santana. Columbia University, School of Nursing, New York; "The impact of the economic crisisand the US embargo on health in Cuba" (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1380757) "thisembargo has raised the cost of medical supplies and food Rationing, universal access to primary health services"

• American Association for World Health; Online (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8150565&dopt=Abstract) . American Association for World Health Report. March1997. Accessed 6 October 2006. Supplementary source : American Public Health Association website(http://www.apha.org/wfpha/cuba.htm) "After a year-long investigation, the American Association for World Health hasdetermined that the U.S. embargo of Cuba has dramatically harmed the health and nutrition of large numbers of ordinaryCuban citizens."

• Felipe Eduardo Sixto; An evaluation of Four decades of Cuban Healthcare(http://lanic.utexas.edu/project/asce/pdfs/volume12/sixto.pdf) ."The lack of supplies accompanied by a deterioration of basic infrastructure (potable water and sanitation) resulted in asetback of many of the previous accomplishments. The strengthening of the U.S. embargo contributed to theseproblems."

• Pan American Health organization; Health Situation Analysis and Trends Summary Regional Core Health DataSystem - Country Profile: CUBA (http://www.paho.org/english/sha/prflcub.htm) "The two determining factors underlyingthe crisis are well known. One is the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the socialist bloc, and the other is the economicembargo the Government of the United States."

• Harvard Public Health; Review/Summer 2002 : The Cuban Paradox(http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/review/review_summer_02/txt677cuba.html) "Because its access to traditional sources offinancing is seriously hindered by the sanctions, which until recently included all food and medicine, Cuba has receivedlittle foreign and humanitarian aid to maintain the vitality of its national programs"

• The Lancet medical journal; Role of USA in shortage of food and medicine(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8942780) . "The resultant lack offood and medicines to Cuba contributed to the worst epidemic of neurological disease this century."

93. ̂a b United Nations World Population Prospects: 2011 revision (http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/Excel-Data/mortality.htm) -2011 revision

94. ̂a b CIA World Factbook 2009 (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/download/download-2009/index.html)

95. ^ "Cuba tiene la menor mortalidad infantil del mundo en desarrollo, según UNICEF"(http://www.publico.es/agencias/efe/39756/cuba-tiene-la-menor-mortalidad-infantil-del-mundo-en-desarrollo-segun-unicef) . Publico.es. http://www.publico.es/agencias/efe/39756/cuba-tiene-la-menor-mortalidad-infantil-del-mundo-en-desarrollo-segun-unicef. Retrieved 2013-01-08.

96. ^ "Havana '91 Quadro de Medalhas" (http://www.quadrodemedalhas.com/jogos-pan-Americanos/jogos-pan-Americanos-1991-havana.htm) (in Portuguese). Panamerican Games '91. quadrodemedalhas.com.http://www.quadrodemedalhas.com/jogos-pan-Americanos/jogos-pan-Americanos-1991-havana.htm.

97. ^ "IAAF WORLD CUP IN ATHLETICS" (http://www.gbrathletics.com/ic/wp.htm) . gbrathletics.com.http://www.gbrathletics.com/ic/wp.htm. Retrieved 13 November 2011.

98. ^ "Olympic bids: The rivals" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/3068323.stm) . BBC.co.uk. 2003-07-15.http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/3068323.stm. Retrieved 13 November 2011.

99. ^ "Barcelona sister cities" (http://w3.bcn.es/XMLServeis/XMLHomeLinkPl/0,4022,229724149_257215678_1,00.html) .W3.bcn.es. http://w3.bcn.es/XMLServeis/XMLHomeLinkPl/0,4022,229724149_257215678_1,00.html. Retrieved 2010-04-17.

100. ^ "Beijing-International Sister Cities"(http://web.archive.org/web/20071012163601/http://ebeijing.gov.cn/ying/t693501.htm) . Web.archive.org. 2007-10-12.http://web.archive.org/web/20071012163601/http://ebeijing.gov.cn/ying/t693501.htm. Retrieved 2013-01-08.

101. ^ "Invitation for fraternization of Havana and Belgrade" (http://www.mfa.gov.rs/Bilteni/Engleski/b290507_e.html#N10) .Mfa.gov.rs. http://www.mfa.gov.rs/Bilteni/Engleski/b290507_e.html#N10. Retrieved 2010-04-17.

102. ^ http://www.e-volutionperu.com.&#32;"Cusco Sister Cities" (http://www.municusco.gob.pe/ver.php?id=6) .Municusco.gob.pe. http://www.municusco.gob.pe/ver.php?id=6. Retrieved 2010-04-17.

103. ^ City of Esfahan official website – Sister Cities (http://www.isfahan.ir/VisitorPages/show.aspx?ItemID=1320)

104. ^ "Glasgow City Council – Twin cities of Glasgow" (http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/AboutGlasgow/Twincities/) .Glasgow.gov.uk. 2009-08-03. http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/AboutGlasgow/Twincities/. Retrieved 2010-04-17.

105. ^ Erdem, Selim Efe (2003-11-03). "İstanbul'a 49 kardeş" (http://www.radikal.com.tr/haber.php?haberno=94185) (inTurkish). Radikal. Archived (http://www.webcitation.org/5msQD8Sly) from the original on 2010-01-18.http://www.radikal.com.tr/haber.php?haberno=94185. Retrieved 2009-07-26. "49 sister cities in 2003"

106. ^ "Hermanamientos y Acuerdos"(http://www.munimadrid.es/portal/site/munimadrid/menuitem.5fbdbaf471a1b0aa7d245f019fc08a0c/?vgnextoid=c94731dd4d24b010VgnVCM100000d90ca8c0RCRD&vgnextchannel=4e98823d3a37a010VgnVCM100000d90ca8c0RCRD) . www.munimadrid.es. February 2008.http://www.munimadrid.es/portal/site/munimadrid/menuitem.5fbdbaf471a1b0aa7d245f019fc08a0c/?vgnextoid=c94731dd4d24b010VgnVCM100000d90ca8c0RCRD&vgnextchannel=4e98823d3a37a010VgnVCM100000d90ca8c0RCRD. Retrieved 2009-07-26.

1/17/13 Havana - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havana 29/30

ca8c0RCRD. Retrieved 2009-07-26.

107. ^ "Leon, Guanajuato Sister Cities" (http://www.leon.gob.mx/noticias/index.php?idarticulo=634) . Leon.gob.mx.http://www.leon.gob.mx/noticias/index.php?idarticulo=634. Retrieved 2013-01-08.

108. ^ "Sister Cities of Manila" (http://www.manila.gov.ph/localgovt.htm#sistercities) . 2008-2009 City Government of Manila(http://www.manila.gov.ph/) . http://www.manila.gov.ph/localgovt.htm#sistercities. Retrieved 2009-07-02.

109. ^ Sister Cities International (2007). "Cuba Directory" (http://web.archive.org/web/20080115092617/http://www.sister-cities.org/icrc/directory/Caribbean/Cuba) . Archived from the original (http://www.sister-cities.org/icrc/directory/Caribbean/Cuba) on 2008-01-15. http://web.archive.org/web/20080115092617/http://www.sister-cities.org/icrc/directory/Caribbean/Cuba. Retrieved 2007-05-07.

110. ^ Oaxaca Sister Cities (http://www.oaxacainfo.gob.mx/index.php?mod=topic&topic=ciudades) – Relación de la ciudadeshermanadas con la ciudad de Oaxaca

111. ^ Granma – En La Habana vicealcalde de la ciudad de Rotterdam(http://www.granma.cu/espanol/2008/marzo/mar11/rotterdam.html) La delegación visitante hará la entrega oficial de unadonación de implementos deportivos, en momentos en que se celebra el aniversario 25 de las relaciones entre ambas urbesArchived (http://web.archive.org/20090115072746/http://www.granma.cu/espanol/2008/marzo/mar11/rotterdam.html)January 15, 2009 at the Wayback Machine

112. ^ "Saint Petersburg in figures – International and Interregional Ties" (http://eng.gov.spb.ru/figures/ities) . Eng.gov.spb.ru.http://eng.gov.spb.ru/figures/ities. Retrieved 2010-04-17.

113. ^ "Memoria Anual, Agosto 2002-Agosto 2003" (http://www.adn.gov.do/documents/memoria_adn_2002-2003.pdf)(PDF). http://www.adn.gov.do/documents/memoria_adn_2002-2003.pdf. Retrieved 2010-04-17.

114. ^ São Paulo's 40 Sister Cities(http://portal.prefeitura.sp.gov.br/secretarias/relacoes_internacionais/ingles/descentralized_cooperation/sister_cities/0001)

115. ^ "Bogota sister cities" (http://www.bogota.gov.co/portel/libreria/php/01.27.html) . W3.bcn.es.http://www.bogota.gov.co/portel/libreria/php/01.27.html. Retrieved 2010-04-17.

116. ^ Nos Visitó El Poder Popular De Ciudad De La Habana « Comité Local Pca-Sevilla(http://pcasevilla.wordpress.com/2008/10/15/nos-visito-el-poder-popular-de-ciudad-de-la-habana/)

117. ^ "Tehran, Havana named sister cities" (http://www.payvand.com/news/01/mar/1053.html) . Payvand.com.http://www.payvand.com/news/01/mar/1053.html. Retrieved 2010-04-17.

118. ^ New Monument to Tijuana's sister cities(http://web.archive.org/web/20071212140843/http://www.tijuana.gob.mx/Apps/AppsPublico/Comunicados/VerComunicado.asp?ID=1026) – Inaugura el alcalde Kurt Honold monumento dedicado a ciudades hermanas de Tijuana

References

King, Charles Spencer (2009) Havana My Kind of Town. USA: CreateSpace. ISBN 978-1-4404-3269-9.

Havana: History and Architecture of a Romantic City. Alicia García Santana. Monacelli, October 2000. ISBN

978-1-58093-052-9.

Angela, Ferriol Maruaga; et al.: Cuba crisis, ajuste y situación social (1990–1996), Editorial de CienciasSociales, 1998. ISBN 978-959-06-0348-8.

The Rough Guide to Cuba (3rd ed.). Rough Guides, May 2005. ISBN 978-1-84353-409-9.

Wonderful Havana (1st ed.). Eddie Lennon and Julie Napier. Waterloo Press, July 2011. ISBN 978-1-4659-

6365-9.

Barclay, Juliet (1993). Havana: Portrait of a City. London: Cassell. ISBN 978-1-84403-127-6 (2003

paperback edition). A comprehensive account of the history of Havana from the early 16th century to the end of

the 19th century.

Carpentier, Alejo. La ciudad de las columnas (The city of columns). A historical review of the city from one of

the major authors in the iberoamerican literature, a native of this city.

Cluster, Dick, & Rafael Hernández, History of Havana. New York: Palgrave-MacMillan, 2006. ISBN 978-1-

4039-7107-4. A social history of the city from 1519 to the present, co-authored by a Cuban writer and editor

resident in Havana and an American novelist and writer of popular history.

Eguren, Gustavo. La fidelísima Habana (The very faithful Havana). A fundamental illustrated book for those who

wants to know the history of La Habana, includes chronicles, articles from natives and non natives, archives

documents, and more.

United Railways of Havana. Cuba: A Winter Paradise. 1908–1909, 1912–1913, 1914–1915 and 1915–1916

editions. New York, 1908, 1912, 1914 and 1915. Maps, photos and descriptions of suburban and interurban

electric lines.

1/17/13 Havana - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havana 30/30

"Electric Traction in Cuba". Tramway & Railway World (London), April 1, 1909, pp. 243–244. Map, photos

and description of Havana Central Railroad.

"The Havana Central Railroad". Electrical World (New York), April 15, 1909, pp. 911–912. Text, 4 photos.

"Three-Car Storage Battery Train". Electric Railway Journal (New York), September 28, 1912, p. 501. Photo

and description of Cuban battery cars.

Berta Alfonso Gallol. Los Transportes Habaneros. Estudios Históricos. La Habana, 1991. The definitive survey

(but no pictures or maps).

Six Days in Havana by James A. Michener and John Kings. University of Texas Press; first edition (1989). ISBN

978-0-292-77629-6. Interviews with close to 200 Cubans of widely assorted backgrounds and positions, and

concerns how the country has progressed after 90 years of independence from Spain and under the 30-year

leadership of Castro.

One more interesting note about that edition of The New York Times: On page 5, there is a short blurb mentioning,"The plan for holding a Pan-American exhibition at Buffalo has been shelved for the present owing to the unsettled

condition of the public mind consequent upon the Spanish-Cuban complications." President William McKinley was

assassinated at the Pan-American Exhibition when it was finally held in 1901.

Havana Revisited: An Architectural Heritage by Cathryn Griffith. W. W. Norton 2010. ISBN 978-0-393-

73284-9 www.havanarevisited.com.

External links

Havana travel guide from Wikivoyage

Havana, an external wiki (http://www.wikia.com/wiki/c:world:Havana)fotopedia.com (http://www.fotopedia.com/en/Havana) , Selected photos of Havana

The Case of Havana, Cuba (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/dpu-projects/Global_Report/pdfs/Havana.pdf) by Mario Coyula

and Jill Hamburg

Rent Apartment on Havana (http://www.havaning.com)

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Havana&oldid=533179131"

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