Camagüey Province
Encyclopedia
Camagüey is the largest of the provinces of Cuba
. Its capital is Camagüey
. Other towns include Florida
and Nuevitas
.
s passing through the province. Numerous large cay
s (including what used to be one of Fidel Castro
's favourite fishing
spots; the Archipiélago Jardines de la Reina) characterize the southern coast
s, while the northern coast is lined by Jardines del Rey
of the Sabana-Camagüey Archipelago
.
Sandy beach
es are found on both coasts also, and despite a large potential for tourism
, the province has seen little development in that area with the exception of Santa Lucía beach, on the province's North coast.
and sugar
(in the north and south) farming, and the province is known for its cowboy
culture, with rodeo
s frequently held. Chicken
s and rice
are also farmed, and a small citrus fruit industry exists. The capital city also has one of the few breweries on the island.
Provinces of Cuba
Administratively, Cuba is divided into 15 provinces and one special municipality not included in any province. The last modification was approved in August 2010 , splitting Havana province into two new provinces: Artemisa and Mayabeque...
. Its capital is Camagüey
Camagüey
Camagüey is a city and municipality in central Cuba and is the nation's third largest city. It is the capital of the Camagüey Province.After almost continuous attacks from pirates the original city was moved inland in 1528.The new city was built with a confusing lay-out of winding alleys that made...
. Other towns include Florida
Florida, Cuba
Florida is a municipality and city in the Camagüey Province of Cuba. It is located north-west of Camagüey, along the Carretera Central highway. The city was established in 1907, and the municipality was established in 1924....
and Nuevitas
Nuevitas
Nuevitas is a municipality and port city in the Camagüey Province of Cuba. The large bay was sighted by Christopher Columbus in 1492. Founded in 1775, the city was moved to its present site in 1828.-Geography:...
.
Geography
Camagüey is mostly low lying, with no major hills or mountain rangeMountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
s passing through the province. Numerous large cay
Cay
A cay , also spelled caye or key, is a small, low-elevation, sandy island formed on the surface of coral reefs. Cays occur in tropical environments throughout the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans , where they provide habitable and agricultural land for hundreds of thousands of people...
s (including what used to be one of Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
's favourite fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
spots; the Archipiélago Jardines de la Reina) characterize the southern coast
Coast
A coastline or seashore is the area where land meets the sea or ocean. A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the dynamic nature of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs...
s, while the northern coast is lined by Jardines del Rey
Jardines del Rey
Jardines del Rey is an archipelago located off the northern coast of the island of Cuba, in the northern parts of the provinces of Ciego de Ávila and Camagüey. It is developed on the coral reef system that lines Cuba's shore, between the Atlantic and the Bay of Buena Vista and Bay of Jiguey...
of the Sabana-Camagüey Archipelago
Sabana-Camaguey Archipelago
Sabana-Camagüey is an archipelago that lines Cuba's north-central Atlantic coast. It is located off the northern coast of the provinces of Matanzas, Villa Clara, Sancti Spíritus, Ciego de Ávila and Camagüey, and is bounded to the north by the Atlantic Ocean, specifically by the Nicholas Channel ...
.
Sandy beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
es are found on both coasts also, and despite a large potential for tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
, the province has seen little development in that area with the exception of Santa Lucía beach, on the province's North coast.
Economy
The economy of the Camagüey province is primarily cattleCattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
and sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
(in the north and south) farming, and the province is known for its cowboy
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
culture, with rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
s frequently held. Chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
s and rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
are also farmed, and a small citrus fruit industry exists. The capital city also has one of the few breweries on the island.
Municipalities
| Municipality | Population (2004) | Area (km²) | Location | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camagüey | 21°23′2"N 77°54′26"W | Provincial capital | ||
| Carlos M. de Cespedes Carlos M. de Cespedes, Cuba Carlos M. de Cespedes is a municipality in the Camagüey Province of Cuba. The municipal seat is located in the town of Cespedes. It is located in the western part of the province, along the Carretera Central highway.... |
21°34′37"N 78°16′39"W | |||
| Esmeralda Esmeralda, Cuba Esmeralda is a municipality and city in the Camagüey Province of Cuba.The municipality is divided into the barrios of Caonao, Guanaja, Jaronú, Quemado and Tabor.The economy is based on crops of sugarcane, coconuts, pineapple, oranges and tobacco.... |
21°51′22"N 78°06′40"W | |||
| Florida Florida, Cuba Florida is a municipality and city in the Camagüey Province of Cuba. It is located north-west of Camagüey, along the Carretera Central highway. The city was established in 1907, and the municipality was established in 1924.... |
21°31′46"N 78°13′21"W | |||
| Guáimaro | 21°03′32"N 77°20′52"W | |||
| Jimaguayú Jimaguayú, Cuba -Demographics:In 2004, the municipality of Jimaguayú had a population of 21,169. With a total area of , it has a population density of .... |
21°16′0"N 77°49′49"W | |||
| Minas Minas, Cuba -Demographics:In 2004, the municipality of Minas had a population of 38,517. With a total area of , it has a population density of .... |
21°29′22"N 77°36′17"W | |||
| Najasa Najasa, Cuba -Demographics:In 2004, the municipality of Najasa had a population of 16,470. With a total area of , it has a population density of .... |
21°05′2"N 77°44′49"W | |||
| Nuevitas | 21°32′25"N 77°15′52"W | |||
| Santa Cruz del Sur | 20°43′10"N 77°59′27"W | |||
| Sibanicú Sibanicú, Cuba -Demographics:In 2004, the municipality of Sibanicú had a population of 31,117. With a total area of , it has a population density of .... |
21°14′21"N 77°31′15"W | |||
| Sierra de Cubitas Sierra de Cubitas, Cuba Sierra de Cubitas is a municipality in the Camagüey Province of Cuba. The municipal seat is located in CubitasCayo Guajaba, one of the cays of Jardines del Rey archipellago is located north of Cubitas, across the Bay of la Gloria .... |
21°43′59"N 77°46′14"W | |||
| Vertientes Vertientes, Cuba -Demographics:In 2004, the municipality of Vertientes had a population of 53,299. With a total area of , it has a population density of .... |
21°15′26"N 78°08′56"W |
- Source: Population from 2004 Census. Area from 1976 municipal re-distribution.