Manicaragua is a municipality and city in the Villa Clara Province

Villa Clara Province

Villa Clara is one of the provinces of Cuba. It is located in the central region of the island bordering with the Atlantic at north, Matanzas Province by west, Sancti Spiritus by east, and Cienfuegos on the South. Villa Clara shares with Cienfuegos and Sancti Spiritus on the south the Escambray...

 of Cuba

Cuba

The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...

. It is located in the southern part of Villa Clara, bordering the provinces of Cienfuegos

Cienfuegos Province

Cienfuegos is one of the provinces of Cuba. The capital city of the province is also called Cienfuegos and was founded by French settlers in 1819....

 to the west and Sancti Spíritus

Sancti Spíritus Province

Sancti Spíritus is one of the provinces of Cuba. Its capital is the identically named Sancti Spíritus. Another major city is Trinidad.The southern coast of the province is flat, but the western portion of Sancti Spíritus province is mountainous. The southeast has numerous mangroves and swamps...

 to the east.

Demographics

In 2004, the municipality of Manicaragua had a population of 73,370. With a total area of 1063 km² (410.4 sq mi), it has a population density of 69 /km2.

See also

• Municipalities of Cuba
  Municipalities of Cuba
  The provinces of Cuba are divided into 169 municipalities or municipios. They were defined by Cuban Law Number 1304 of July 3, 1976.-Summary:The municipalities are listed below, by province:...
  
  
• List of cities in Cuba

Manicaragua is one of the four largest municipalities in Cuba. Main crops and source of income in this area include such items as tobacco and coffee. Coffee is grown in the slopes of El Escambray mountains, a mountain ridge extending from the southeastern part of the Cienfuegos province to neighboring Sancti Spiritus. Coffee beans from Manicaragua bear a flavorous unparallel nectar, though not known in the Western World due to the economic embargo. Not simingly, cigars made in the local factory, enjoy the popularity of many a tourist from different parts of the World. El Hoyo de Manicaragua, once known as the Land of the Best Tobacco in the World, is a small village located in this municipality. Its popularity faded after the crop was relocated to the western Cuban province of Pinar del Rio, where many of the local campesinos were transferred due to their anti-Castro activities.

It has areas of outstanding natural beauty and value as the Valley of Jibacoa, Hanabanilla, the dam, and the Hotel of the same name.