Sagua La Grande
Encyclopedia
Sagua La Grande is a municipality and city located on the north coast of the province of Villa Clara
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...
in central 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...
, on the Sagua la Grande River. The city is close to Mogotes de Jumagua
Mogotes de Jumagua
The Mogotes de Jumagua are a set of 8 elevated limestone features in the Villa Clara Province of Cuba. They are located within the orographic group Heights of the Northwest in the center-north of the Island of Cuba, two kilometers south-west from the city of Sagua la Grande.They pinnacles are of...
, limestone cliffs. Many 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 of the Sabana-Camaguey Archipelago
Sabana-Camaguey Archipelago
Sabana-Camagüey is an archipelago that lines Cuba's north-central Atlantic coast. It is located off the northern coast of the provinces of Matanzas, Villa Clara, Sancti Spíritus, Ciego de Ávila and Camagüey, and is bounded to the north by the Atlantic Ocean, specifically by the Nicholas Channel ...
are located off the northern coast.
History
Sagua la Grande was founded in 1812 and established as a municipality in 1842. By the beginning of the 20th century, the city and its port (Isabela de Sagua), were an important commercial center. Presently, its economy is based on the sugar, chemical, mechanical, and food industries. Cattle raising and fishing are other important economic activities.Two city historians are of note. Antonio Miguel Alcover Beltrán left to the inheritance of the events related to century XIX thanks to his personal interrogations to each one of the authors of history; and at the moment Pedro Suárez Tintín has been in charge to rescue all century XX and leaves from the XXI in his famous “Tintin Collection” that includes newspapers, books, photos, films and videos of all the historical events of the referred time.
Demographics
In 2004, the municipality of Sagua la Grande had a population of 56,097. With a total area of 661 km² (255.2 sq mi), it has a population density of 84.9 /km2.The municipality is divided into the barrio
Barrio
Barrio is a Spanish word meaning district or neighborhood.-Usage:In its formal usage in English, barrios are generally considered cohesive places, sharing, for example, a church and traditions such as feast days...
s of Baire, Chinchila, Este, General Nodarse, Isabela de Sagua, Jumagua, Malpáez, Oeste and Sitiecito.
Architecture
The city's wide streets and little traffic give it a calm atmosphere.In recent decades there has been a lack of new construction. Consequently, the older buildings, left over from colonial times, are in a state of decay. One of the most beautiful buildings in this city, El Casino Español (The Spanish Casino) built in 1908, was the meeting place for the Sociedad Sagüera (Social Club of Sagua). The historical center of the city retains the neoclassic essence of its constructions and the layout of its streets.
Personalities
- Mel MartinezMel MartinezMelquíades Rafael Martínez Ruiz, usually known as Mel Martinez , is a former United States Senator from Florida and served as Chairman of the Republican Party from November 2006 until October 19, 2007, the first Latino to serve as chairman of a major party...
, U.S. Senator - Jose Luis Robau, Patriot
- Wifredo LamWifredo LamWifredo Óscar de la Concepción Lam y Castilla , better known as Wifredo Lam, was a Cuban artist who sought to portray and revive the enduring Afro-Cuban spirit and culture...
, Painter - Antonio MachínAntonio MachínAntonio Machín was a Cuban singer and musician. His version of El Manisero, recorded in New York, 1930, with Don Azpiazú's orchestra, was the first million record seller for a Cuban artist...
, Singer - Ramón Solis, Flutist
- Joaquín AlbarránJoaquín AlbarránJoaquín Albarrán, full name Joaquin Albarrán Maria y Dominguez was a Cuban urologist who was born in Sagua La Grande, Cuba. In 1878 he went to Paris, where he worked and studied under many renowned physicians...
, Doctor - Jose Pepe Nuñez, Painter
- Pedro Suarez Rojo, Naturalist
- Emilio NuñezEmilio NúñezEmilio Núñez was a Cuban-American soldier, dentist, and politician ....
, Patriot - Panchito Rodríguez, Doctor
- Rodrigo PratsRodrigo PratsRodrigo Prats was a Cuban composer, violinist, pianist and orchestral director. The son of a musician, Jaime Prats, Rodrigo began to study music at the age of nine...
, Music Composer - Edelmira Sampedro y RobatoEdelmira Sampedro y RobatoEdelmira Ignacia Adriana de Sampedro-Ocejo y Robato was known as Countess of Covadonga after her marriage to Alfonso, Prince of Asturias in 1933....
, Countess of Covadonga