Santiago de Cuba

Port on the south coast of Cuba; population (2002) 423,400. It is the second largest city and former capital of Cuba, and is now the capital of Santiago de Cuba province. Products include sugar, rum, and cigars.

The cathedral dates from 1528, the university from 1947, and the city also houses the Museum of Colonial Art. San Pedro de la Roca Castle was included in the World Heritage List in 1997.

Santiago de Cuba

Province in eastern Cuba, bounded to the west by Granma province, to the north by Holguín, on the east by Guantánamo, and to the south by the Caribbean Sea; area 6,343 sq km/2,448 sq mi; population (2000 est) 1,078,000. The capital of the province is the port of Santiago de Cuba. Crops include maize, bananas, citrus fruits, and mangoes, while coffee and cacao are grown in the Sierra Maestra and the Central Valley. Iron, manganese, and copper are mined near the provincial capital, Santiago de Cuba, whose industries include sugar refining, coffee processing, textiles, and furniture.

The province is drained by the upper Canto River and its tributaries. In the southern part of the province are the mountains of the Sierra Maestra range, which rise to 1,972 m/6,470 ft at Turquino Peak. The rolling plains of the northern part of the province are used for sugar production. The province was part of Oriente province until 1976.