Camagüey

Camagüey on the map of Cuba

Camagüey is with 323 309 inhabitants ( census 2012) is the fourth largest city in Cuba and capital of the homonymous province.

The city was founded in 1514 as Santa María del Puerto Príncipe by Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar on the north coast near the natural harbor Nuevitas, but postponed to 1528 twice because of frequent pirate attacks in the direction of the interior. In 1668 it was still burned down by pirates under Henry Morgan. Your present name of the city since 1923, according to an Indian guide.

The old city of Camagüey is the largest obtained after Havana. A special feature is very large, bulbous jars ( tinajones ), which, besides many inputs or in the courtyards today. They were used for collecting rain water, as the city suffered constantly from lack of water.

In 2008, the historic center of Camagüey was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Personalities

• Ignacio Agramonte, Cuban politician and revolutionary
• Gaspar Agüero y Barreras, Cuban composer and pianist
• Adalberto Álvarez, pianist, composer and arranger
• Manuel Arteaga y Betancourt, Archbishop of Havana, Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church
• Salvador Cisneros Betancourt, Cuban revolutionary and politician, President of the "Republic in Arms"
• Gaspar Betancourt Cisneros, railway pioneer
• Carlos Juan Finlay, a Cuban physician and scientist
• Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda, Spanish writer
• Nicolás Guillén, the Cuban poet and writer
• Julio de la Cruz, Cuban boxer

Traffic

Camagüey has an international airport, Ignacio Agramonte International Airport ( CMW) ( MUCM ). In addition, it is located on the Carretera Central - the central to eastern transverse of Western Cuba by road, on which the largest part of the central Cuban force traffic passes.