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Cienfuegos

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For other uses, see Cienfuegos (disambiguation).
Cienfuegos
Municipality
Typical street in Cienfuegos
Typical street in Cienfuegos
Coat of arms of Cienfuegos
Coat of arms
Nickname: 
La Perla del Sur (Pearl of the South)
Country Cuba
ProvinceCienfuegos
Founded1819[1]
Area
[2]
 • Total333 km2 (129 sq mi)
Elevation
25 m (82 ft)
Population
 (2012)[3]
 • Total164,924
 • Density500/km2 (1,300/sq mi)
DemonymCienfuegueros
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
Postal code
55100-55500
Area code+53 43
Vehicle registrationCF
Marti Park and City Hall.

Cienfuegos is a city on the southern coast of Cuba, capital of Cienfuegos Province. It is located about 250 km (160 mi) from Havana, and has a population of 150,000. The city is dubbed La Perla del Sur (Pearl of the South). Cienfuegos literally translates to "Hundred fires".

Geography

Near the entrance to Bahia de Cienfuegos (bahia meaning "bay") is Castillo de Jagua (full name Castillo de Nuestra Señora de los Angeles de Jagua), a fortress erected in 1745 for protection against Caribbean pirates.

Cienfuegos, one of the chief seaports of Cuba, is a center of the sugar trade, as well as coffee and tobacco. While sugarcane is the chief crop, local farmers grow coffee.

The downtown contains 6 buildings from 1819–50, 327 buildings from 1851–1900, and 1188 buildings from the 20th century. There is no other place in the Caribbean which contains such a remarkable cluster of Neoclassical structures.

Demographics

In 2004, the municipality of Cienpolofuegos had a population of 163,824.[3] With a total area of 333 km2 (129 sq mi),[2] it has a population density of 492.0/km2 (1,274/sq mi).

Climate

Climate data for Cienfuegos
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 27
(81) 		28
(82) 		29
(84) 		29
(85) 		31
(87) 		32
(89) 		32
(90) 		32
(90) 		32
(89) 		31
(88) 		28
(83) 		28
(82) 		30
(86)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 17
(63) 		17
(62) 		18
(64) 		19
(67) 		21
(69) 		22
(71) 		22
(72) 		22
(72) 		22
(71) 		22
(71) 		19
(67) 		18
(64) 		20
(68)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 18
(0.7) 		25
(1) 		33
(1.3) 		46
(1.8) 		120
(4.7) 		150
(6) 		120
(4.8) 		160
(6.3) 		170
(6.8) 		160
(6.3) 		41
(1.6) 		23
(0.9) 		1,066
(42.2)
Source: Weatherbase [4]

History

The area was called the Cacicazgo de Jagua by the early Spaniards, and was settled by indigenous people.

The city was settled by French immigrants from Bordeaux and Louisiana, led by Don Louis de Clouet, on April 22, 1819.[1] Its original name was Fernardina de Jagua, in honor of Ferdinand VII of Spain[citation needed]. The settlement became a town (Spanish: Villa) in 1829, and a city in 1880. The city was subsequently named Cienfuegos, sharing the name with Cienfuegos, a Captain General in this time, in the island.

Near Cienfuegos was the scene of a battle on May 11, 1898, between American marines who attempted to sever underwater Spanish communication lines and the Spanish defenders.

During the Cuban Revolution the city saw an uprising against Fulgencio Batista and was bombed, on September 5, 1957.[5]

World Heritage Site

Urban Historic Centre of Cienfuegos
UNESCO World Heritage Site
The central Parque José Marti
CriteriaCultural: ii, v
Reference1202
Inscription2005 (29th Session)

In 2005, UNESCO inscribed the Urban Historic Centre of Cienfuegos on the World Heritage List, citing Cienfuegos as the best extant example of the 19th-century early Spanish Enlightenment implementation in urban planning.[6]

Hurricane Dennis 2005

In 2005, Hurricane Dennis made its second landfall near Cienfuegos at about 1:00PM AST (17:00 UTC) with winds of 232 km/h (144 mph), and gusts reaching 285 km/h (177 mph).

Sports

Cienfuegos fields a team in the Cuban National Series, the Cienfuegos Elefantes. Since joining the league in 1977-78, the best finish the Camaroneros have achieved is a 3rd place showing in the 2010-11 Cuban National Series. Despite finishing with the best record at 59-31, the Elefantes lost the semi-finals in six games to eventual champions, Pinar del Río (baseball).

Attractions

One of the turrets on the moonlit roof of Palacio de Valle
  • Castillo de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles de Jagua - fortress
  • Arco de Triunfo - the only Arco de Triunfo in Cuba
  • Cathedral de la Purisma Concepción - cathedral with stained glass work, built 1833-1869.
  • Delfinario - dolphins and sea lions in a saltwater lagoon
  • Jardín Botánico de Cienfuegos - 97 hectares of botanic garden
  • Museo Provincial - furniture and porcelain museum
  • Palacio de Valle - built 1913–1917 in neo-gothic style
  • Palmira Yorubá Pantheon - museum of religious afro-catholic syncretism
  • Parque José Martí - park in Plaza de Armas
  • University of Cienfuegos "Carlos Rafael Rodríguez" (UCF) - the province's secondary education institution.
  • Rancho Luna Beach
Sunset at Rancho Luna Beach

Famous residents

  • Statue of José Martí
    Statue of José Martí
  • Cathedral of Cienfuegos
    Cathedral of Cienfuegos
  • Fortress of Jagua
    Fortress of Jagua
  • Pedestrian Boulevard
    Pedestrian Boulevard
  • Prado
    Prado
  • Palacio de Valle (Valle's Palace) in Punta Gorda
    Palacio de Valle (Valle's Palace) in Punta Gorda
  • Palacio Azul (Blue Palace)
    Palacio Azul (Blue Palace)
  • Closeup of porthouse
    Closeup of porthouse
  • The yacht club in Cienfuegos
    The yacht club in Cienfuegos
  • Building in Cienfuegos
    Building in Cienfuegos
  • Promenade in Cienfuegos
    Promenade in Cienfuegos

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Guije.com. "Cienfuegos". Retrieved 2007-10-07. Template:Es icon
  2. ^ a b Statoids (2003). "Municipios of Cuba". Retrieved 2007-10-07. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  3. ^ a b Atenas.cu (2004). "2004 Population trends, by Province and Municipality". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-10-07. Template:Es icon
  4. ^ "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Cienfuegos, Cuba". Weatherbase. 2011. Retrieved on November 24, 2011.
  5. ^ Castro speech commemorates Moncada assault
  6. ^ Cienfuegos at World Heritage List
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