Matanzas Province

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Matanzas Province
Sign seen when entering the Province
Sign seen when entering the Province
Coat of arms of Matanzas Province
CountryCuba
CapitalMatanzas
Government
 • PresidentMario Felipe Sabines Lorenzo
Area
 • Total11,798.02 km2 (4,555.24 sq mi)
Population
 (2021-12-31)[1]
 • Total710,127
 • Density60/km2 (160/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
Area code+53-52
ISO 3166 codeCU-04
HDI (2019)0.789[2]
high · 4th of 16
Websitewww.matanceros.gob.cu/es

Matanzas (Spanish pronunciation: [maˈtansas]) is one of the provinces of Cuba. Major towns in the province include Cárdenas, Colón, Jovellanos and the capital of the same name, Matanzas. The resort town of Varadero is also located in this province.

Among Cuban provinces, Matanzas is one of the most industrialized, with petroleum wells, refineries, supertanker facilities, and 21 sugar mills to process the harvests of the fields of sugarcane in the province.

Geography[edit]

The second largest in Cuba, Matanzas province is largely flat, with its highest point (Pan de Matanzas) at only 380m above sea level.

The north-western coast is largely rocky, with a few beaches, while the north-eastern coast has numerous small cays of its coast (part of Sabana-Camaguey Archipelago), and scrubland and mangroves near the shoreline. Cuba's northernmost point is located in on Hicacos Peninsula.

The southern coast has one of Cuba's most distinctive features: an enormous marsh, Ciénaga de Zapata that covers both the southern part of the province and the Zapata Peninsula. East of the peninsula lies the Bay of Pigs, the site of the failed US backed invasion.

Municipalities[edit]

From 1976 to 2010 Matanzas was sub-divided into 14 municipalities.[3] Starting from 2011, the municipality of Varadero was abolished and merged to Cárdenas. Thus Matanzas now has 13 municipalities.

Municipality Population
(2004)
Population
(2022)
Area
(km²)
Location Remarks
Calimete 29,736 27,210 958 22°32′2″N 80°54′35″W / 22.53389°N 80.90972°W / 22.53389; -80.90972 (Calimete)
Cárdenas 103,087 158,332 566 23°02′34″N 81°12′13″W / 23.04278°N 81.20361°W / 23.04278; -81.20361 (Cárdenas)
Cienaga de Zapata 10,394 10,394 4,320 22°17′17″N 81°11′51″W / 22.28806°N 81.19750°W / 22.28806; -81.19750 (Playa Larga) Playa Larga
Colón 71,579 68,021 597 22°43′21″N 80°54′23″W / 22.72250°N 80.90639°W / 22.72250; -80.90639 (Colón)
Jagüey Grande 57,771 59,600 882 22°31′46″N 81°07′57″W / 22.52944°N 81.13250°W / 22.52944; -81.13250 (Jagüey Grande)
Jovellanos 58,685 57,216 505 22°48′38″N 81°11′52″W / 22.81056°N 81.19778°W / 22.81056; -81.19778 (Jovellanos)
Limonar 25,421 26,708 449 22°57′22″N 81°24′31″W / 22.95611°N 81.40861°W / 22.95611; -81.40861 (Limonar)
Los Arabos 25,702 23,111 762 22°44′24″N 80°42′57″W / 22.74000°N 80.71583°W / 22.74000; -80.71583 (Los Arabos)
Martí 23,475 21,582 1,070 22°57′9″N 80°55′0″W / 22.95250°N 80.91667°W / 22.95250; -80.91667 (Martí)
Matanzas 143,706 163,631 317 23°03′5″N 81°34′30″W / 23.05139°N 81.57500°W / 23.05139; -81.57500 (Matanzas) Province capital
Pedro Betancourt 32,218 29,565 388 22°43′50″N 81°17′27″W / 22.73056°N 81.29083°W / 22.73056; -81.29083 (Pedro Betancourt)
Perico 31,147 29,746 278 22°46′31″N 81°00′54″W / 22.77528°N 81.01500°W / 22.77528; -81.01500 (Perico)
Unión de Reyes 40,022 35,021 856 22°48′2″N 81°32′13″W / 22.80056°N 81.53694°W / 22.80056; -81.53694 (Unión de Reyes)
Varadero 24,681 see Cárdenas 32 23°08′23″N 81°17′10″W / 23.13972°N 81.28611°W / 23.13972; -81.28611 (Varadero) Abolished in 2010
677,624 710,127

Source: Population from 2004 Census.[4] Area from 1976 municipal re-distribution.[5]

Demographics[edit]

In 2004, the province of Matanzas had a population of 675,980.[4] With a total area of 11,802.72 km2 (4,557.06 sq mi),[6] the province had a population density of 57.3/km2 (148/sq mi).

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Cuba: Administrative Division (Provinces and Municipalities) - Population Statistics, Charts and Map". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  2. ^ "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
  3. ^ Atenas.cu. "Municipalities of Matanzas". Archived from the original on 2007-09-11. Retrieved 2007-10-02.
  4. ^ a b Atenas.cu (2004). "2004 Population trends, by Province and Municipality" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-10-06.
  5. ^ Statoids (July 2003). "Municipios of Cuba". Retrieved 2007-10-06.
  6. ^ Government of Cuba (2002). "Population by Province" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-10-02.

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]