Country Cuba Area code(s) +53-024 Area 9,210 km² | Time zone EST (UTC-5) Website Holguín.cu Capital Holguín | |
Population 1.037 million (31 Dec 2010) Points of interest Playa Esmeralda, Calixto García Park, La Periquera, Las Flores Park, Casa Natal de Calixto Garcia Destinations Holguín, Guardalavaca, Alejandro de Humboldt, Gibara, Cayo Saetía | ||
Holguín ([olˈɣin]) is one of the provinces of Cuba, the third most populous after Havana and Santiago de Cuba. It lies in the southeast of the country. Its major cities include Holguín (the capital), Banes, Antilla, Mayarí, and Moa.
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Map of Holgu%C3%ADn, Cuba
The province has a population of slightly over one million people. Its territory exceeds 9,300 km2 (3,600 sq mi), 25 percent of which are covered by forest.
History
Christopher Columbus landed in what is believed to have been today's Holguín province on October 27, 1492. He declared that it was "the most beautiful country human eyes had ever seen".
The Holguín province was established in 1978, when it was split from the Oriente region.
Economy
Like much of Cuba, Holguín's economy is based around sugarcane, though other crops such as corn and coffee, as well as mining, are also large earners for the province.
A large cobalt processing plant with shipping facilities was built at Moa, using foreign investment, much of it from Canada. Chromium, nickel, iron and steel plants dot the province as well.
Tourism has only recently begun to be developed, offering beach resorts in the outskirts of the region, with a number of hotels around the Guardalavaca area, Playa Pesquero, and Cayo Saetia. The Cuchillas del Toa Biosphere Reserve Sierra Cristal National Park and Alejandro de Humboldt National Park are partly located in the province. Recently a large number of tourists are being reported to have had visited the city and its rich culture and beauty.
Municipalities
Holguín is divided into 14 municipalities:
Source: Population from 2004 Census. Area from 1976 municipal re-distribution.Demographics
In 2004, the province of Holguin had a population of 1,029,083. With a total area of 9,292.83 km2 (3,587.98 sq mi), the province had a population density of 110.7/km2 (287/sq mi).