Cienfuegos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cienfuegos
|
|
|---|---|
Downtown Cienfuegos
|
|
| Nickname(s):
La Perla del Sur (Pearl of the South)
|
|
| Country |  Cuba |
| Province | Cienfuegos |
| Founded | 1819 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 333 km2 (129 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 25 m (82 ft) |
| Population
(2004)
|
|
| • Total | 163,824 |
| • Density | 492.0/km2 (1,274/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| Area code(s) | +53-432 |
Cienfuegos, capital of Cienfuegos Province, is a city on the southern coast of Cuba. 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).
History
The area where the city lies was identified as Cacicazgo de Jagua by early Spanish conquistadors. It was originally settled by Taino indigenous people.
The city was later settled by French immigrants from Bordeaux and Louisiana on April 22, 1819. The settlers named the city Fernandina de Jagua in honor of King Ferdinand VII of Spain and Chief Jagua. Many of the streets in old town reflect French origins in their names.
Cienfuegos port, despite being one of the latest settlements established during the colonial era, soon grew to be a powerful town due to the fertile fields surrounding it and its position on the trade route.
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).
World Heritage Site
In 2005, UNESCO inscribed the Urban Historic Centre of Cienfuegos on the World Heritage List, citing Cienfuegos as the best extant example of early 19th century Spanish Enlightenment implementation in urban planning.
The downtown area contains six 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.
Attractions
- Castillo de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles de Jagua – fortress
- Arco de Triunfo – the only Arco de Triunfo in Cuba
- Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Purísima 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
- Quintero (cigar) cigar factory
- University of Cienfuegos "Carlos Rafael Rodríguez" (UCF) – the province's high education institution
- Rancho Luna Beach
- Nicho
Images for kids
-
Tree-lined residential street in Cienfuegos in 2009
-
Cathedral of Cienfuegos and Medici Lions
-
The Promenade of Cienfuegos
-
The central Calle D'Clouet with the "Hotel La Unión" (left) and the railtrack remains of the former urban tramway
-
Teatro Tomás Terry in Cienfuegos
.jpg)
See also
In Spanish: Cienfuegos para niños
