Holguín Province facts for kids

The coat of arms for Holguín Province.

Holguín is one of the provinces in Cuba. It's located in the southeast part of the country. After Ciudad de la Habana, it's the second most populated province in Cuba.

The capital city is also called Holguín. Other important cities include Banes, Antilla, Mayarí, and Moa.

Holguín province is home to over one million people. It covers an area of more than 9,300 square kilometers. About a quarter of this land is covered by forests.

Holguín's History

A famous explorer, Christopher Columbus, landed in what is now Holguín province on October 27, 1492. He was so amazed by its beauty that he said it was "the most beautiful country human eyes had ever seen."

The Holguín province was officially created in 1978. Before that, it was part of a larger area known as the Oriente region.

Famous People from Holguín

Holguín is the birthplace of several important figures in Cuban history:

• General Calixto García (1839-1898): He was a brave patriot who fought for Cuba's independence from Spain in the 19th century.
• General Fulgencio Batista Zaldivar (1901–1973): He was a former President of Cuba.
• Commander in Chief Fidel Castro (1926): He was a lawyer and a revolutionary who later became the President of Cuba.
• Army General Raúl Castro (1931): He served as the minister of the Revolutionary Army Forces and later as Vice-President and President of Cuba.

Holguín's Economy and Industries

Like many parts of Cuba, Holguín's economy relies a lot on sugarcane farming. However, other important industries also bring money to the province. These include mining, growing corn, and producing coffee.

In the city of Moa, there is a very large cobalt processing plant. This plant also has facilities for shipping goods. It was built with help from other countries, especially Canada. You can also find plants throughout the province that process metals like chrome, nickel, iron, and steel.

Tourism is a newer industry in Holguín. The government has started to develop it more recently. In Holguín, there are many hotels, especially around the beautiful Guardalavaca area, which attracts visitors.

Towns and Regions in Holguín

Holguín province is divided into 14 smaller areas called municipalities. Each municipality has its own local government. Here are the municipalities in Holguín:

1. Antilla
2. Báguanos
3. Banes
4. Cacocum
5. Buenaventura
6. Cueto
7. Frank País (Cayo Mambí)
8. Gibara
9. Holguín
10. Mayarí
11. Moa
12. Rafael Freyre
13. Sagua de Tánamo
14. Urbano Noris

Images for kids

• 

  A statue of Christopher Columbus near Guardalavaca.

See also

In Spanish: Provincia de Holguín para niños