Las Tunas (city) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Las Tunas Victoria de Las Tunas
Municipality
Las Tunas
Coat of arms
Las Tunas municipality (red) within Las Tunas Province (yellow) and Cuba
Country	Cuba
Province	Las Tunas
Established	1759
Area
• Total	891 km2 (344 sq mi)
Elevation	92 m (302 ft)
Population  (2022)
• Total	214,939
• Density	241.23/km2 (624.8/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Tunero/a
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
Postal code	75100-75500
Area code(s)	+53 31

Las Tunas is an exciting city and a special area called a municipality in central-eastern Cuba. It is the main city of the Las Tunas Province. For a long time, from 1869 to 1976, it was known as Victoria de Las Tunas.

Where is Las Tunas?

Las Tunas is located right on Cuba's main highway, the Carretera Central. It sits between the cities of Camagüey, Holguín, and Bayamo.

City Layout and Divisions

In 1943, the municipality was split into different neighborhoods called barrios. Some of these included Primero, Segundo, and Antonio Machado. Today, the city is further divided into smaller sections known as repartos. These include areas like Primero (which is the city center), La Victoria, and Aurora.

A Look at Las Tunas History

The city of Las Tunas was first started in 1796. It grew up around a church called the Parish of San Jerónimo.

Becoming a City

In 1853, a special rule from the government officially gave Las Tunas the title of "city." This was an important step for its growth.

Capital of a New Province

Later, in 1976, a big change happened in Cuba. The large Oriente Province was divided into smaller ones. Las Tunas then became the capital of its very own new province, also named Las Tunas.

People of Las Tunas

In 2022, the municipality of Las Tunas had a population of 214,939 people. The total area of the municipality is about 891 square kilometers (344 square miles). This means there are about 240 people living in each square kilometer. People from Las Tunas are called "Tunero" (for a boy or man) or "Tunera" (for a girl or woman).

Las Tunas Climate

Las Tunas has a tropical savannah climate. This means it's hot during the day all year round. The nights are usually mild to warm.

Getting Around Las Tunas

Las Tunas has good ways to travel.

Train Travel

The city has a railway station. This station is on the main train line that connects Havana to Santiago de Cuba. There's also a smaller line that goes to Manatí.

A train coach at the Las Tunas station

Roads and Airport

A major highway, the A1 motorway, is planned to extend through the city. This highway will eventually cover the entire island. Las Tunas also has its own airport, called Hermanos Ameijeiras. It is located in the northern part of the city.

Exploring Las Tunas: Tourism

Las Tunas is known in Cuba as the "City of Sculpture." This is because you can find many cool art sculptures all around the city center.

Hotels and Future Plans

Even though it's one of the less visited provinces in Cuba, Las Tunas has two international hotels. These are Hotel Las Tunas and Hotel Cadillac. There are also many smaller bed and breakfast places for visitors. The local and national governments are working to bring more tourists to the area. For example, they are trying to attract companies to build big hotels at the beautiful Covarrubia beach.

Sports in Las Tunas

Sports are very popular in Las Tunas.

Baseball and Football

The city's baseball team is called Las Tunas. Their nickname is Leñadores, which means "Lumberjacks." They play their home games at the Julio Antonio Mella Stadium. For football (soccer) fans, the local club is the FC Las Tunas. They play at the Ovidio Torres Stadium.

Famous People from Las Tunas

• Yaquelín Abdalá (born 1968), a talented visual artist.
• Yordan Álvarez (born 1997), a professional baseball player in Major League Baseball. He used to play for the Leñadores team.
• Vicente García González (1833–1886), a general who fought in the Cuban Ten Years' War.

Sister Cities

Las Tunas has a special connection with another city:

• Arroyo Seco in Querétaro, Mexico.

See also

In Spanish: Las Tunas (ciudad) para niños