Camagüey

Camagüey

Camagüey, city, capital of Camagüey provincia (province), east-central Cuba. It is situated on the San Pedro River, about 25 miles (40 km) southeast of Florida.

The city was founded in 1514 as Santa María del Puerto del Príncipe (also called Puerto Príncipe), at the site of present-day Nuevitas, but was moved inland in 1528 to the Indian village of Camagüey. The prosperity of the colonial city led to a raid by buccaneers in 1668. Camagüey retains many traces of colonial architecture, and the old part of the city contains narrow irregular streets interrupted by small plazas. Parts of the original cathedral (1617) appear to have survived alterations. In 2008 the city’s historic centre was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Because of the great production of livestock, sugarcane, and other agricultural products and of chromite in the province, Camagüey has become the largest interior city of Cuba. It is an important communications, trading, and industrial centre. The city has a branch of the University of Havana, a thermal power plant, and an international airport. Camagüey is on the country’s Central Highway and is connected by rail with Havana (354 miles [570 km] northwest), Santiago de Cuba, and the port of Nuevitas. Pop. (2012) 300,958; (2020 est.) 310,822.