Guantánamo

Guantánamo, city, eastern Cuba. It lies in the mountains 21 miles (34 km) north of strategic Guantánamo Bay on the Caribbean Sea.

Founded in 1819, the settlement was called Santa Catalina del Saltadero del Guaso until 1843. French refugees from Haiti aided in the colonization of the area, and many cultural characteristics, such as the architecture, show their influence. Catalans were also among the early settlers.

Guantánamo is the centre of an agricultural region producing mainly sugarcane and coffee. The city’s chief industrial activities are coffee roasting, sugar milling, and the processing of chocolate, liqueurs, and salt. Railroads and highways link it with Santiago de Cuba and with Caimanera, a port on Guantánamo Bay. Pop. (2002) 208,145; 207,857.