MATANZAS

provincia, west-central Cuba, bounded on the north by the Straits of Florida, on the northeast by Villa Clara province, on the southeast by Cienfuegos province, on the southwest by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by La Habana province. It was established in 1879. Much of northern Matanzas is covered by fertile plains, but much of the south is covered by mangrove swamps and marshy lowlands, especially the Zapata Peninsula in the southwest. Both coasts are dotted with offshore islands and indented with bays. The province produces sugarcane, citrus fruits, rice, and livestock. Sugar, rum, fertilizer, and paper are manufactured. Matanzas city and Crdenas, the main population centres and sugar ports, lie in the north. Matanzas city is also the provincial capital and a major centre of tourism. Major highways and railroads link Matanzas city and Coln with Havana. Area 4,625 square miles (11,978 square km). Pop. (1990 est.) 608,832. city, capital of Matanzas provincia, west-central Cuba. Founded in 1693 on an excellent bay (on the Straits of Florida) known to the Spanish since 1508 and used by pirates, it was by 1860 the second city of Cuba, but its growth was slowed as the sugarcane industry expanded into the eastern part of the island. Matanzas has been called the Athens of Cuba because of its active cultural institutions and because of the many scholars and artists who have worked there. It has scenic drives, plazas, and monuments; historic buildings include the Castillo (castle) de San Severino (17th century) and the San Carlos cathedral (1730). It is one of Cuba's chief ports, handling mainly sugar and henequen fibre, and it is an industrial centre, manufacturing rayon, rope, shoes, fertilizers, and matches. A thermal-power plant is located nearby. The city is linked to Havana by two railroads and by the central highway. Pop. (1990 est.) 113,724.