CAMAGEY

city, capital of Camagey provincia, east-central Cuba. Founded in 1514 as Santa Mara de Puerto Prncipe, at the site of present-day Nuevitas, the city was moved inland in 1528 to the Indian village of Camagey. The prosperity of the colonial city led to a raid by buccaneers in 1668. Because of the great production of livestock, sugarcane, and other agricultural products and of chromite in the province, Camagey has become the largest interior city of Cuba. It 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. An important communications, trading, and industrial centre, Camagey is on the central highway and is connected by rail with Havana (354 miles northwest), Santiago de Cuba, and the port of Nuevitas. The city also has a branch of the University of Havana, a thermal-power plant, and an international airport. Pop. (1989 est.) 278,958. provincia, east-central Cuba, bounded on the north by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Ciego de vila province, on the east by Las Tunas province, and on the south by the Caribbean Sea. It was established in 1879 as Puerto Prncipe; the province of Ciego de vila was separated from Camagey province in 1976. It is Cuba's largest province. Camagey's early importance as a cattle-raising area has continued, with about a million head grazing the wide, gently rolling savannas. After 1900 cultivation of sugarcane expanded until the province became a leading sugar producer. Although its population grew rapidly after 1925, it has remained sparsely peopled. Its northern coast consists of large cays composing the eastern part of the Camagey Archipelago and has no bays of importance except Nuevitas, at the eastern end. The southern coast is swampy and without good natural harbours. The eastern half of the cays of the Jardines de la Reina (Gardens of the Queen), off the southern coast, are administered as part of the province. Highways and two railroads traverse the province, linking Camagey city, the provincial capital, with neighbouring Nuevitas, Ciego de vila city, and Florida, as well as with Havana to the west and Santiago de Cuba to the east. Area 6,174 square miles (15,990 square km). Pop. (1989 est.) 732,056.