HOLGUN

city, capital of Holgun provincia, southeastern Cuba. Founded in the early 16th century, it became a centre of insurgency movements and suffered intensely the effects of the Ten Years' War (186878) and the 189598 struggle for independence. Holgun, located on fertile, rolling plains, is now an important communications and trading centre in eastern Cuba. Sugar refining, cigar making, meat processing, ceramic making, and shoe and furniture making are centred in the city, which lies on the central highway and is served by railroads and airlines. Its port, Gibara, lies 19 miles (31 km) to the north. Pop. (1991 est.) 232,770. provincia, southeastern Cuba. It is bounded on the north by the Atlantic Ocean and by the provinces of Las Tunas on the west, Granma on the southwest, Santiago de Cuba on the south, and Guantnamo on the southeast. The province consists of hilly country that fronts the Sierra de Nipe and the Sierra del Cristal in the southeast and is traversed by tributaries of the Salado River in the southwest. In the northeast is the Bay of Nipe basin. Large portions of the nation's corn (maize) and bean crops are grown near the city of Holgun ( q.v.), the provincial capital, in a region known as the granary of Cuba. Besides sugarcane and cattle, other important agricultural products include tobacco, sweet potatoes, cassava, peanuts (groundnuts), and fruits, principally bananas and oranges. The province is rich in iron ore, nickel, and chromium. Moa is the site of a nickel- and cobalt-separation plant and of a chromite-processing plant; chromite is also processed at Mayar. Another nickel-separation plant is at Nicaro, together with an iron and steel foundry. Iron is mined in the Sierra de Nipe near Mayar. Area 3,591 square miles (9,301 square km). Pop. (1989 est.) 982,722.