VILLA CLARA

province, north central Cuba, bounded on the north by Nicholas Channel, and by the provinces of Cienfuegos on the southwest, Matanzas on the west, and Sancti Spritus on the east. Part of former Las Villas province until 1976, the territory of 3,117 sq mi (8,073 sq km) consists in the north of coastal marshes backed by plains that become hills in the south. Off the northern coast lies a chain of cays, the Archipilago de Sabana, rising from a wide insular platform bordered by coral reefs and administered as part of the province. Sugarcane is grown throughout the province; tobacco growing is centred near Remedios, a major tobacco-producing region in Cuba; and rice is cultivated around Santo Domingo. Fruit, black beans, and cattle are also produced; industries include sugar refineries, foundries, tanned-leather factories, distilleries, and sawmills. Gold, asphalt, and barite are found in southeast Villa Clara near Placetas. Caibarin and La Isabela are the chief export and fishing ports. The central highway and major railway of Cuba run through Santa Clara (q.v.), the provincial capital. Pop. (1983 est.) 773,565.