Havana is the capital, chief port, and largest city of Cuba. Cuba is an island nation that is the only Communist state in the Americas. It lies about 90 miles (145 kilometers) south of Key West, Florida. The language of Cuba, is La Habana. During the first half of the 1900’s Havana was a popular vacation center. But tourism from the United States virtually disappeared after Fidel Castro became prime minister of Cuba in 1959. Cuba became a socialist state, and in 1961 the United States broke diplomatic relations with Cuba. Today Americans visit Cuba mainly for professional meetings or to conduct research.
Diego Velazquez, the first Spanish governor of Cuba, founded Havana on the islands South coast in 1515. But the city failed to flourish, probably because of private attacks. rebuilt on its present site in 1519. Havana’s location and harbor attracted many trading ships. The city soon developed into an important commercial center.
Havana became the capital of Cuba in 1552. By 1600, 4000 people lived there. British troops captured the city in 1762 and held it for nearly a year. The British occupation opened up trade between Havana and the British colonies of North America. The increased trade helped the city’s population grow to more than 50,000 by the late 1700’s.
In 1898 the United States battleship Maine exploded mysteriously in Havana harbor. This event helped bring about the Spanish American war. During the first half of the 1900’s the Cuban government spent much money to make Havana a resort center. American companies invested heavily in Havana businesses. Thousands of visitors from the United States and other countries poured into Havana. But despite Havana’s Prosperity, Many of its people lived in poverty.
Since the revolution of 1959, when Fidel Castro seized power the Cuban government has invested much of its economic resources in the development of the rural areas rather than Havana and other large cities. As a result, Havana has several serious problems. One of the city’s most critical problems in a housing shortage.
During the 1960’s Castro’s government nationalized many hotels and seized the mansions of people who has left Cuba and converted these dwellings into public housing. The government also built some new housing, as well as office building and hospitals. The City of Havana covers about 286square miles (740 square kilometers). Spanish colonists built Havana in 1519 ext to a large natural harbor. Morro castle, a Spanish fort dating from the late 1500’s guards the entrance to the harbor. Old Havana the colonial part of the city is west of the harbor. The roofed houses, built in the 1500’s and 1600’s lie the narrow streets. The historic area includes the famous Havana cathedral, built in the early 1700’s and the Spanish governor’s palace.
The government controls Havana schools and schools, of higher education. Havana is the commercial and industrial center of Cuba. The government owns all industries. Health care is an important service industry in Havana. Most cities’ workers are employed by government agencies or small factories. Some people in Havana operate their own private businesses. Havana’s most important manufacturing activity is the processing of tobacco. Other industries produce beer, chemicals, food products, shoes, and textile. About a fifth of Cuba’s exports and over half its imports pass through Havana.
However, Havana’s economic development has come up against a series of major problems over the last three decades. Since the early 1960s the United States has enforced an economic embargo against Cuba. It has prohibited the export of most goods and supplies to Cuba, which has resulted in many shortages. The loss of financial support from the USSR following the collapse of its Communist government during the late 1980s and early 1990s has resulted in extreme austerity measures. These measures have completely paralyzed some manufacturing activities. The government has called this period of austerity the Special Period, and most of Havana's residents have experienced extreme economic hardship as a result of the economic problems caused by the Special Period.
The city's role as the chief governmental and administrative center also contributes to its economic mix. Tourism has become increasingly important in the local economy since about 1990 when the government began promoting it as a means of providing employment and access to foreign currency.
The transportation system of Havana has deteriorated enormously during the Special Period as fuel and replacement parts have become limited. The same is true of the city's transportation system. Private automobiles are nearly nonexistent, and taxis are scarce. Buses, which run infrequently, are extremely crowded. Use of bicycles has exploded during the 1990s. Many are faced with a nearly paralyzed system of public transportation, walk many kilometers a day back and forth to work or to shop.
A mayor and city council govern the city. The Communist Party and the national government essentially control their selection. Despite an group of local councils and bodies that allow citizen participation, such as the Neighborhood Popular Councils, most real power lies in the hands of national government officers and agencies. The City have almost no sources of income aside from that provided by the national government, and they have few major responsibilities. Municipal governments are responsible for garbage collection and fire protection, but water, sewer, and electric power are provided by state agencies.
The neighborhood level in Havana, and in all urban areas in Cuba, each block is organized into Committees for the Defense of the Revolution. These organizations are a huge influence over the daily lives of Habaneros. Their responsibilities include maintaining public sanitation, implementing public health campaigns, and mobilizing neighborhoods and "volunteer" work crews as needed by government authorities. The organizations also serve a police function as they monitor the activities of block residents reporting both suspicious behavior and rules violations to police authorities.
