Havana. Havana is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. It is the most populous city, the largest by area, and the second largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean region. The population in 2002 was 2,137,847 inhabitants, and its area is 728.26 km 2 for the capital city side and 8,475.57 km² for the metropolitan zone. Havana was founded by the Spanish in the 16th century. It served as a springboard for the Spanish conquest of the Americas, becoming a stopping point for Spanish galleons returning to Spain. Philip II of Spain granted Havana the title of capital in 1607. Walls and forts were built to protect the city. The city is the seat of the Cuban government and various ministries, and headquarters of businesses and over 100 diplomatic offices. The governor is Reinaldo García Zapata of the Communist Party of Cuba. In 2009, the city/province had the third-highest income in the country. Contemporary Havana can essentially be described as three cities in one: Old Havana, Vedado and the newer suburban districts. The city extends mostly westward and southward from the bay, which is entered through a narrow inlet and which divides into three main harbors: Marimelena, Guanabacoa and Antares. The Almendares River traverses the city from south to north, entering the Straits of Florida a few miles west of the bay. The city attracts over amillion tourists annually;. Old Havana was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982. The city is also noted for its history, culture, architecture and monuments. As typical of Cuba, Havana experiences a tropical climate. In 1514, Diego Velázquez founded the city San Cristóbal de la Habana, which meant Saint Christopher of the Habana and later became the capital of Cuba. Habana was the name of the local people group. It has been theorized that the name derived from Habaguanex, who was a chief of the Native American tribe. His name is Taíno, an Arawakan language, but nothing else is known. When Habana was adapted into English, the was switched to a because of a linguistic phenomenon known as betacism, which is a confusion between the voiced bilabial plosive and voiced labiodental fricative sounds that occurs in most modern Spanish dialects. Usage of the word Havana in literature understandably peaked during the Spanish-American War, but it also represents a type of cigar, a color, and a type of rabbit as well as the city. Another theory for its etymology is that Havana comes from the Taíno word haba meaninghanging basket deriving from root affix ha-indicating something that hangs. Havana is still the prevailing name found in English language dictionaries in reference to the capital of Cuba. Main article: Coat of arms of Havana Coat of arms of La Habana The coat of arms of Havana consists of three castles that represent the three castles that defended the city: the Fuerza Castle, the Morro Castle and the Punta Castle. The key represents that Havana was the gateway to the New World. The shield, supported by an oak branch on one side and a laurel wreath on the other, symbolizes the strength of the nation, the laurel wreath, honor, and glory. These symbols represent the rights of man. Main articles: History of Havana and Timeline of Havana Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar, governor of Cuba who moved Havana's location in 1514 French pirate Jacques de Sores looting and burning Havana in 1555 Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar founded Havana in 1514, on the southern coast of the island, near the present town of Surgidero de Batabanó on the banks of the Mayabeque River close to Playa Mayabeque. However, all attempts to found a city on Cuba's south coast failed; an early map of Cuba drawn in 1514 places the town at the mouth of the river.
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