Havana

Havana is the capital and largest city of Cuba, located on the island’s northwestern coast. Its historic center, port, and political institutions have made it a major Caribbean hub.

Spanish colonization of the Americas: The Spanish Empire’s conquest, settlement, and rule across much of the Americas from the late fifteenth century onward. Spanish settlement established Havana as a colonial city and imperial port.
Castillo de la Real Fuerza: A sixteenth-century stone fortress in Havana, among the oldest surviving European fortifications in the Americas. It defended the harbor and became a landmark of Havana’s early colonial core.
Cuban Revolution: The armed struggle that overthrew Fulgencio Batista’s government in 1959 and brought Fidel Castro’s movement to power. The revolution made Havana the center of a new socialist state.
Old Havana: The historic central district of Havana, known for its colonial-era buildings and public squares. Its streets and plazas preserve the city’s oldest urban fabric.
Son cubano: A Cuban music and dance genre combining Spanish guitar traditions with African rhythmic elements. The genre developed in Cuba and became part of Havana’s musical identity.
San Cristóbal de la Habana: The original settlement that developed into Havana, founded by Spanish colonists in the early sixteenth century. The settlement’s relocation to the north coast began Havana’s growth at its present site.
Morro Castle: A fortress guarding the entrance to Havana Bay, built beginning in the late sixteenth century. Its position controlled the narrow channel through which ships entered the harbor.
Fulgencio Batista: A Cuban military officer and politician who ruled Cuba as president or dictator during much of 1933–1959. Batista’s government shaped Havana before the revolution and was overthrown there in 1959.
Havana Cathedral: A Baroque Roman Catholic cathedral on Plaza de la Catedral in Old Havana. Its architecture anchors one of the historic center’s best-known squares.
Buena Vista Social Club: A Cuban music project and album that brought renewed international attention to veteran Cuban musicians in the 1990s. Its recordings helped shape global images of Havana’s music and streets.

Linked from 18 pages