Matanzas

Matanzas, city, Cuba

Matanzas, city (1994 est. pop. 115,000), capital of Matanzas prov., W central Cuba. A port with a large, deep harbor, it exports sugar, fruits, and sisal. Industries in the city include sugar refineries and textile mills. Matanzas is located on the turnpike between Havana and Varadero Beach, and is a popular stopover for vacationers, who explore the picturesque Yumurí River valley and the caves of Bellamar, famous for their calcite crystal formations. Founded in 1693, it was once a pirate haven but by the early 19th cent. had become Cuba's second city, mainly because of the growth of the sugar industry. As the industry moved eastward, the city's importance declined. Matanzas remains an important cultural center for the area.

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Matanzas, province, Cuba

Matanzas (mätän`säs), province (1990 pop. 601,500), W central Cuba. Matanzas is the capital. The northern coast is lined with ports and bays and contains one of the world's finest beaches, at Varadero ("Playa Azul"). In the northern half of the province are plains; in the south are low-lying wetlands. The southern coast includes the site of the Bay of Pigs Invasion. Sugarcane and henequen are the major crops; subsistence agriculture is also practiced, and there is some cattle raising. Matanzas has a tourist industry as well as many mineral springs.

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Matanzas

a port in W central Cuba: founded in 1693 and developed into the second city of Cuba in the mid-19th century; exports chiefly sugar. Pop.: 130 000 (2005 est.)

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Matanzas 

a province in Cuba. Area 12,300 sq km. Population, 501,300 (1970). Its administrative center is the city of Matanzas. Much of the land under cultivation supports plantations of sugarcane. Matanzas is the basic region of the country for growing henequen. In the north, fruits and vegetables are grown. In the south there are forests. Local industries include food-processing (mainly sugar), textile, chemical, and leather and footwear enterprises. Fishing boats are built at Cárdenas. The main centers are Matanzas, Cardenas, and Jovellanos.

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Matanzas 

a city in northern Cuba, on the Central Highway; administrative center of Matanzas Province. Population, 85,400 (1970). It is a sugar-exporting port and the commercial center of an agricultural region of sugarcane, henequen, and fruits. Local industries include chemicals, food processing, textiles, and leather and shoes. Building materials are produced there. Matanzas is a tourist center. The city was founded in the 17th century.