Wikipedia

Isla de la Juventud

"Isle of Youth" redirects here. For other uses, seeIsle of Youth (disambiguation).
For other uses, seeIsla de la Juventud (disambiguation).

Isla de la Juventud[4](Spanish pronunciation:[ˈislaðelaxuβenˈtuð];English:Isle of Youth) is the second-largestCubanisland(after Cuba's mainland) and the seventh-largest island in theWest Indies(after mainland Cuba itself,Hispaniola,Jamaica,Puerto Rico,Trinidad,andAndros Island). The island was called theIsle of Pines(Spanish:Isla de Pinos) until 1978. It has an area 2,200 km2(850 sq mi) and is 50 km (31 mi) south of the island ofCuba,across theGulf of Batabanó.The island lies almost directly south ofHavanaandPinar del Ríoand is a Special Municipality (2,419 km2(934 sq mi)), not part of anyprovinceand is therefore administered directly by the central government of Cuba. The island has only one municipality, also named Isla de la Juventud.

Isla de la Juventud
Special MunicipalityofCuba
Regional map
Regional map
Coat of arms of Isla de la Juventud
Coat of arms
Isla de la Juventud in red
Isla de la Juventud in red
CountryCuba
CapitalNueva Gerona
Area
[1]
• Total
2,419 km2(934 sq mi)
Population
(2023 (onei))[2]
• Total
76,154
• Density31/km2(82/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-5(EST)
Area code+53-46
HDI(2019)0.832[3]
very high·2nd of 16
Websitewww.redisla.gob.cu/es/
Satellite image of the island.

The largest of the 350 islands in theCanarreos Archipelago(Archipiélago de los Canarreos), the island had an estimated population of 83,544 in 2019.[5]The capital and largest city isNueva Geronain the north, and the second largest and oldest city isSanta Fein the interior. Other communities include Columbia,La Demajagua(formerly Santa Bárbara), Mac Kinley, Cuchilla Alta, Punta del Este, Sierra de Caballos and Sierra de Casas.[citation needed]

History

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Little is known of thepre-Columbianhistory of the island, though a cave complex near the Punta del Este beach preserves 235ancient drawingsmade by the native population,[6]theGuanahatabey.The first written mention of these drawings comes from French traveller Charles Berchon.[7]The caves were collectively designed as National monument in 1979.

The island was first sighted by Europeans in 1494 duringChristopher Columbus'ssecond voyageto theNew World.Columbus named the islandLa Evangelista,claiming it for Spain. The island was also known, at various points in its history, asIsla de Cotorras(Isle of Parrots) andIsla de Tesoros(Treasure Island).

Pirateactivity in and around the area left its trace inEnglish literature;notably,Treasure IslandbyRobert Louis Stevenson,andPeter PanbyJ. M. Barrie,each drawing on accounts of the island and its native and pirate inhabitants, by reflecting the long dugoutcanoesthat both pirates and the indigenous peoples used, and theAmerican crocodile(Crocodylus acutus).

Following its defeat in theSpanish–American Warand theCuban War of Independence,Spaindropped all claims to Cuba under the terms of the1898 Treaty of Paris.ThePlatt Amendmentof 1901, which defined Cuba's boundaries for the purposes of U.S. authorities, left the U.S. position on sovereignty over the then Isla de Pinos undetermined. This led to competing claims to the island by the United States and Cuba.[8][9][10]In 1907, theU.S. Supreme Courtdecided, inPearcy v. Stranahan,that control of the island was a political decision, not a judicial one.[11]In 1916, a pamphlet titledIsle of Pines: American or What?called for the U.S. to annex or purchase the island to settle the issue.[12]

In 1903, Cuba and the United States negotiated and signed theHay-Quesada Treaty,which recognized Cuba's sovereignty over the island. TheU.S. Senateratified this agreement on March 13, 1925, over the objections of some four hundred United States citizens and companies, who owned or controlled about 95% of the island's land.[13][14][15]

Prior to 1976, the island was part ofLa Habana Province.With the political and administrative reorganization of Cuban provinces in 1976, the island was given the status of "special municipality".[16]

Fidel Castropresided at a ceremony changing the name of the island fromIsla de PinostoIsla de la Juventudon 3 August 1978.[17]This was the realization of a promise that he had made in 1967, when he said "Let’s call it the Isle of Youth when the youth have done something grand with their work here, when they have revolutionized the natural environment, when they see the fruits of their labor and have revolutionized society here."[18]

Geography and economy

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Much of the island is covered inpineforests, which is the source of the island's largelumber industry(as well as its original name). The northern region of the island has low ridges from whichmarbleisquarried,while the southern region is an elevated plain.Agricultureandfishingare the island's main industries, withcitrus fruitandvegetablesbeing grown. A black sand beach was formed by volcanic activity.

The island has a mild climate but is known for frequenthurricanes.It is a populartouristdestination, with manybeachesandresorts,including Bibijagua Beach. Until the Cuban governmentexpropriatedall foreign-owned property in the early 1960s, much land was owned by Americans, and the island contained a branch of theHilton Hotelschain.

Demographics

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In the 2012 official census, the Special Municipality of Isla de la Juventud had a population of 84,751. The racial makeup of the population waswhite50,732 (59.9%),mestizoormulatto26,013 (30.7%) andblack8,006 (9.4%). [2]With a total area of 2,419.27 km2(934.09 sq mi),[19]the Municipality had a population density of 35.8/km2(93/sq mi).

"Caimaneros", the inhabitants of the south coast of the island, are descended from settlers from the Cayman Islands and Jamaica, and are English-speaking Cubans.

Transportation

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See also:Autopista de la Isla de la Juventud

The main transportation to the island is by boat or aircraft.Hydrofoils(kometas) and motorizedcatamaranswill make the journey fromBatabanótoNueva Geronain between two and three hours. A much slower and larger cargo ferry takes around six hours to make the crossing but is cheaper.

Presidio Modelo

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Presidio Modelo in 2005

ThePresidio Modelowas erected between 1926 and 1931. The modelpanopticonpenitentiary is on the outskirts of Nueva Gerona.[13]It was the place where, after leading a failed attack on theMoncada Barracksin July 1953,Fidel Castro,along with his brotherRaúl Castro,was imprisoned by the regime ofFulgencio Batistafrom 1953 to 1955.[20]

Following theCuban Revolution,the same facility was used to imprison the new regime's enemies and political dissidents. They includedHuber Matos,an officer in the revolutionary army who attempted to resign and who said he was tortured there.[21]Armando Valladareswrote a memoir describing the prison's harsh conditions and cruel treatment ofpolitical prisoners.[22]Presidio Modelo ceased functioning as a prison in 1967. It has been declared a national monument and its hospital rooms converted into a museum.

References

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  1. ^"Lugar que ocupa el territorio según la superficie y la población"(PDF).Una MIRADA a Cuba(in Spanish). Oficina Nacional de Estadísticas. Cuba. 2010.
  2. ^ab2012 Official CensusArchivedNovember 10, 2013, at theWayback Machine| Province, City and ethnic group
  3. ^"Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab".hdi.globaldatalab.org.RetrievedJanuary 24,2022.
  4. ^Directorate of Intelligence (August 16, 2007)."The World Factbook — Cuba".RetrievedSeptember 3,2007.
  5. ^"Statistical Yearbook of Cuba Population 2020 Edition January-December 2019"(PDF).oficina nacional de estadística e información.RetrievedOctober 7,2020.
  6. ^Punta del Este Caves,onisladelajuventud-cuba
  7. ^Charles Berchon,A travers Cuba. Récit de voyage descriptif et économique,1910, p. 91. Story of a trip he made in 1903 or 1904. Contrary to what some say, he was not shipwrecked on Isla de la Juventud (according to his own telling).
  8. ^"The Isle of Pines".New York Times.November 16, 1905.RetrievedNovember 9,2013.The 'secession' from Cuba of a few American residents of the Isle of Pines is an incident of which National good faith and self-respect, we think, will compel the Government at Washington to take, not approving, but adverse notice.
  9. ^Scott, James Brown (1923)."The Isle of Pines".American Journal of International Law.17(1): 100–104.doi:10.2307/2187756.ISSN0002-9300.JSTOR2187756.
  10. ^Wright, Quincy (1925)."The Isle of Pines Treaty".American Journal of International Law.19(2): 340–344.doi:10.2307/2189260.ISSN0002-9300.JSTOR2189260.
  11. ^Tucker, Spencer C. (2009).The Encyclopedia of the Spanish-American and Philippine-American Wars.Santa Barbara, California:ABC-CLIO.p.525.ISBN978-1-85109-951-1.
  12. ^"Would Annex The Isle of Pines".New York Times.August 18, 1916.RetrievedNovember 9,2013.The proposed purchase by the United States of the Danish West Indies for $25,000,000 has started a renewal of agitation by American residents of the Isle of Pines for its purchase or acquisition from Cuba by the United States. The Isle of Pines Chamber of Commerce has issued a pamphlet entitled "Isle of Pines: American or What?"
  13. ^abIreland, Gordon (1941).Boundaries, possessions, and conflicts in Central and North America and the Caribbean.New York: Octagon Books. p. 333.
  14. ^Cuba's Island of Dreams: Voices from the Isle of Pines and Youth
  15. ^Neagle, Michael E. (2016), America's Forgotten Colony: Cuba's Isle of Pines (Cambridge University Press) -http:// cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/history/twentieth-century-american-history/americas-forgotten-colony-cubas-isle-pines?format=PB#tle1iZbI2eqyfs2G.97
  16. ^Encyclopedia of Cuba: People, History, Culture.Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. 2003. pp.33, 41.ISBN157356334X.
  17. ^"Cuba has New Name for 'Treasure Island'"(PDF).New York Times.August 4, 1978.RetrievedApril 11,2016.
  18. ^Gonzalez Suarez, Lisanka."History and present state of Isla de la Juventud Cuba".Havana Journal Inc. Archived fromthe originalon September 23, 2016.RetrievedSeptember 22,2016.
  19. ^Government of Cuba (2002)."Population by Special Municipality"(in Spanish). Archived fromthe originalon September 28, 2007.RetrievedOctober 2,2007.
  20. ^Alex von Tunzelmann (2011).Red Heat: Conspiracy, Murder and the Cold War in the Caribbean.Simon & Schuster.
  21. ^"Huber Matos, a Moderate in the Cuban Revolution".American Experience.PBS. December 21, 2004.RetrievedJanuary 26,2011.
  22. ^Armando Valladares, Against All Hope (New York: Knopf, 1986)
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21°45′N82°51′W/ 21.750°N 82.850°W/21.750; -82.850(Isla de la Juventud)

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