The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-02-26
A NEW GAZETTEER OF
THE ISLAND OF CUBA

nett. geographer. is the title os bulletin
No. 1872 OF the United States Geological
Survey. now in press. but not vet pub
lished. extracts from which are as fol-
lows:
Cuba. the largest and most populous Of
the West Endisn islands. lying directly
south Of Florida has an extreme length,
from Cape Maisi on the east TO Cane san
Antonio on the west. Of 80 miles. a
breadth ranging from 100 in the east 10 %
miles in the neighborhood Of Havana. and
an area. including the Isle Of Pines and
the bordering keys. approximately $4,000
square miles.
TOpOgraPhicaI Condition.
The north coast is mainly steep and
rocky In the western part Of Cuba the
bluffs are low; toward the eastern end.
in Santiago province. the coast is rugged
and almost mountainous The south coast
from Cape Maisi westward TO Cape Cruz
is bordered by mountains. partly by the
Sierra Maestro West OF Cape Cruz is
the Bay OF Buena Esperanto. into which
flows the Rio Cauto. the largest stream
Of the island. Thence westward the coast
is low and marshy. broadening west OF
Cienfuegos. into the Great Zapata swamp.
seventy-ive miles Ions and thirty miles
broad OF the southern coast are mainly
low. manErove covered islands.
Most Of the harbors Of both coasts
have narrow crooked entrances. opening
into sheltered basins The middle por-
tion OF the island, including the provinces
Of Havana, Matauzas. Santa Clara. and
Puerto Principe. consists Of broad IN
dulatirg plains, and shallow valleys
Throughout Pinar del Rio province in the
west. parallel 70 the coasts. runs water
shed. the Organ mountains. exceeding
2.OOO feet. whose southwark slopes form
the celebrated Vuelta AbaJo tobacco
land In Santiago province. the Sierra
Maestro reaches attitudes exceeding 5000
feet, and one peak. TurQuiuO. is $500 feet
high.
Rivers Are Numerous.
The rivers OF Cuba arc numerous. but
short. and few are navigabIe except
through their estuaries. The Cauto, in
Santiago province, is navigable for about
fifty miles. and the Sagua Grande. in San
Ia Clara province, for about twenty miles
The interior OF the island is dependent on
only 1,100 miles OF railroad and its poor
wagon roads for intercommunication.
The mineral resources Of the islard. so
far as developed, consist almost entirely
OF henlatite iron ore. which has been
mined for many years at the south base
Of the Sierra Maestro, q few miles east Of
Santiago. Nearly all the ore, which con
tains about 81 per cent OF iron, Is shipped
10 the United States. Copper, gold. and
silver were mined formerly. Asphaltum
has been found in several places. partic-
ularly near the city OF Santa Clara where
II has been utilized to make illuminating
gas,
Climate of the Island.
''The climate Of Cuba is comparatively
simple. The northeast trade winds bring
an ample rainfall, about 50 inches. to the
northern slopes Of the island. between
May and October; the rainfall on the
southern slopes is less, but sufficient for
most crops. The mean annual tempera-
tuTe al Havana is n degrees. The high
er temperature lasts a long time but on
the northern slopes OF the island the
nights, even in summer. are cool
The six provinces. from west 10 east
PiDar del Rio. Havana. Matanzas, Santa
Clara, Puerto Principe, and Santiago-are
divided into 1872 municipal districts. or
terminus municipalities, including the isle
OF Pines. and are subdivided into about
J., 800 barriOs, including those constituting
the cities. Cities, as organized in our
sense, do not exist in Cuba Havana has
no legal limits, but comprises most OF the
municipal district Of that name.
Where Columbus Landed.
columbus landed al Nuevitas. on the
north coast Of Puerto Principe, on Octo-
Der q, 1892 In 1872 Velasquez, with 300
men founded the town Of Barracoa. near
the eastern end OF the island, and two
years later Santiago and Trinidad, both
on the southern coast Havana was
founded in 1919. and became the capital in
1852. In l775 the European population
numbered III, GO. The English held Ha-
vana and a part Of Matanzas for some
months in 1852. Instructions occurred in
17l7. 1872. 1926, 1868 and finally in 1895
the last resulting in the REIMBURSEMENT
by Spain OF her sovereignty 10 the United
States on December 10. 1888.
Population of the Island.
"The aboriginal. inhabitants Of Cuba
have been estimated at from 100000 u
ZOO 600. They were enslaved, put {,
work, and destroyed by the European set
tiers long before the end Of the sixteenth
century. African slaves were then intro
duced, and the African slave trade re-
NAMED a most profitable one up to tn,
abolition Of slavery In 1888.
THE Spanish census Of 1887 gave the
populs tiOn as 1915 S7; the census takeT
under the direction Of the United States
War Department 10 1899 gave the pOpu-
iation as I572.797. or nearly 50 coo less
Allowing for probable increase OF popu-
latiCn between 1887 and 1895. the date o
the beginning Of the Instruction the loss
Of life due 20 the war. as indicated by
these two censuses, may be estimated al
nearly 200. goo, and fell entirely upon the
three western provinces, Pinar del Rio
Havana. and Matanzas.
THE density Of population. taking tho
island as a whole, was 35.7 inhabitants Il
the square mile and varied from I53 pei
square mile IN Havana, 20 s In Puerto
Principe The urban population Of Cuba
including cities Of 0e0 each is 81 pei
cent, the same as that Of the Unitet
States. AS 20 sex, the proportions wer,
5LS per cent males. and zS2 per cent fe
males. the excess Of males being prob
ably due 10 immigration As to race
there we're 6S per cent white and 80 pei
cent colOred. and the Colored population
has for many years been diminishing Tn,
foreign born formed 9 per cent Of IN,
total population. which leaves co per cen
as native whites.
FOreign-BOrn Element.