Santiago de Cuba province has been the site of many battles, both during the war for independence and the 1959Cuban Revolution, where much of the guerrilla fighting took place in the mountainous province.
Prior to 1976, Cuba was divided into six historical provinces. One of these was Oriente province, which was, prior to 1905, known as Santiago de Cuba province. The present day province comprises the south-central region of Oriente.
Economy
The province is rich in material resources such as iron and nickel. The economy, however, relies mostly on agriculture, with large plantations growing bananas, cacao and coffee dotting the landscape. Industry is growing around the capital, as is tourism. The natural beauty of the area is attracting many tourists from both the rest of Cuba and from overseas.
Source: Population from 2004 Census.1Area from 1976 municipal re-distribution.2
Demographics
In 2004, the province of Santiago De Cuba had a population of 1,043,202.1 With a total area of 6,156.44 km² (2,377 sq mi),3 the province had a population density of 169.4/km² (438.7/sq mi).