The History Of Havana

Havana is a culturally rich city that gleams with history and resilience. Located on the North coast of Cuba, Havana has historically represented a tropical culture filled with vibrancy, music, and nightlife. According to The Encyclopedia Britannica, The culture of Havana, would eventually became known as “a cosmopolitan center with sprawling fortifications, cobblestone plazas, and buildings of ornamental facades and ornate iron balconies” (“Havana: National”). Havana is an important place in Cuban History for a multitude of reasons. Not only is it one of the largest cities in the Caribbean, Havana has maintained a geographical advantage throughout its history. The history of Havana has impacted the racial, social, governmental, and economic …show more content…
Spain attempted to utilize Havana as a port for integrating Spaniards into Cuba in order to conquer the “New World” and gain monetary advantage over other European countries. The influx of Spaniards diversified the Native culture that was previously there. Havana became even more racially separated once freed Africans retreated to Cuba following the end of slavery (“Havana: National”). This racial melding resulted in a high level of multi-ethnic populations. This is currently important because currently in Havana, and Cuba in general, citizens are hesitant to identify with a particular race because of the stigmas attached. They instead choose to use their collective National identity to represent themselves as a people. This is specifically crucial to the city of Havana because Havana is one of the main areas in which different ethnicities initially gathered in Cuba. Aspects of each of these traditions blended together to create a social culture that is diverse. Unfortunately, after Fidel Castro came to power, much of what Havana was once known for became …show more content…
Within Cuba, there are 14 provinces, or territory similar to that of a state. The province of Havana is where the national government resides (“Havana”). Since Cuba is run by the Communist Party [of Cuba], provincial governments do not play an important aspect, illustrating the importance and power of the national government. His means that the President of Cuba has a significant cultural and political role within Cuba because he is the Head of State and the Head of Government, with little city government power to deter him, he is virtually unchecked in his power. This illustrates the importance of public support. Without public support, the government is illegitimate, so the support of Castro by the people, is a crucial aspect for him to maintain his power. As such, some of the acts he’s made have created tremendous improvements within the average citizen’s lives. Castro has made Cuba an incredibly literate country, created employment opportunities, and revitalized the healthcare system by making every citizen covered by the government