Historic Sites in Cuba: World Heritage List

Cuba is an island with a history that is often seen as exotic and mysterious. It is believed that the first humans in Cuba cruised from South America to settle there. The original inhabitants were primarily hunter gatherers. Christopher Columbus sighted Cuba in 1492. By 1514, Diego Velazquez de Cuellar conquered the island for the Spanish crown. The Cuban economy was supported by cattle ranching. Well known Cuban crops include coffee, tobacco and sugar.

The United Nations, UNESCO, has developed and maintained a list of significant places in the world, known as the World Heritage List, which is selected by a committee. Of the 851 world wide properties selected for their outstanding universal value, eight are in Cuba. Following are the outstandingly significant historic places in Cuba.

Archaeological Landscape of the first Coffee Plantations in South-East Cuba; The site contains the remains of a 19th century coffee plantations in the sierra Maestra foothills. The coffee plantations throw light onto the economic, social and technological history of the Latin, Caribbean and American region.

The coffee plantations provide evidence of a pioneer form of agriculture in a rough terrain. The Cuban coffee plantations were selected to the World Heritage List as a testament to the unique form of agricultural exploitation of virgin forest. The traces of the virgin forest have disappeared elsewhere in the world. Production of coffee in eastern Cuba in the 19th and early 20th centuries resulted in a cultural landscape that was unique. The coffee plantations illustrate a significant stage in the development of agriculture.

Old Havana and Fortifications: Havana was founded by the Spanish in 1519. Havana had become a major center for ship building in the 17th century. Today, Havana is a sprawling metropolis with a population of 2 million people. The City's Old Center retains a fascinating mix of Baroque and neoclassical monuments. There is an interested ensemble of private homes, arcades, balconies, wrought=iron gates and courtyards.