Founded on its present site in 1519, the settlement of San Cristóbal de La Habana prospered mainly due to its bay, which was a natural port of call for ships sailing to and from the New World.

This was one of the main historic reasons for the subsequent development of a city noted for its architectural diversity and whose nucleus-which still contains an exceptional collection of buildings put up around public squares, both large and small-and system of forts led UNESCO to declare it a part of world heritage in 1982.

Over eight and a half miles (14 kilometers) of excellent beaches lie to the east of the Cuban capital, which is symbolized by the Giraldilla. To the south, a green belt contributes to a healthful atmosphere. The city itself is a cultural center with a solid infrastructure of hotels and is prepared to host all kinds of conferences and congresses. Alejo Carpentier, one of Cuba's most famous authors, called it "the city of columns" and focused attention on its streets, which he considered a perennially rich show of life, humanity and contrasts that was bound to entertain any observer.

The settlement of San Cristóbal de La Habana, which was founded in the southwestern part of the island in 1514, was moved to the northern coast of the port of Carenas in 1519. Every November 16, the anniversary of its founding is observed with a picturesque traditional ceremony at the Templete, around an ancient silk-cotton tree in whose shade-according to the oral tradition-the first meeting of the town council and the first Mass were held.

Capital of Cuba and the country's administrative, political, cultural and scientific center, it is also the capital of two provinces: City of Havana and Havana. Though only around 280 square miles (727 square kilometers) in size-0.65 percent of the archipelago's total area-it is where 20 percent of the Cuban people live.

Starting in 1634, because of its strategic location, San Cristóbal de La Habana was considered the key to the New World-as attested to by royal letters patent-and the main defense of the West Indies.

The Cuban capital consists of an immense number of buildings in a wide range of architectural styles, built in the course of nearly five centuries. These styles range from the pre-baroque to the baroque, neo-Gothic, neoclassical, eclectic, art noveau and art-deco, to the modern.