Welcome back to the deep dive, where we take
a stack of dense sources, extract the most important
nuggets of knowledge and insight, and give you
a shortcut to being truly well -informed. Today
we are immersing ourselves in a city that really
forces you to confront history, beauty, and decay
all at the same time. It's a place that has been
a military bastion, a global financial hub, and
a frozen architectural museum, often all at once.
Okay, let's unpack this. We're deep diving into
Havana, tracing its complex and really contradictory
identity. Our sources cover five centuries, from
16th century Spanish fortifications all the way
to the struggles of its 20th century. century
economy. Exactly. Our mission is to understand
how a city that was once the single most important
strategic hub in the entire Western Hemisphere
became the architecturally magnificent yet economically
fragile capital of modern Cuba. And the city's
historic designation provides the perfect frame
for this analysis. For centuries, Havana was
formally titled Key to the New World and Rampart
of the West Indies. That title wasn't just ceremonial,
was it? Not at all. It was a concise summary
of its military and economic reality. You literally
could not sail safely across the Atlantic without
stopping here. It was the choke point. And what's
fascinating is that you can still map. That entire
500 -year history onto the physical space of
modern Havana, which our sources tell us divides
pretty neatly into three distinct zones. Exactly.
Understanding these three cities is essential
to navigating the material. First, you have Old
Havana or Habana Vieja. The historic core. Right.
The original Spanish core defined by narrow streets,
high walls, and colonial Baroque architecture.
It's now, of course, a UNESCO World Heritage
Site. Then you jump forward almost three centuries
in style. and layout to Vedado. And it's a real
jump. Vedado is the uptown section developed
in the 20th century. It's built on a modernist
grid plan famous for its high rises, its art
deco styles, and, you know, historically its
reputation as a commercial and nightlife center.
And finally, the sprawling newer suburban districts.
Yeah, these areas, including places like Mariano
and Miramar, they spread mostly to the west and
comprise the modern residential and industrial
zones. Miramar, in particular, is still the most
exclusive area. That's where you'll find the
embassies and upscale facilities. So we're not
just studying one city, but really three distinct
architectural and historical layers just stacked
right on top of each other. So let's start with
the founding of Havana in the 16th century. It's
easy to assume such an important capital was
established perfectly on the first try, but uh...
That wasn't the case at all. No, it wasn't. The
initial founding by Diego Velazquez in 1514 was
as San Cristobal de la Habana, and it was placed
on the south coast near the Mayabic River. Right.
But that location was, well, it was strategically
poor. It wasn't until 1519 that the settlement
was permanently relocated. Why relocation? Was
it just a better port? It was the perfect port.
They moved it to what was then called Puerto
de Carenas, which means careening port. The natural
harbor there is deep, it's incredibly well protected,
and it's large enough to safely shelter entire
fleets of enormous Spanish galleons. So that's
the key. That is the single most important factor
that defined Havana's entire history. This relocation
gave Spain the crucial logistical asset it needed
for its transatlantic trade routes, a safe assembly
point for the treasure fleets returning home.
Speaking of its name, the origin of Habana is
pretty compelling. It is. The theory is that
Habana is derived from Habuguanax, who was the
chief of a local Taino speaking group. So it
points right back to the indigenous populations
that occupied the area before the Spanish ever
arrived. And there's a fascinating linguistic
footnote here about how the name is pronounced
and written globally. There is. We use the English
spelling Havana with a V, but in Spanish, it
is Habana with a B. This difference is often
attributed to the linguistic phenomenon known
as betacism, which is this typical assimilation
of the B and V sounds in most modern Spanish
dialects. A subtle shift, but it shows how centuries
of phonetic drift shape a global identity. So
once it was established in that perfect harbor,
the city immediately became a linchpin of global
trade, which, of course, also made it a massive,
irresistible target for Spain's enemies. It was
the choke point of the New World economy. All
the silver from Peru and Mexico, all the tropical
goods, had to stop in Havana for provisioning
before that long, dangerous voyage across the
Atlantic. So all that concentrated wealth was...
Just a magnet for corsairs. A huge magnet. And
the most dramatic demonstration of that vulnerability
came really early on. In 1555. Yes. The French
corsair Jacques de Sors launched a devastating
attack. He didn't just raid the city. He looted
it and then he burned it to the ground. This
wasn't just a loss of wealth. It was a profound
blow to Spanish prestige and security. Wow. I
mean, that level of destruction had to trigger
a fundamental change in Spanish policy, right?
Moving from just settlement to full scale military
engineering. It did, completely. The crown realized
that relying on local militia was, well, it was
useless. King Philip II personally funded the
construction of massive, permanent defensive
structures, and these monumental forts served
two vital connected purposes. Okay, one is obvious.
Pirates. What's the other? The other was enforcing
economic control. How did the forts do that?
Well, Seville had a royal monopoly on all trade
with the colonies. But the lack of supply and
the high prices fueled a booming black market
or contrabando. By building these massive defenses,
the Spanish could physically channel all legitimate
trade and strictly limit any illicit access to
the harbor. So the forts were customs houses
and police stations as much as they were bastions
against invasion. Precisely. And to cement this
importance, in 1592, King Philip II granted Havana
the full title of city. As we move into the 17th
century, Havana physically expands. What did
the city look and feel like during this era?
It was a blend of necessity and an emerging colonial
style. Early buildings were constructed primarily
from local wood, blending Iberian and Canarian
architectural influences. This is when key institutions
were established, like the Convent of St. Augustine.
And the defense construction continued. It never
ceased. The early phases of the iconic El Morro
Castle are underway, but this relentless expansion
was met by a profound crisis mid -century. Right,
the epidemic. Yes, the year... 1649 brought tragedy.
A fatal epidemic, imported on a ship from Cartagena,
Colombia, just ripped through the population.
It killed a devastating one -third of all residents.
One in three. Imagine this societal paralysis
when one in three of your neighbors, your workers,
your family members just vanished. It must have
been terrifying. And it created this huge psychological
push to complete the physical defenses. The construction
of the massive city walls began in 1674, although
they were such a monumental undertaking. that
they weren't fully completed until 1740. Now
we enter the 18th century, which was really the
golden age of colonial Havana. The scale of the
city is just astonishing when you put it in context.
It was a colossal global city. By the mid -18th
century, its population surpassed 70 ,000. And
to put that in perspective for you, that made
it the third largest city in the entire Americas.
And it was comfortably larger than both Boston
and New York City at the time. That's the key
fact. Wait, Havana was larger than New York City
in the mid -18th century? That completely reframes
its status in the New World. It wasn't just some
port. It was a center of power. More than that,
it was an industrial powerhouse. Havana was Spain's
largest and most active shipyard in the New World,
and the only place they maintained a functioning
dry dock. This shipbuilding capacity was vital.
So they were building the very instruments of
global naval dominance right there. They were.
Spain was able to construct almost 50 % more
ships the line here than in any other Spanish
dockyard during that period. This apex of power
made it an irresistible prize in the Seven Years'
War. The British launched one of the most significant
assaults in the history of the Caribbean. The
scale of the 1762 British invasion was massive.
They committed a fleet of more than 50 ships
and an army of over 11 ,000 combined Royal Navy
and Army personnel. The siege lasted two grueling
months. And what was the immediate social and
economic effect of the British actually capturing
the city, however briefly? The occupation, which
lasted less than a year, was a shockwave. The
British immediately broke the longstanding Spanish
trade monopoly, opening Havana up to commerce
with their North American and Caribbean colonies.
So suddenly Cuban planters and merchants could
deal freely. Exactly. And this taste of open
trade caused a rapid short -lived transformation,
and it showed many elite Cubans the potential
wealth that existed outside the rigid Spanish
system. But Spain got their key back. They did,
though it cost them. The Peace of Paris Agreement
in 1763 saw Britain return Havana to Spain. in
exchange for Florida, but Spain learned the lesson
from the capture. The city must be rendered absolutely
impregnable. And this led to a massive, expensive
project to create the single most offended city
in the Americas. They spared no expense. Spain
transformed Havana into what was arguably the
most heavily fortified city in the New World.
The crowning achievement was the fortress of
San Carlos de la Cabana. And La Cabana was just
enormous. It was huge. Our sources detail its
sheer size, noting it was the third biggest Spanish
fortification in the Americas, surpassed only
by two structures. in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
It was a massive linear fortress designed to
command the high ground east of the harbor and
protect the city from a landward attack. And
as this era closed, Havana hosted the temporary
remains of a historical giant. Yes. In a final
historical anecdote, the remains of Christopher
Columbus were transferred to the island in 1796.
They rested there until 1898, a period that almost
perfectly spans the final century of Spain's
direct control over Cuba. Moving into the 19th
century. Havana seems to pivot. It maintains
its strategic importance, but it shifts its identity
from a military bastion to this center of refinement
and culture, earning that famous nickname. It
became widely known as the Paris of the Antilles,
and this was fueled by intense commercial prosperity.
Increased trade, not just with Europe, but also
with North America and the Caribbean, brought
vast wealth to the local merchant class and the
sugar planters. So what did this cultural prosperity
look like on the ground? It manifested in a surge
of high culture and lavish architecture. The
city erected grand structures like the Takan
Theater, which became a premier venue in the
Americas, attracting the world's most distinguished
performing artists. And the growing middle and
upper classes commissioned these expensive new
neoclassical mansions. Exactly. It gave the city
a distinctly European cosmopolitan feel. And
this era of prosperity wasn't just about culture.
It was about technological advancement that put
Cuba firmly ahead of its neighbors. That's the
crucial point. In 1837, Cuba achieved a major
technological milestone. It became the fifth
country in the world and the first Spanish -speaking
country to establish a functional railroad. That's
just phenomenal. To be only behind the UK, the
US, France, and Belgium. It speaks to the immense
capital and trade volume flowing through Havana
at that time. It shows where Spain's priorities
and the economic might of the local elite lay.
And this rapid metropolitan growth necessitated
a major symbolic and physical change. The demolition
of the city walls. The walls, which had defined
and protected the city for over a century, came
down in 1863. That must have been a monumental
moment. It was a transition from the city as
a closed fortress to the city as an expanding
metropolis. The walls were seen as a physical
constraint on progress and commerce, and their
removal allowed the city to physically expand
and integrate the new suburbs that were emerging.
We have to pause here to acknowledge the profound
contradiction that underpinned all of this 19th
century glamour. Absolutely. This economic flourishing,
the neoclassical mansions, the technological
leaps, it was all fundamentally reliant on the
institution of... which remained legal in Cuba
until 1886. And that fact made Cuba an object
of intense strategic interest for external forces,
too. You're referring to the plans by American
pro -slavery groups. Yes. Our sources mentioned
the Knights of the Golden Circle, a deeply expansionist
pro -slavery group in the U .S. They planned
to create an empire centered on Havana, extending
into the Caribbean and Central America. So they
saw Havana as the natural, wealthy hub. for an
enduring slave economy. A vision that was only
curtailed by the outcome of the American Civil
War. The end of the century brought a violent
end to the Spanish era, culminating in that pivotal
moment in the harbor. The sinking of the U .S.
battleship Maine in 1898. anchored right in Havana's
port, was the direct catalyst for the Spanish
-American War. The war resulted in Spain's final
departure from the Americas, marking the transition
into the Republic era from 1902 to 1959. Shifting
into the Republic, Cuba was advanced compared
to its Caribbean neighbors, yet our sources reveal
a society riddled with deep structural contradictions
that were magnified by Havana's centrality. The
disparity was astonishing. If you look at social
indicators, the country had the highest ratio
of hospital beds to population in the entire
Caribbean. Which sounds fantastic on paper. Right.
But when you look closer, 80 % of those beds
were concentrated in Havana. Meanwhile, the rest
of the vast rural island might have had a single
10 -bed hospital for an entire region. That concentration
suggests a deliberate political strategy. Was
this pattern unique to health care? Or did the
concentration of power and resources in Havana
define the republic era across the board? It
defined the republic, the economy, infrastructure,
political power. It all flowed to and centered
on the capital. This created profound economic
and social friction. For instance. Cuba had extensive
labor union privileges. Extremely strong unions,
including outright bans on dismissals and restrictions
on mechanization in certain industries. This
benefited unionized workers in Havana's factories
and ports immensely. But this came at a huge
social cost. It did. The sources highlight that
these protections often came at the cost of the
unemployed in the presence who lacked representation
and access to these urban benefits. At the same
time, the growing middle class, many of whom
were university graduates, grew Satisfied due
to high unemployment and increasing political
corruption. So the system was generating great
wealth and opportunity, but only for a very narrowly
defined segment of the population concentrated
in the capital. Exactly. Moving to the international
stage, Havana briefly returned to geopolitical
prominence during World War II. Yes. In 1940,
Havana hosted the crucial Havana Conference.
21 American nations met there to agree on a unified
policy regarding territories in the Americas
occupied by Axis. powers. It was a testament
to Havana's perceived neutrality and strategic
importance. Now let's turn to media leadership.
The pre -revolutionary era was a time of impressive
technological adoption, making Cuba a genuine
pioneer in broadcasting. An absolute pioneer.
Cuba was the first Latin American country to
introduce television, starting regular commercial
broadcasting in 1950. And this wasn't some slow
rollout either. And the expansion was incredibly
rapid, putting Cuba in a global leadership position.
By 1954, the CMQ TV network had established seven
stations across the island. This made Cuba the
second country in the world following only the
United States to have a fully national television
network. Wow. That tells you about the level
of capital investment and technical expertise
that existed in Havana at the time. It does.
And the radio network was just as influential,
providing the shared cultural narrative for the
entire country. The CMQ radio network was immensely
popular throughout the 1940s and 50s. They broadcast
hugely influential programs, including a soap
opera called El Derecho de Nacer. The Right to
be Born. Which became one of the most popular
radio dramas in global history listened to all
across Latin America. This advanced media infrastructure
reflected a highly sophisticated, if unequal,
society operating right before the political
system broke down. The physical structure of
Havana tells the story of its history, culminating
in those three distinct urban zones we mentioned
earlier. Let's start with the one most people
visualize, Old Havana. Old Havana, or Habana
Vieja, is the traditional historical core. It's
physically constrained, defined by its UNESCO
World Heritage designation since 1982. Visually,
you should think of narrow shaded streets, colonial
plazas that were the heartbeat of 17th and 18th
century life, and those iconic overhanging balconies
that almost touch across the street. Designed
to shade the thoroughfares, this is the city
of the Spanish crown. Exactly. Then moving beyond
the old city limits, we hit the 20th century
in Vedado. How does that transition feel physically?
It's immediate and jarring. It is. Vedado operates
on a modern orthogonal street grid. It was developed
primarily between 1930 and 1960 and became the
center for high -rise commercial life and glamorous
nightlife. The architecture here is characterized
by smooth, streamlined art deco and early modernism.
A shift from narrow, dark colonial streets to
broad, breezy avenues and high -rise hotels.
Completely different feeling. And the third phase,
the suburban districts like Miramar. These zones,
largely spreading west and developed as affluent
residential and industrial areas, are characterized
by larger lots and more secluded housing. And
Miramar specifically evolved into the most exclusive
area. Even today, its wide avenues and substantial
villas house the foreign embassies and upscale
facilities, marking it as a geographically distinct
space. Switching to administration, Havana acts
as both a city and a province. What's the practical
reality for the local government structure? Well,
the city operates under severe centralization.
It has very little fiscal or political autonomy,
relying heavily on the national government and
the Communist Party of Cuba for its budgeting
and direction. Yet our sources mention a degree
of local electoral competition. How does that
work within a centralized system? It happens
at the very local level. Delegates are elected
to municipal assemblies, and these elections
are competitive, meaning there has to be a minimum
of two candidates on the ballot, and the candidates
do not necessarily have to be Communist Party
members. These delegates then form people's councils,
105 of which exist in Havana. These councils
are the government's grassroots arm, directly
responsible for neighborhood affairs. They are
the crucial link between national policy and
what happens on your block. Let's turn back to
the architecture that defines Old Havana, starting
with the dominant styles of the colonial era,
Spanish and Cuban Baroque. The Baroque period
is defined by defense and devotion. We still
see massive military fortifications like the
Castillo del Principe and the Fortress San Salvador
de la Punta. And the high point of Cuban Baroque.
That would have to be the Havana Cathedral, constructed
between 1748 and 1777. Its ornate, asymmetrical
facade is universally recognized as the best
example of Cuban Baroque. It's built of coral
stone, which gives it this unique, almost spongy
texture. And there is a remarkable anecdote attached
to the Iglesia del Espíritu Santo. This small,
simple church also built of coral stone is significant
for its catacombs, but its historical status
is truly unique. In 1773, King Charles III of
Spain issued a royal certificate declaring it
the only immune church in this city. What did
that mean, immune? It was a rare privilege. Anyone
being persecuted could find amparo or sanctuary
inside its walls, protected from arrest by the
authorities or the justice system. It was a physical
manifestation of mercy built right into the city
fabric. Following the Baroque opulence, neoclassicism
arrived, bringing French influences to the residential
architecture of the wealthy. This style became
dominant among the rising class of Habaneros
who were getting rich from the sugar trade in
the mid -19th century. The pinnacle of this style
is the El Dama Palace, built in 1844, considered
Cuba's most important neoclassical residential
building. It's defined by those spacious interior
courtyards and grand, calmed portails. Right,
those covered porches that wrap around the structure,
providing shade and ventilation. And Havana briefly
employed the chief urban planner of Paris to
try and organize the growing metropolis. Jean
-Claude Nicolas Forestier. Yes, he was brought
in from 1925 to 1930 to bring Parisian elements.
and efficiency to the city. His goal was to harmonize
the built environment with the tropical landscape.
However, his ambitious plans were significantly
curtailed by the onset of the Great Depression.
The 1920s and 30s brought Art Deco, which visually
defines that early Vedado area. The Art Deco
movement captured the confidence and modern spirit
of pre -Revelationary Havana. The ultimate representation
is the Bacardi Building, completed in 1930. Originally
the headquarters for Bacardi Rum. Exactly. It
is celebrated as one of Latin America's finest
examples of Art Deco, known for its lavish use
of marble, granite, and intricate detailing.
This building truly screams international capital
and occupants. And this era of high -rise confidence
reached its zenith in the 1950s with modernist
structures. We see iconic structures like the
Havana Hilton, now the Trip Bonalibre, and the
Radio Centro CMQ building. The Radio Centro in
particular was modeled after Manhattan's Rockefeller
Center, symbolizing Cuba's firm place in the
American sphere of influence. But the single
most compelling structure that symbolizes the
technological ambition of the 1950s has to be
the FOCSA building. Oh, absolutely. The FOCSA
building, completed in 1956, is critical to understanding
pre -revolutionary Havana's self -image. Designed
by Ernesto Gomez -Sempera and his team, it was
a massive 35 -story residential block inspired
by Corbusier's concept of a... city within a
city. A city within a city built for who? And
what did that encompass? It was built for the
rising professional and middle class. It contained
400 apartments, garages, a small school, a supermarket,
and a luxury top floor restaurant. Everything
residents needed in one vertical community. But
what truly makes it a feat of engineering is
its structure. Right. Get this. It was, at the
time, the tallest high -strength concrete structure
in the world, built entirely without a steel
frame. It's an incredible technical achievement
for the era. What does an engineering feat like
that tell you about the state of Cuban capital
and engineering confidence in the mid -1950s?
It shows supreme, almost reckless confidence.
They had the capital, the local expertise, and
the global connections to build something technologically
groundbreaking. It was a statement that Havana
was not just keeping up, it was leading. The
story of Havana architecture quickly shifts from
confident construction to pervasive decay. The
change post -1959 was dramatic. Due to rapid
nationalization, the U .S. embargo, and a centralized
economic model that prioritized other things
over maintenance, there has been a severe lack
of upkeep. This neglect has led to widespread
structural deterioration and tragically frequent
building collapses. And there was a clear symbolic
architectural loss right at the start of the
revolution. That was the demolition of the Plaza
del Vapor in 1959. This central marketplace built
in 1835 was a structure of immense architectural
and cultural importance. The revolutionary government
declared it unhealthy and politically undesirable
and tore it down. Parallel to the fate of La
Salle in Paris is striking a piece of urban history
eliminated for reasons of political convenience.
It marked a clear break with the past, imposing
a new order. It was a statement that the past,
however beautiful, could be erased. But there
are massive efforts now to reverse some of this
physical decline, largely driven by tourism.
Yes. Havana's historical core is undergoing a
multimillion -dollar restoration. This work is
meticulously overseen by the Office of the City
Historian, often financed by foreign aid and
tourism revenues. However, the restoration is
highly focused. So it concentrates on the major
plazas and key tourist thoroughfares. Exactly.
The beautiful, restored Havana that tourists
see represents less than 10 % of Old Havana's
area. Wow. It's a successful and visually stunning
effort, but it is a targeted intervention. It
means architectural grandeur and intense physical...
decay coexist within the same neighborhood, creating
one of the city's most acute visual paradoxes.
The transition in the 1960s from the glamorous
capitalist Paris of the Antilles to a centrally
controlled socialist economy fundamentally redefined
Havana's economic role. It was a rapid and total
overhaul. The capitalist free enterprise system
was essentially eliminated. All Cuban and U .S.
owned businesses were nationalized by the state.
Banking remains state -controlled, centered at
the National Bank of Cuba in Havana. That means
the state became the monolithic employer. Who
works for whom in the capital today? As of the
early 2000s, nearly 89 % of the formerly recorded
labor force worked for state agencies, institutions,
or enterprises. Havana remains Cuba's major industrial
hub, concentrating on light manufacturing, chemicals,
pharmaceuticals, and of course, the state -owned
production of Habanos cigars. And its maritime
importance is undiminished. It is still the nation's
primary port, handling a staggering 50 % of the
country's imports and exports. Geographically,
Vedado serves as the modern commercial and financial
district, hosting the main bank headquarters
and airline offices. This economy, which had
been supported by the Soviet bloc, took a catastrophic,
life -altering hit. hit in the early 1990s. We
need to spend time detailing the impact of the
special period. The collapse of the Soviet Union
in 1991 meant the immediate and abrupt termination
of billions of dollars in subsidies, cheap oil
and essential trade. This was a sudden, devastating
shock that initiated what is known as the special
period in time of peace. What did that economic
deterioration look and feel like for the average
habanero? Life fundamentally changed overnight.
There were massive shortages of everything, food,
medicine, and most importantly, fuel. Public
transportation ground to a halt. Power outages
became routine. People lost huge amounts of weight.
The government was forced to focus almost entirely
on survival. And this collapse directly leads
to the paradox of a contemporary economy, especially
regarding private enterprise and local income.
Even after some limited private sector allowance
was introduced around 2011, private businesses
still face high failure rates. And this is the
central paradox. The local economy cannot sustain
widespread capitalism because the vast majority
of residents working for the state average only
about $20 per month in official salary. $20 a
month. That explains why there is such a desperate
reliance on outside income streams, like remittances
or increasingly tourism. Tourism is the economic
engine that Havana relies on today. It's important
to remember that Havana has a history as a leading
destination. It was the premier Caribbean tourist
destination between 1915 and 1930, ironically
booming due to U .S. prohibition. But the U .S.
embargo in 1961 killed that industry. It dropped
drastically. The recovery started in the 1980s
when the government actively sought foreign investment
to build new hotels. This led to a major rebound.
And what's fascinating is that this tourism is
diversified. Havana is a major health tourism
destination, attracting foreign patients for
specialized treatments. Let's discuss the social
landscape now. The government avoids the term
poverty. They prefer at risk or vulnerable. They
argue that conventional poverty, where lack of
income equates to a total lack of opportunity,
doesn't exist due to the country's comprehensive
social safety net. We call it social leveling.
So what does this precarious housing stock look
like for nearly 10 percent of the population?
The most dramatic example is the solaris or quarteria.
These are the decaying colonial era mansions
or older hotels that have been legally subdivided,
sometimes housing 50 or 60 families in cramped,
precarious units. Over 9 % of the population
lives in these highly deteriorated shared spaces.
And then you have shanty towns, which house about
3 .3%. Right. And this is the ultimate social
paradox. You have architectural structures originally
built for the elite neoclassical palaces now
housing dozens of low -income families in physically
dangerous conditions. Yet the crucial distinction
is that residents of these salores or shanty
towns still have access to the same high -quality,
free education, free health care, secure job
opportunities, and social security as those who
live in formerly affluent areas. That is the
leveling component. It's a profound contradiction.
Turning to demographics. Havana is a massive
urban center. It holds nearly 20 % of Cuba's
total population. The ethnic breakdown, according
to the 2012 census, shows the majority identifying
as white, about 58 .4%, largely of Spanish descent,
followed by mestizomilado at 26 .4 % and black
at 15 .2%. And the distinction about the Latino
population is crucial for understanding Cuba's
current ethnic makeup compared to the rest of
Latin America. It's vital. Unlike Mexico or Peru,
Cuba has relatively few mestizos because the
indigenous Tino population was almost entirely
wiped out by Eurasian diseases very early in
the colonization period. What about internal
migration? With the concentration of resources
in Havana, people must be trying to move here
constantly. They are, but the government imposes
controls on movement into the already densely
populated and infrastructure -strained metropolitan
area. This results in significant internal tension,
particularly concerning internal migrants from
the eastern region of Oriente. These migrants
are sometimes informally and quite loadedly nicknamed
Palestinians. A term that highlights the strained
resources and internal friction. Exactly. We
mentioned earlier that the health system is strong
despite economic challenges. Let's focus on those
indicators again. The emphasis remains on primary
care and prevention. All residents have free
access to health care, often delivered by neighborhood
family doctors who serve an average of 170 families
each. This gives Cuba one of the highest doctor
-to -patient ratios globally. And that system
produces results comparable to developed nations.
Yes. Havana's infant mortality rate in 2009 was
4 .9 per 1 ,000 live births. To give you context,
that rate is better than some developed countries
and consistently the lowest in the developing
world. Education is similarly prioritized free
and compulsory through secondary level, anchored
by the prestigious University of Havana established
in 1728. And a cultural institution that draws
global talent. the Cuban National Ballet School.
With 4 ,350 students, it is one of the largest
and most prestigious ballet schools in the world,
reflecting a continuous state commitment to arts
education and cultural diplomacy. Let's ground
ourselves again in the geography. That perfect
harbor protected by the Straits of Florida is
Havana's defining physical feature. It is. Havana
lies on the northern coast, right at the intersection
of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic. The bay
is entered through that narrow inlet that was
so easily defended by El Morro and La Punta,
but then it expands into three deep, well -sheltered
inner harbors. And the climate is typical tropical
savanna, but what about natural disasters? Is
it highly exposed? It's a tropical savannah climate,
with average temperatures ranging from 22 degrees
C in January to 28 degrees C in August. While
the whole island is vulnerable, Havana is usually
spared the worst of the hurricanes, as they generally
strike the south coast. But weather extremes
have begun to assert themselves recently. Yes.
While major hurricanes usually bypass the capital,
Hurricane Ian in 2022 still approached near hurricane
strength, causing significant damage. However,
the most unusual and devastating weather event
was the 2019 EF4 tornado. Tornadoes of that strength
are incredibly rare in the Caribbean. Unusually
violent. It struck the eastern side of Havana,
killing four people and injuring 195. It was
the first F4 or EF4 tornado recorded in Cuba
since 1940, highlighting a new, unpredictable
vulnerability. Moving to transportation, the
city's network is extensive, built during those
boom years, but suffering badly today. The road
network, including the Autopista National, is
extensive but severely deteriorated due to the
lack of maintenance funds since the special period.
The National Rail Network still connects Havana
to all provinces, but the quality of service
is highly variable. And the most ambitious transportation
dream remains a literal abandoned scar on the
landscape. That would be the abandoned metro
dream. In the 1980s, during Cuba's closest relationship
with the Soviet Union, there were advanced plans
to build a Moscow -like underground subway system
for Havana. Cuban, Czech, and Soviet specialists
completed extensive studies. They did. And actual
construction had begun in the late 1980s. But
when the Soviet Union collapsed, what happened?
The project died immediately. The massive funding
and technical expertise evaporated overnight.
The abandoned metro system is one of the clearest
physical testaments to the abrupt and brutal
shift in Cuba's economic dependence, a symbol
of what might have been. Just rusted equipment
and half -dug tunnels. That's it. Yet one historical
line still operates, which is incredible given
the challenges. The Hershey Electric Railway.
This interurban line was built in 1917 by the
Hershey Chocolate Company to transport sugar
cane and employees. Today, it remains operational,
running from Casablanca across the bay from Old
Havana all the way to Matanzas. It's a historical
anomaly, a functioning remnant of the American
industrial era. Finally, let's explore Havana
as a center of arts and culture. It is a powerhouse.
The Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de la Habana
holds one of Latin America's largest art collections
with over 45 ,000 pieces. They dedicate one building
entirely to Cuban art history and another to
universal art. And the performing arts have a
global heritage. The Gran Teatro de la Habana,
established in 1837, is the historic heart of
Cuban performance. Its stage has hosted legends
like Enrico Caruso and Ana Pavlova. It is currently
home to the National Ballet of Cuba, indelibly
associated with the legendary Cuban prima ballerina,
and choreographer Alicia Alonso. What's fascinating
here is how the entire history we've discussed
is summarized in the single visual emblem, Havana's
coat of arms. The coat of arms is the perfect
visual synthesis of this deep dive. It features
three castles, Fuerza, Morro, and Punta, which
definitively represent the city's defensive history.
Most truthfully, in the center is a key, symbolizing
Havana's role as the definitive gateway or key
to the new world. As we end, let's mention those
massive landmarks that define the modern skyline.
We have to mention the Malcón, the iconic seawall
avenue that curves around the Atlantic coast,
famous for social life and sunsets. El Capitolio
Nacional, built in 1929, now houses the Cuban
Academy of Sciences. The necropolis Cristóbal
Polón is an astonishing sight, an elaborate 19th
century open -air museum with nearly a million
tombs. And watching over the city from the east
side of the bay is the gigantic Christ of Havana
statue. Completed in 1958, a final statement
of pre -revolutionary cultural confidence. So
what does this all mean for you, the learner?
We have traced Havana's journey from a mosquito
-ridden Spanish outpost to a global colonial
choke point, a glamorous Paris of the Antilles,
and ultimately to a centralized state capital
grappling with decades of economic shock. The
central narrative tension is the contrast between
the city's historical role and its present reality.
History endowed it with unparalleled strategic
importance and architectural grandeur, from the
coral stone churches to the concrete monolith
of the FOCSA building. And that past now stands
in stark contrast with the current struggle.
Low state -controlled salaries and severe physical
decay in the urban core. We see the high indicators
of social achievement, world -class health and
education metrics coexisting with the profound
economic fragility where private enterprise struggles
because the local population averages only $20
a month in wages. The past is magnificent, but
the present is complicated. Very. And the restoration
efforts are limited, though spectacular, and
intrinsically tied to the tourism economy, focusing
on the facades and plazas most visible to the
outside world. Meanwhile, the reality for the
majority of residents is now navigating life
within a highly centralized system, living in
decaying mansions and dealing with failing infrastructure.
Like those rusted remnants of the abandoned metro
dream. Exactly. The layers of history are visible
everywhere, from the ancient military fortifications
to the Art Deco high -rises. So this raises an
important question for you to consider as you
reflect on this city's long and complicated history.
As Havana increasingly relies on the outside
world for the capital needed to save its physical
structure, how will the pressures of 21st century
global tourism and economics combined with the
city's unique political structure determine whether
Havana remains the dynamic, essential key to
the new world, or if it becomes a painstakingly
restored, beautiful, but ultimately frozen historical
relic? A perfect, provocative thought to end
our deep dive into this incredible city of layers.
Thank you for joining us.