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Cruz, Celia

(Encyclopedia)Cruz, Celia, 1929–2003, Cuban-American singer, b. Havana. The “Queen of Salsa” began singing as a teenager, and in 1950 joined Sonora Matancera, Cuba's most popular band. She left Cuba a year af...

Cauto

(Encyclopedia)Cauto kouˈtō [key], longest river in Cuba, c.213 mi (343 km) long, rising in the Sierra Maestra. It flows NW and W to the Caribbean Sea just N of Manzanillo. ...

Martínez de Campos, Arsenio

(Encyclopedia)Martínez de Campos, Arsenio ärsāˈnyō märtēˈnĕth dā kämˈpōs [key], 1831–1900, Spanish general. He served in Morocco (1859–60), in Mexico (1861–63), and in Cuba (1869–72). He played...

Hostos, Eugenio María de

(Encyclopedia)Hostos, Eugenio María de āo͞ohāˈnyō märēˈä dā ōˈstōs [key], 1839–1903, Latin American philosopher, sociologist, writer, and political and educational reformer, b. Puerto Rico, educated...

Placetas

(Encyclopedia)Placetas pläsāˈtäs [key], city (1994 est. pop. 42,000), Villa Clara prov., central Cuba. Tobacco processing is the city's chief industry. Placetas is located on a major highway and serves as a rai...

Estrada Palma, Tomás

(Encyclopedia)Estrada Palma, Tomás pälˈmä [key], 1835–1908, Cuban revolutionist and first president (1902–6) of Cuba. An active participant in the Ten Years War (1868–78), he became a general (1876) and w...

Weyler y Nicolau, Valeriano

(Encyclopedia)Weyler y Nicolau, Valeriano välāryäˈnō wāˈlĕr ē nēkōläˈo͞o [key], 1838–1930, Spanish general. His early career was spent in Santo Domingo and Cuba, where he served during the Ten Years...

Güines

(Encyclopedia)Güines gwēˈnās [key], city (1994 est. pop. 46,000), Mayabeque prov., W Cuba. It is located in one of the island's most heavily farmed areas. Güines was founded in 1737 as the commercial and finan...

Cárdenas

(Encyclopedia)Cárdenas, city (1994 est. pop. 63,000), N central Cuba, Matanzas prov., a port on Cárdenas Bay. It processes and exports sugar and sisal and has industries producing tobacco, beer, and soap. A fishi...

Fernández de Córdoba, Francisco, d. 1518?, Spanish explorer in Mexico

(Encyclopedia)Fernández de Córdoba, Francisco fränthēsˈkō fārnänˈdāth dā kōrˈdōbä [key], d. 1518?, Spanish explorer in Mexico. Sailing from Cuba on a slave hunt, he discovered Yucatán in 1517. He di...