There are 115 cities and towns in the Island having an estimated population of 200 and upwards named as follows:

Cities Population Cities Population
Havana 200,000Macurijes4,100
Matanzas50,000Bayamo3,634
Puerto Principe40,679San Luis3,556
Santiago de Cuba40,000San Cristobal3,522
Cienfuegos25,790Guira de Melena3,500
Guanabacoa25,000Morón3,017
Santa Clara24,635La Cruces3,000
Cardenas20,505Alfonso XII3,000
Trinidad18,000Arroyo Navanijo3,000
Sancti Spiritu17,540Sabanillo del Encomendador2,991
Sagua la Grande14,000Palmira2,987
Regla10,486Guanajayabo2,879
Manzanillo9,036Nueva Paz2,737
Guantanamo9,000Alquizar2,700
San Antonio de las Baños7,500San Felipe2,311
San Juan de los Remedios7,230San Juan de las Yeras2,267
San Fernando de Nuevitas6,991Jaruco2,200
San Julian de los Guines6,828San Jose de las Lajas2,170
Colón6,525La Esperanza2,147
Bejucal6,239San Juan y Martinez2,100
Jorellanos (Bemba) 6,000Corral Nuevo2,092
Santiago de las Vegas6,000Consolacion del Sur2,000
Guanajay6,000Guines2,000
Pinar del Rio5,500Santa Cruz2,000
Holguin5,500Quemados de Guines2,000
Caibarien5,500Quivican1,950
Baracoa5,213Bahia Honda1,889
Guira5,000Batabano1,864
La Isabela5,000Bolondron1,758
Artemisa5,000Santa Domingo1,750
Santa Isabel de las Lajas4,924Mariel1,637
Guana4,650Cuevitas1,629
Gibara4,608Cervantes1,560
Macagua4,100Ranchuelo1,533
Cabañas1,509Managua896
San Antonio de Cabezas1,500Ceiba del Agua892
Zaza1,500Roque800
Calaboya1,500Salud800
Cartagena1,497Canasi700
Calabazar1,481Caney700
Palmillas1,471Jibacos696
Aguacate1,427Cidra695
San Diego del Valle1,403Vereda Nueva672
Jiguani1,393Santa Maria del Rosario660
Mantua1,380Rancho Velez656
Cayajabos1,352Santa Ana601
Marianao1,225San Jose de los Remos570
San Antonio de Rio Blanco del Norte1,200Lagunillas520
Candelaria1,200Guane510
Ciego de Avila1,167San Matias de Rio Blanco400
Catalina1,165Alto Songo400
San Antonio de las Vegas1,136Limonar330
Tapaste1,130Amaro320
San Nicolas1,100San Miguel300
Melena del Sur1,082Madruga300
Santa Cruz del Sur1,000Cimarrones300
Bainoa1,000Mangar209
Sagua de Tanamo981La Boca200
Vinales925Alonso Rojos200

In addition to these are 132 places with less than 200 population, including railroad stations, bathing and health resorts, and farm hamlets.

As will be observed by the student of municipal nomenclature, the Spanish were liberal to Cuba in christening the towns in the Island, however parsimonious the mother country was in respect of all other things; and many Cuban towns have more name than anything else. The oldest town is Baracoa, in the province of Santiago de Cuba. It was laid out in 1512. Its chief products are bananas, cocoa, and cocoa oil, and there are some remarkable caves near by, noted for beautiful stalactites and well preserved fossil human remains.

The largest city in the Island is Havana, the capital, to which a chapter is devoted elsewhere in this volume.

Matanzas, in size the second city of the Island, and the capital of the province of Matanzas, is, in some particulars, the most attractive city of Cuba, although but one-fourth the size of Havana. It lies seventy-four miles by rail to the east of Havana, on the fine bay of Matanzas, with beautiful hills at its back. The town is divided into three parts by the rivers San Juan and Yumuri, two streams which water the valley of Yumuri, situated behind the hills of Matanzas, and presenting the most exquisite scenery in Cuba. The climate and soil of the valley make Yumuri, to Cubans, synonymous with poesy and Paradise. Notwithstanding the commercial importance of Matanzas, the Spanish authorities have neglected the wharves and permitted its harbour to become so filled with sediment from the river that ships are compelled to load and unload by means of lighters in the roadstead. The city was founded in 1693, and has paved streets, usually thirty feet in width, with three-foot sidewalks; interesting stuccoed houses of two stories, coloured drab and ochre, with balconies; pleasant parks, with fountains and flowers; a pleasure promenade and drive—the Paseo; one of the best hotels in Cuba; several theatres, among them the Esteban; some notable churches, including the Hermitage, on Mount Montserrat, at whose shrine marvellous cures are said to be effected. The people are well content.

The leading industries are rum distilleries, sugar refineries, guava-jelly factories, machine and railroad-car shops. Shipments of sugar and molasses to the United States in 1891-95 were about $60,000,000. The city has gas-works and an electric-light plant, but no street-cars, and since 1872 it has had a fine water supply, though only about half the houses are connected with the water system, and many of the people still buy water of street vendors, without knowledge as to the source of supply or purity of the water. Sewers run through only two streets, though the location of the city is well adapted to secure excellent drainage. The suburbs, or rather divisions, of the city by the river are known as Versailles, on the north-east, and to the south-east, Pueblo Nuevo. Through the latter part of the city leads the road to the famous caves of Bellamar, three and a half miles, where many invalids resort for the health-giving qualities of the warm air of the caverns.

The most beautiful and striking feature of Matanzas is the cañon of the Yumuri, a great gorge of perpendicular walls green-clad with tropical vegetation through which the rivers of the Yumuri Valley flow down to the sea. This is a constant resort for the pleasure-loving Matanzans, and they thoroughly realise its beauty and value to the city. There are many interesting drives and excursions by river and rail from Matanzas. The waggon roads extending into the interior, as everywhere in Cuba, are in wretched condition; the railroad connections by several routes are fairly good, the roads being equipped with American-cars and engines. Its population of fifty thousand is nominal, having been reduced about one-third by the war.