Australia, Cuba
Australia is a Cuban village and consejo popular ("people's council", i.e. hamlet)[2] of the municipality of Jagüey Grande, Matanzas Province. It has an estimated population of 8,850.[3][1]
Australia | |
|---|---|
Village | |
  Location of Australia in Cuba | |
| Coordinates: 22°29′58.16″N 81°8′9.17″W | |
| Country |  |
| Province | Matanzas |
| Municipality | Jagüey Grande |
| Founded | January 01, 1901 |
| Area | |
| • Land | 1,305 km2 (504 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 7 m (23 ft) |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
| • Total | 8,850 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| Area code(s) | +53-52 |
History
The village, founded in 1901, is in a sugar growing area and "dominated by the old, out-of-service sugar factory's chimney, with "Australia" written prominently down its length."[4] The village is named after the factory, the Central Australia,[5] which like others in the area were named after continents.[2]
The village was the first sugar town in Cuba to stop using slave labour,[6] and served as Fidel Castro's base of operations during the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion.[4]
Geography
Located 2 km south of Jagüey Grande, Australia lies next to Zapata Swamp (Ciénaga de Zapata). It is served by the A1 motorway (linking Havana to Santa Clara) at the exit of Jagüey.[7]
See also
References
- (in Spanish) Australia on EcuRed
- (in Spanish) Australia (Jagüey Grande) on EcuRed
- "Australia's Cuban namesake is a small town with a proud history". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
- Atfield, Cameron (22 October 2014). "Town of Australia, Cuba: The Australia you've never heard of". Traveller. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
- (in Spanish) Central Australia on EcuRed
- "Australia's Cuban namesake is a small town with a proud history". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
- Google. "Australia" (Map). Google Maps. Google.
External links
- (in Spanish) Historical infos about Australia (guije.com)