Oriente (, "East") was the easternmost province of Cuba until 1976. The term "Oriente" is still used to refer to the eastern part of the country, which currently is divided into five different provinces.

Fidel Fidel most commonly refers to: * Fidel Castro (1926–2016), Cuban communist revolutionary and politician * Fidel Ramos (1928–2022), Filipino politician and former president Fidel may also refer to: Other persons * Fidel (given name) Film * ...

and

Raúl Castro Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz (; ; born 3 June 1931) is a retired Cuban politician and general who served as the first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, the most senior position in the one-party communist state, from 2011 to 2021, succeedi ...

were born in a small town in this province (

Birán Birán is a village in Holguín Province of Cuba, hamlet and ''consejo popular'' of Cueto, best known as the birthplace of Ramón, Fidel, and Raúl Castro. Their father owned a 23,000 acre (93 km²) plantation there. History Until the 197 ...

). The origins of Oriente lie in the 1607 division of Cuba into a western and eastern administration. The eastern part was governed from

Santiago de Cuba Santiago de Cuba is the second-largest city in Cuba and the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province. It lies in the southeastern area of the island, some southeast of the Cuban capital of Havana. The municipality extends over , and contains t ...

and it was subordinate to the national government in Havana. In 1807, Cuba was divided into three ''departamentos'': Occidental, Central and Oriental. This arrangement lasted until 1851, when the central department was merged back into the West. In 1878, Cuba was divided into six provinces. Oriente remained intact but was officially renamed to Santiago de Cuba Province until the name was reverted to Oriente in 1905. This lasted until 1976, when the province was split into five different provinces:

Las Tunas Province Las Tunas is one of the provinces of Cuba. Major towns include Puerto Padre, Amancio, and the capital city, Las Tunas (historically Victoria de Las Tunas).Granma Province Granma is one of the provinces of Cuba. Its capital is Bayamo. Other towns include Manzanillo (a port on the Gulf of Guacanayabo) and Pilón. History The province takes its name from the yacht '' Granma'', used by Che Guevara and Fidel Castr ...

Holguín Province Holguín () is one of the provinces of Cuba, the third most populous after Havana and Santiago de Cuba. It lies in the southeast of the country. Its major cities include Holguín (the capital), Banes, Antilla, Mayarí, and Moa. The province ...

Santiago de Cuba Province Santiago de Cuba Province is the second most populated province in the island of Cuba. The largest city Santiago de Cuba is the main administrative center. Other large cities include Palma Soriano, Contramaestre, San Luis and Songo-la Maya. Hi ...

, and

Guantánamo Province Guantánamo is the easternmost province of Cuba. Its capital is also called Guantánamo. Other towns include Baracoa. The province has the only land border of the U.S. Navy base at Guantánamo Bay. Overview Guantánamo's architecture and cultu ...

. This administrative change was proclaimed by Cuban Law Number 1304 of July 3, 1976, and remains in place to this day.

History

Diego Velazquez founded the capital of Oriente province in 1514 and named it Santiago de Cuba. The province comprises 22 municipalities and is Cuba's largest province containing about one third of the country's population. Oriente Province is in the most eastern region of Cuba with a population of 1,797,606. It stretches across and consists of various mountain ranges with the

Sierra Maestra The Sierra Maestra is a mountain range that runs westward across the south of the old Oriente Province in southeast Cuba, rising abruptly from the coast. The range falls mainly within the Santiago de Cuba and in Granma Provinces. Some view it a ...

region having Cuba's highest mountain peak and elevation in Pico Turquino. Oriente Province is the cradle of much of Cuba's history being the place of Fidel and Raul Castro's birth.

José Martí José Julián Martí Pérez (; January 28, 1853 – May 19, 1895) was a Cuban nationalist, poet, philosopher, essayist, journalist, translator, professor, and publisher, who is considered a Cuban national hero because of his role in the libera ...

was killed in battle in Dos Ríos and many guerrilla wars have also taken place in Oriente. Cuba's first guerilla-style war was in 1523. against the advancing Spaniards in the Sierra Maestra Mountains. Some of Cuba's oldest cities are in Oriente Province (such as Baracoa) and carry a rich history of Cuba's struggle for independence and racial equality. Throughout the 1800s a significant number of enslaved African people were brought to Cuba to work at the sugar mills, although some were brought from Haiti and other neighboring islands because they were also cheap and efficient labor. Open warfare broke out after an independence movement and lasted from 1867 to 1878. Slavery was finally abolished in 1886, but life for many

Afro-Cuban Afro-Cubans or Black Cubans are Cubans of West African ancestry. The term ''Afro-Cuban'' can also refer to historical or cultural elements in Cuba thought to emanate from this community and the combining of native African and other cultural ele ...

s remains a struggle, especially in Oriente Province. After the occupation of the Spanish ended in 1899, Oriente Province became a refuge for Afro-Cubans. Oriente had the highest number of individual land owners and renters with 96% of the population being native-born. Afro-Cubans constituted as many as 26% of the land workers. Of the total land owned by Afro-Cubans, 75% were in Oriente Province. Even though Afro-Cubans fared better in Oriente, poverty was still rampant in the province and they remained oppressed by wealthy Cubans and foreign land owners. Sugar and coffee were the main agricultural products produced. And at the highest there were forty-one sugar mills spread throughout the region. Foreign investors saw opportunity within the province and began to buy as much land as possible to increase sugar production. As investors bought land, local farmers were pushed out and frustration increased. Poverty grew and by May 1912 Cubans in Oriente Province had reached a boiling point. Massive demonstrations erupted and Afro-Cubans began to loot and burn businesses and property owned by foreign investors. In response, the Cuban government sent in the army to burn the property of the Afro-Cubans and slaughtered many. Within two years, half of the sugar mills in Oriente were owned by U.S. investors. For Cubans working within the province, life had become near unbearable. The presence of

Americans Americans are the Citizenship of the United States, citizens and United States nationality law, nationals of the United States, United States of America.; ; Although direct citizens and nationals make up the majority of Americans, many Multi ...

Jamaicans Jamaicans are the citizens of Jamaica and their descendants in the Jamaican diaspora. The vast majority of Jamaicans are of Sub-Saharan African descent, with minorities of Europeans, East Indians, Chinese, Middle Eastern, and others of mixed a ...

Bahamians Bahamians are people originating or having roots from The Commonwealth of The Bahamas. One can also become a Bahamian by acquiring citizenship. History Culture Olympic Games World Championships in Athletics List * Sidney Poitier, firs ...

and

Haitians Haitians ( French: , ht, Ayisyen) are the citizens of Haiti and the descendants in the diaspora through direct parentage. An ethnonational group, Haitians generally comprise the modern descendants of self-liberated Africans in the Caribbean te ...

, brought in by the

United Fruit Company The United Fruit Company (now Chiquita) was an American multinational corporation that traded in tropical fruit (primarily bananas) grown on Latin American plantations and sold in the United States and Europe. The company was formed in 1899 fro ...

exacerbated racial problems not present until the U.S. occupation of 1898. Cuba's national hero, José Martí called for a multiracial republic.

List of governors

1500–1799

* 1511

Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar Diego Velázquez de CuéllarPronounced: (1465 – c. June 12, 1524) was a Spanish conquistador and the first governor of Cuba. In 1511 he led the successful conquest and colonization of Cuba. As the first governor of the island, he establi ...

* 1528 Pedro de Barba * 1532 Gonzalo Ñuño de Guzmán * 1538 Juan de Rojas;

Isabel de Bobadilla Isabel de Bobadilla, or Inés de Bobadilla (c. 1505–1554) was the first female governor of Cuba from 1539–1543. Background Isabel was born to a family closely associated with the exploration and conquest of the Americas. She was the third ...

* 1539 Hernando de Soto * 1545 Juan de Avila * 1547 Antonio de Chávez * 1549 Gonzalo Pérez de Angulo * 1550 Juan de Hinestrosa * 1554

Diego de Mazariegos Diego de Mazariegos y Porres ( Archivo Nacional de Cuba, 1957Boletín del Archivo Nacional, Volume 55 p206 conquistador. He conquered Chiapas in Mexico, and in 1528, together with Andrés de la Tovilla, founded San Cristóbal de las Casas San ...

* 1565 García Osorio * 1567 Diego de Ribera y Cepero * 1568 Francisco de Zayas; Pedro Menéndez de Airlés * 1570 Pedro Vázquez Valdés * 1571 Juan Alonso de Navia * 1574 Sancho Pardo Osorio * 1576 Gabriel de Montalvo * 1577 Diego de Soto * 1578 Juan Carreño * 1580 Gaspar de Torres * 1584 Gabriel Luján * 1586 Pedro Vega de la Guerra * 1589 Juan Tejada * 1596 Juan Maldonado * 1602 Pedro Valdés * 1608 Juan de Villaverde Ozeta * 1609 Juan Ortiz * 1614 Juan García de Navia * 1618 Rodrigo de Velazco * 1625 Pedro Fonseca Betancourt * 1627 Alonso Cabrera * 1630 Juan Acevedo * 1632 Juan de Amézqueta Quijano * 1633 Pedro de la Roca y Borgés * 1643 Bartolomé Osuna * 1649 Diego Felipe Ribera * 1654 Pedro Bayona Villanueva * 1659 Pedro Morales * 1662 Francisco de la Vega * 1663 Juan Bravo Acuña * 1664 Pedro Bayona Villanueva * 1670 Andrés de Magaña * 1678 Francisco de la Vega * 1683 Gil Correoso Catalán * 1688 Tomás Pizarro Cortés * 1690 Juan Villalobos * 1691 Alvaro Romero Venegas * 1692 Sebastián Arencibia Isasi * 1698 Mateo Palacio Saldurtum * 1700 Juan, Barón de Chaves * 1708 José Canales * 1711 Luis Sañudo Asay * 1712 Mateo de Cangas * 1713 Carlos Sucre * 1728 Juan del Hoyo; Pedro Ignacio Jiménez * 1738 Francisco A Cagigal * 1747 Lorenzo de Arcos y Moreno * 1754 Lorenzo Madariaga * 1765 Marqués de Casa Cagigal * 1770 Esteban de Olaris * 1772 Juan Antonio Ayauz de Ureta * 1776 José Teutor * 1779 Antonio de Salas * 1781 Vicente Manuel de Céspedes * 1782

Nicolás de Arredondo Nicolas or Nicolás may refer to: People Given name * Nicolas (given name) Mononym * Nicolas (footballer, born 1999), Brazilian footballer * Nicolas (footballer, born 2000), Brazilian footballer Surname Nicolas * Dafydd Nicolas (c.1705–1774), ...

* 1788 Juan Bautista Vaillant * 1796 Juan Nepomuceno Quintana * 1798 Isidoro de Limonta * 1799 Sebastián Kindelán

1800–1902

* 1800 Pedro Alcántara de Urbina * 1814 Pedro Celestino Duharte; Antonio Mozo de la Torre * 1816 Eusebio Escudero * 1821 Marqués de San Felipe y Santiago * 1822 Juan de Moya; Gabriel de Torres y Velasco * 1824 Juan de Moya * 1825 Francisco de Yllas * 1826 Juan de Moya; Isidro Barradas; Francisco de Yllas * 1828 Juan de Moya * 1830 Francisco de Yllas * 1831 Juan de Moya * 1834 José Santos de la Hera; Fernando Cacho * 1835 Manuel Lorenzo * 1837 Santiago Fortuns; Juan de Moya; Tomás Yarto * 1839 Joaquín Escario; Pedro Becerra * 1840 Juan Tello * 1843 Cayetano Urbina * 1846 Gregorio Piquero * 1847 José Mac-Crohón * 1851 Joaquín del Manzano * 1852 Joaquín Martínez de Medinilla * 1854 Marqués de España * 1855 Carlos de Vargas Machuca * 1859 Primo de Rivera * 1860 Antonio López de Letona * 1862 José Colubrí Massort * 1863 José Ramón de la Gándara * 1864 Casimiro de la Muela; Blas Villate de la Hera, Conde de Valmaseda * 1865 Marqués de la Concordia; Juan de Ojeda; José del Villar y Flores * 1866 Juan de Ojeda; José del Villar * 1867 Juan de Ojeda; Ramón Vivanco y León; Joaquín Ravenet y Morantes * 1868 Juan de Ojeda; Fructuoso García Muñoz * 1869 Simón de la Torre y Orsuaza; Juan de Ojeda; Félix Ferrer y Mora; Blas Villate, Conde de Valmaseda * 1870 Juan de Ojeda; Conde de Valmaseda; José Melero y Calvo; Zacarías González Goyeneche * 1871 Carlos Palanca y Gutiérrez * 1872 Arsenio Martínez de Campo; Luis Riquelme; Adolfo Morales de los Ríos * 1873 Juan García Navarro; Sabas Marín; Adolfo Morales de los Ríos; Juan Nepomuceno Burriel * 1874 Juan Nepomuceno Burriel * 1875 Sabas Marín * 1876 Ramón Menduiña * 1877 José Sáenz de Tejada; Enrique Bargés y Pombo; Luis Prendergast y Gordón; Camilo Polavieja; Andrés González Muñoz * 1878 Luis Daban y Ramírez de Arellano * 1880 Luis M de Pando; Camilo Polavieja; Emilio March y García * 1881 Camilo Polavieja; Emilio March y García * 1885 Luis M de Pando; Antonio Molto y Díaz-Bario; Francisco Acosta Alvear * 1887 Santos Pérez y Ruiz; Alvaro Suárez Valdés * 1889 Luis Izquierdo Roldán; Andrés González Muñoz; Ramón Barrio y Ruiz Vidal * 1890 Francisco Javier Obregón * 1891 Andrés González Muñoz; Leopoldo Barrios Carrión * 1892 Andrés González Muñoz; Francisco Rodríguez del Rey; José Blanco y González Calderón; Rafael Suero Marcoleta; Antonio Gálvez y González * 1893 Rafael Suero Marcoleta; Agustín Bravo y Jóven; Enrique Capriles y Osuna * 1895 Sebastián Kindelán y Griñau; Jorge Garrich y Allo; José Giménez y Moreno * 1897 Carlos Denis y Trueba; Juan A Vinent y Kindelán; Federico Ordax y Avecilla; Enrique Capriles * 1898 Francisco Oliveiros y Jiménez; Enrique Capriles; Leonardo Ros y Rodríguez; Leonardo Wood * 1902 Samuel Whiteside

Municipalities

Present day

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

that were part of Oriente include:

Granma Province Granma is one of the provinces of Cuba. Its capital is Bayamo. Other towns include Manzanillo (a port on the Gulf of Guacanayabo) and Pilón. History The province takes its name from the yacht '' Granma'', used by Che Guevara and Fidel Castr ...

Guantánamo Province Guantánamo is the easternmost province of Cuba. Its capital is also called Guantánamo. Other towns include Baracoa. The province has the only land border of the U.S. Navy base at Guantánamo Bay. Overview Guantánamo's architecture and cultu ...

Holguín Province Holguín () is one of the provinces of Cuba, the third most populous after Havana and Santiago de Cuba. It lies in the southeast of the country. Its major cities include Holguín (the capital), Banes, Antilla, Mayarí, and Moa. The province ...

Las Tunas Province Las Tunas is one of the provinces of Cuba. Major towns include Puerto Padre, Amancio, and the capital city, Las Tunas (historically Victoria de Las Tunas).Santiago de Cuba Province Santiago de Cuba Province is the second most populated province in the island of Cuba. The largest city Santiago de Cuba is the main administrative center. Other large cities include Palma Soriano, Contramaestre, San Luis and Songo-la Maya. Hi ...

References

Bibliography

* * (3 volumes) * * (fulltext)

External links

El Oriente de CubaBaracoaGuantanamoSantiago de CubaHolguin
{{coord missing, Cuba Former provinces of Cuba 17th-century establishments in Cuba 1976 disestablishments in Cuba States and territories established in 1879

History

List of governors

1500–1799

1800–1902

Municipalities

Granma Province Granma is one of the provinces of Cuba. Its capital is Bayamo. Other towns include Manzanillo (a port on the Gulf of Guacanayabo) and Pilón. History The province takes its name from the yacht '' Granma'', used by Che Guevara and Fidel Castr ...

Guantánamo Province Guantánamo is the easternmost province of Cuba. Its capital is also called Guantánamo. Other towns include Baracoa. The province has the only land border of the U.S. Navy base at Guantánamo Bay. Overview Guantánamo's architecture and cultu ...

Holguín Province Holguín () is one of the provinces of Cuba, the third most populous after Havana and Santiago de Cuba. It lies in the southeast of the country. Its major cities include Holguín (the capital), Banes, Antilla, Mayarí, and Moa. The province ...

See also

References

Bibliography

External links