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| Capital: | Nueva Gerona |
| Area: | 2,419.27 Km²
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| Inhabitants: | 86,559
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| Population Density: | 35.78 per Km²
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The (
Spanish ) or '''Isle of Youth''' (
English ) is the largest
Island of
Cuba after Cuba proper, and the sixth largest island in the
West Indies . The island is 3,056 km² (1,180 miles²) and is 100 km to the southwest of mainland Cuba, across the
Batabanó Gulf . The island lies almost directly south of
Havana and is a special municipality (''municipio especial'') of the
Province Of Havana .
Isla de la Juventud is the largest of the 350 islands in the
Canarreos Archipelago . Its population is about 100,000; the capital and largest city is
Nueva Gerona in the north, and the second-largest city is
Santa Fe in the interior. Other communities are Columbia, Mac Kinley, Santa Bárbara, Cuchilla Alta, Punta del Este, Sierra de Caballos and Sierra de Casas. The island was called ('''Isle of Pines''') until
1978 .
Little is known of the
Pre-Columbian history of the island, though a cave complex near the Punta del Este beach preserves 235
Ancient Drawings made by the native population. The island first became known to Europeans during
Christopher Columbus 's third voyage to the
New World in
1494 . Columbus named the island '' and claimed it for Spain; the island would also come to be known '''''Isla de Cotorras''''' ("Isle of Parrots") and '''''Isla de Tesoros''''' ("Treasure Island") at various points in its history.
Pirate activity around in the area left its trace in
English Literature . Both ''
Treasure Island '' by
Robert Louis Stevenson and ''
Peter Pan '' by
James Matthew Barrie are rooted in part on accounts of the island and its native and pirate inhabitants, as well as long dugout
Canoe s (which were often used by pirates as well as indigenous peoples) and the great
American Crocodile (''Crocodylus acutus'') on the island.
Following the victory of the United States in the
Spanish-American War ,
Spain dropped all claims to Cuba under the terms of the
1898 Treaty Of Paris . Isla de la Juventud was not mentioned in the
Platt Amendment , which defined Cuba's boundaries, and this led to competing claims to the island by the United States and the now-independent Cuba. In
1907 , the
U.S. Supreme Court decided that the island did not belong to the United States. A treaty was signed between the U.S. and Cuba in
1925 , recognizing Cuban ownership.
Much of the island is covered in
Pine forests, which is the source of the island's large
Lumber industry. The northern region of the island has low ridges from which
Marble is
Quarried , while the southern region is an elevated plain.
Agriculture and
Fishing are the island's main industries, with
Citrus Fruit and
Vegetable s being grown. A black sand beach was formed by volcanic activity.
The island has a mild climate, but is known for frequent
Hurricane s. It is a popular
Tourist destination, with many
Beach es and
Resort s, including Bibijagua Beach. Until the Cuban government seized all foreign-owned property in the early
1960s , much land was owned by Americans.
The main transportation to the island is by boat or aircraft.
Hydrofoil s (kometas) and motorized
Catamaran s will make the trip in between two and three hours. A much slower and larger cargo ferry takes around six hours to make the crossing, but is cheaper. The province has only one municipality, also named Isla de la Juventud.
From .
Presidio Modelo is now closed, and turned into a museum. It is replaced by more modern prisons. These include (MAS = maximum security prison; COR = correctional):
- Prison El Guayabo (MAS)
- Center for Reeducation of Minors (COR)
- Correctional Los Colonos (COR)
- Paquito Rosales Cueto (1 y 11) (COR)
- Prison la 60 (Columbia) (COR)
