Havana: History

Pre-20th-Century History

Havana was established at its present harbour mouth location in 1519 after a couple of failed attempts on nearby swampy land squelched into insignificance. The town's remoteness made it an unpopular choice for Cuba's administrative centre, but it was a perfect gathering point for the annual treasure fleets bound for Spain from Mexico and Peru. Havana became the front door to the vast Spanish colonial empire and in 1607 the capital of Cuba was officially moved here.

When Spain became embroiled in the Seven Day War between Britain and France in 1762, Britain celebrated by seizing Havana, hanging on to it for 11 months and then exchanging it for Florida. The reclaimed Havana was then turned into the most strongly fortified city in the New World. It was also allowed to trade freely, developing and growing steadily through the 18th and 19th centuries. The city was physically untouched by the devastating wars of independence in the latter half of the 18th century, making Havana easily the finest surviving Spanish complex in the Americas.

Modern History

When alcohol was made illegal in the US by Prohibition, Havana (a mere 145km/90mi jaunt from the now painfully dry Florida shore) blossomed sickly sweet into a haven for the party-centric jet-set, Mafiosos on a mission and anyone in the mood for good rum, a fine cigar and some delicious salsa music. Luxury hotels like the Capri and the Nacional sprang up against the tropical sunset and Havana's wide streets flowed with polished chrome-and-steel beauties from Detroit's most expensive automotive lines. The party was over on New Year's Eve 1959, when rebels led by Fidel Castro marched into town and announced that prostitution, gambling and other services offered by those eager to earn a tourist dollar would be replaced by advanced medical technology, a literary and artistic renaissance, and some good, old-fashioned Soviet-style hard work. Racial segregation was outlawed, Havana's upper classes headed for Miami, and the starry-eyed rebels gave the construction of a socialist utopia their best shot. Results were mixed at best, and the city remains in truly dire need of a new paint job.

Nearly 100 homes were destroyed in Old Havana when Hurricane Georges rolled through the country in September 1998. Luckily, few people suffered injuries and the city fared much better than the storm-battered eastern half of the island.

Recent History

Thanks to laws allowing more private businesses, farmer's markets and other enterprises long banned by the socialist government, Havana is coming into its own as a world-class capital, and all the problems - prostitution, crime and drug-trafficking have made comebacks, despite the government's best efforts at maintaining law and order. Nightclubs, fine dining and cultural monuments draw thousands of visitors each year. The international success of Cuban artists, writers and musicians, particularly those hailing from the Buena Vista Social Club, add an even more colourful patina to this increasingly cosmopolitan and unabashedly lovely city. In 2005 Hurricane Wilma hit Havana with a bang. Many parts of the central district were flooded while already dilapidated buildings on the Malecon teetered a little closer to complete collapse. Recovery was swift. Many of Havana's popular hotels were converted into staging posts for foreign patients participating in the groundbreaking 'Mision Milagros' campaign, offering technically advanced eye treatments to disadvantaged people arriving from Venezuela, Bolivia and other Latin American and Caribbean countries.

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