Zane Garcia, age 14, of St. Augustine, Fla., for his question:
IS HAVANA AN OLD CITY?
Diego Velasquez, the first Spanish governor of Cuba, founded Havana on the island's south coast in 1515. But the city didn't do well, probably because of frequent pirate attacks. Havana was then rebuilt on Cuba's north coast and in its present site in 1519, which indeed makes it a very old city.
Havana's ideal location and its fine harbor helped to attract many merchant ships. It soon became an important commercial center.
Havana became the capital of Cuba in 1552. By 1600, 4,000 persons lived there. British troops captured the city in 1762 and held it for nearly a year. The British occupation opened up trade between Havana and the British colonies of North America. The increased trade helped the city's population grow to more than 50,000 by the late 1700s.
In 1898, the United States battleship Maine exploded mysteriously in Havana harbor. This event helped bring on the Spanish American War.
During the first half of the 1900s, Havana was a popular vacation center. It had lively night clubs. Spectacular beaches attracted lots of tourists, including many families from the U.S.
But tourism declined in Havana after Fidel Castro became prime minister in 1959. He soon made the country a socialist state and Cuba's relations with the U.S. became strained.
In 1961, the U.S. broke diplomatic relations with Cuba. All other nations in the Western Hemisphere except Canada, Chili and Mexico also broke relations with the nation.
The city of Havana covers about 286 square miles. It is next to a natural harbor. Morro Castle, a Spanish fort that was built in the late 1500s, guards the entrance to the beautiful harbor.
Old Havana, the colonial part of the city, lies west of the harbor. Tile roofed houses and narrow streets built in the 1500s and 1600s can be found here. Newer suburbs lie to the west.
The Melecon, a beautiful boulevard, runs along the coast and connects the residential districts with downtown Havana.
Havana is the commercial and industrial center of Cuba. The government owns all of the nation's businesses and industries. Most of Havana's workers are employed by government agencies or small factories.
Havana's most important manufacturing activity is the processing of tobacco. Other industries in the city produce chemicals, food products, shoes and textiles.
About a fifth of Cuba's exports and over half its imports pass through Havana. Exports include canned fruits, fish and sugar and tobacco products. The main imports include food, machinery, petroleum and motor vehicles. Cuba trades mostly with Communist countries.
A municipal committee governs Havana. Local workers' groups, made up of members of the Cuban Communist Party, elect committee members.
Havana lies about 100 miles south of Key West, Fla. About 20 percent of Cuba's people live in the city of Havana. La Habana is the city's name in Spanish, the language of Cuba.