Havana

(hav-dn'nah.) [Sp. Habana, the haven; sometimes written HAVANNAH.] A fine and flourishing city and seaport of the W. Indies, C. of the island of Cuba, on its N.W. coast, in N. Lat. 23º 8′ 15″, W. Lon. 82° 22' 45". It boasts one of the most secure and commodious harbors in the W. hemisphere, and is both commercially and politically a place of the highest importance. Both city and harbor are strongly fortified. H. is very generally well-built, and po e es some fine public buildings, prominent among which is the Cathedral, in which are deposited the remains of Columbus. The Spanish captain-general of the island has his residence here, and the excellence of the cigars and fine tobacco extensively manufactured by the Havanese has become proverbial. The city was founded by Diego Velasquez in 1511, twice taken by buccaneers, and, after a succe ive occupation by the French and English, was restored by the latter to Spain in 1762. Pop. 210,000. [s. 442]