Camagüey (founded as Santa María del Puerto del Príncipe around 1515) is a city in western Cuba and is the nation's third largest city. It is the capital of the Camagüey Province. The city has a population of about 294,000. Camagüey is located at 21°22'51" North, 77°55'1" West (21.380833, -77.916944).
The symbol of the city of Camagüey is the mud jar or tinajón, used to capture rain water to be used later, keeping it fresh. Mud jars are literally everywhere, either as monuments or for real use.
Another symbol used is the outline of Ignacio Agramonte's horseback statue.
Camagüey is the birth place of Ignacio Agramonte (1841), an important figure of the Cuban Independence war against Spain in 1868-1878. Agramonte drafted the first Cuban Constitution in 1869, and later as a Major General formed the fearsome Camagüey cavalry corps that had the Spaniards on the run. Died in combat in 11 May 1873. The city is also the birthplace of the Cuban national poet Nicolás Guillén.
The old city layout resembles a real maze, with narrow short street always turning in a direction or another. After Henry Morgan burned the city in the 17th century, it was designed like a maze so attackers found it hard to move inside the city.
Camagüey has its own international airport, Ignacio Agramonte International airport. Most tourists going or leaving Santa Lucía do so through Ignacio Agramonte airport.
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