Guanajay

{{Infobox settlement

|official_name = Guanajay

|other_name =

|native_name =

|nickname =

|settlement_type = Municipality

|motto =

|image_skyline = Guanajay residential houses.jpg

|image_caption =

|image_flag =

|flag_size =

|image_seal =

|seal_size =

|image_shield =

|shield_size = 120x90px

|image_map = Guanajay (Cuban municipal map).png

|map_caption = Guanajay municipality (red) within
Artemisa Province (yellow) and Cuba

|subdivision_type = Country

|subdivision_name = Cuba

|subdivision_type1 = Province

|subdivision_name1 = Artemisa

|subdivision_type2 =

|subdivision_name2 =

|government_footnotes =

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|leader_title =

|leader_name =

|leader_title1 =

|leader_name1 =

|established_title = Founded

|established_date = 1781

|established_title2 =

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|established_date3 =

|area_magnitude =

|unit_pref =

|area_footnotes =

|area_total_km2 = 113

|area_land_km2 =

|area_water_km2 =

|population_as_of = 2022

|population_footnotes =

|population_note =

|population_total = 28031

|population_density_km2 = auto

|timezone = EST

|utc_offset = −5

|timezone_DST =

|utc_offset_DST =

|coordinates = {{Coord|22|55|50|N|82|41|17|W|region:CU-15_type:city(28,000)|display=inline,title}}

|elevation_footnotes =

|elevation_m = 110

|postal_code_type =

|postal_code =

|area_code = +53-7

|blank_name = Climate

|blank_info = Am

|website =

|footnotes =

}}

Guanajay is a town and municipality in Artemisa Province in western Cuba, located about {{convert|58|km|abbr=on}} southwest of Havana. The town lies among hills.

Guanajay is the twin town of Axtla De Terrazas{{Cite web |date=2012-12-19 |title=Hermanamientos |url=http://portal.sre.gob.mx/cuba/popups/contentwindow.php?id=100&print=print/ |access-date=2022-09-25 |website=archive.ph |archive-date=2012-12-19 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121219210610/http://portal.sre.gob.mx/cuba/popups/contentwindow.php?id=100&print=print/ |url-status=dead}}

Overview

In colonial times it was an acclimatization station for newly arrived troops from Spain, and subsequently became well known as a health resort. Founded in 1650, it was part of the province of Pinar del Río until 1976. It was then included in La Habana Province until that was divided in two in 2011.

The country surrounding Guanajay is a fertile sugarcane and tobacco region, and historically it has been an important distribution point in the commerce of the western end of the island. Guanajay was an ancient pueblo of considerable size and importance as early as the end of the 18th century.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

Demographics

In 2022, the municipality of Guanajay had a population of 28,031.{{Cite web |title=Cuba: Administrative Division (Provinces and Municipalities) - Population Statistics, Charts and Map |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/cuba/admin/ |access-date=2024-02-03 |website=www.citypopulation.de}} With a total area of {{convert|113|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}},{{Cite web|url=http://www.statoids.com/ycu.html|title=Municipios of Cuba|author=Statoids|date=July 2003| access-date=2007-10-07}} it has a population density of {{convert|250|/km2|/sqmi|abbr=on}}.