Valle de los Ingenios | |
---|---|
Valley of the Sugar Mills | |
Length | 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) |
Area | 270 km2 (100 sq mi) |
Geography | |
Population centers | Outside of Trinidad, Cuba |
Coordinates | 21°50′29″N 79°51′59″W / 21.84139°N 79.86639°W |
Official name | Trinidad and the Valle de los Ingenios |
Type | Cultural |
Criteria | iv, v |
Designated | 1988 (12th session) |
Reference no. | 460 |
Region | Latin America and the Caribbean |
Valle de los Ingenios, also named Valley de los Ingenios or Valley of the Sugar Mills, is a series of three interconnected valleys about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) outside of Trinidad, Cuba. The three valleys, San Luis, Santa Rosa, and Meyer, were a centre for sugar production from the late 18th century until the late 19th century. At the peak of the industry in Cuba there were over fifty sugar cane mills in operation in the three valleys, with over 30,000 slaves working in the mills and on the sugar cane plantations that surrounded them.
In 1988, Valle de los Ingenios and neighbouring Trinidad were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, because of its testimony to the early sugar trade industry.[1] The entire area covers 270 km2 (100 sq mi) and includes the sites of over 70 former sugar mills.