Old Havana

La Habana Vieja
Subdivisión de La Habana Vieja
Location of Old Havana in Havana
Location of Old Havana in Havana
Coordinates: 23°08′09.4″N 82°21′30.0″W / 23.135944°N 82.358333°W / 23.135944; -82.358333
Country Cuba
Province Havana
FoundedNovember 16, 1519
Wards (Consejos Populares)Belén, Catedral, Jesús María, Plaza Vieja, Prado, San Isidro, Tallapiedra
Area
 • Total
4 km2 (2 sq mi)
Elevation
50 m (160 ft)
Population
 (2022)[2]
 • Total
79,845
 • Density20,000/km2 (52,000/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
Area code+53-7
Official nameOld Havana and its Fortification System
TypeCultural
Criteriaiv, v
Designated1982 (6th session)
Reference no.204
Contracting stateCuba

Old Havana (Spanish: La Habana Vieja) is the city-center (downtown) and one of the 15 municipalities (or boroughs) forming Havana, Cuba. It has the second highest population density in the city and contains the core of the original city of Havana. The positions of the original Havana city walls are the modern boundaries of Old Havana.

In 1982, Old Havana was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List, because of its unique Baroque and neoclassical architecture, its fortifications, and its historical importance as a stop on the route to the New World.[3] A safeguarding campaign was launched a year later to restore the authentic character of the buildings.

  1. ^ Statoids (July 2003). "Municipios of Cuba". Retrieved October 6, 2007.
  2. ^ "Cuba: Administrative Division (Provinces and Municipalities) - Population Statistics, Charts and Map". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  3. ^ "Old Havana and its Fortification System". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved May 26, 2021.