Ranchuelo

Ranchuelo is a town and municipality in the Villa Clara Province of Cuba. It was founded in 1734[1] and has a municipal population of 59,062, of which about 16,804 in the town itself.

Ranchuelo
Municipality
Town hall
Ranchuelo municipality (red) within
Villa Clara Province (yellow) and Cuba
Coordinates: 22°22′35.2″N 80°09′03.6″W
CountryCuba
ProvinceVilla Clara
Founded1734[1]
Established1879 (Municipality)
Area
 • Total556 km2 (215 sq mi)
Elevation
125 m (410 ft)
Population
 (2004)[3]
 • Total59,062
 • Density106.2/km2 (275/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
Area code(s)+53-422

History

Originally named Boca de Ranchuelo, the settlement was founded by Dionisio Consuegra on October 1, 1734. In 1856 it was linked to the national rail network, and in 1879 gained the municipal status.[1]

Geography
José Martí Square
Jicotea sign leading into the village on the Carretera Central del Cuba highway.

The town is divided into the barrios of Norte, Poza de la China, Sitio Viejo and Sur.[1] The municipality counts the town proper (with 16,804 inhabitants)[4] and the consejos populares (i.e. "people's councils", mainly villages and hamlets) of Carlos Caraballo, Castaño, Conyedo, Diez de Octubre, Esperanza, Horqueta-Delicias, Ifraín Alfonso (also known as Central Santa María), Jicotea, Osvaldo Herrera (also known as Pastora), Rancho Grande-Jagua and San Juan de los Yeras.[5]

Ranchuelo is 7 km from San Juan de los Yeras, 9 from Esperanza, 16 from Cruces, 28 from Santa Clara, 43 from Cienfuegos and 256 from Havana. It borders with the municipalities of Santo Domingo, Cifuentes, Santa Clara, Manicaragua, Cruces and Lajas.[6]

Demographics

In 2004, the municipality of Ranchuelo had a population of 59,062.[3] With a total area of 556 km2 (215 sq mi),[2] it has a population density of 106.2/km2 (275/sq mi).

Transport

Ranchuelo is served by the A1 motorway at the homonym exit, also known as "Ranchuelo-Cienfuegos".[7] It counts a railway station on the Santa Clara-Cienfuegos line, that is also the western terminus of a freight line to Mataguá.[8]

Esperanza, the most populated municipal hamlet, is crossed in the middle by the "Carretera Central" state highway.

Notable people

See also

References
  1. Guije.com. "Ranchuelo" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2007-10-09.
  2. Statoids (July 2003). "Municipios of Cuba". Retrieved 2007-10-09.
  3. Atenas.cu (2004). "2004 Population trends, by Province and Municipality" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-10-09.
  4. (in Spanish) Ranchuelo (town) on EcuRed
  5. (in Spanish) Consejos populares of Ranchuelo
  6. 5884799 Ranchuelo on OpenStreetMap
  7. 1308266444 Ranchuelo (A1 exit) on OpenStreetMap
  8. 2925075943 Ranchuelo railway station on OpenStreetMap
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