Source: Photograph (2010) by WTL© in Cienfuegos, Cuba.
Comments: The city of Cienfuegos (Spanish > hundred fires) is located on the south coast of Cuba about 160 miles from Havana. Population in 2012 is about 186,000. Like New York City, which is known as The Big Apple, Cienfuegos is known as La Perla del Sur (Pearl of the South). The image above was taken from the Jagua Hotel, a fine tourist hotel on the Caribbean. Interestingly, the city is rather new, for it was founded in 1819 by immigrants from France and French-speaking Cajun country in Louisiana. At the time, Cuba was a Spanish colony, and it was ruled by the dictatorial king Fernando VII; hence the settlement was named Fernandina de Jagua, combining a reference both to the king and to the original inhabitants, the Jagua people. Incidentally, Hurricane Dennis came ashore at Cienfuegos in 2005 with wind gusts up to 177 mph.