The Documented History Of Isla de la Juventud
- The Persaud Foundation
- 3 days ago
- 8 min read
In this article, we will be discussing the history of the intriguing cuban island, Isla de la Juventud. The name of the island roughly translates into the Isle of Youth, & Rejuvenation. Isla de la Juventud is an island off the coast of Cuba, owned by the Cuban government. The island is approximately 213.88 nautical miles (396.10576 kilometers or 246.128708 miles) from the mainland North American Continent.
It is the second largest island Cuban Island, only second to the main island. The island is approximately 2419.05 square kilometers (934 square miles or 597,760 acres). The island is south of Havana, & is the seventh-largest island in the West Indies as a whole. The official language of the island is Spanish, & tourism is high. Ecologically, the island is covered in Pine forests. The island is mild, & not as tropical as the rest of the Caribbean. The island is incredibly well known for its gorgeous beaches, never-ending nightlife, historic prisons, biodiversity, & its reputation as a pirate hideaway.
The coastline of the island is extremely biodiverse, & filled with nature preserves & coral reefs. The coral reefs are very large, & are of the fringing kind. These coral reefs house many interesting creatures, one of the strangest being the Green Moray Eel. We covered this species on the 10th of this month, & the article can be found by typing “Green Moray Eel” into the search function of our website.
The history of Isla de la Juventud is extremely intriguing, with a reputation as a pirates hideaway. It spans approximately 135 million years, beginning when Cuba began to form in the late Jurassic. The original indigenous inhabitants of the island are the Ciboney People, & unfortunately, the original culture has not been preserved very well. There is no official group for Ciboney descendants, & the culture is largely considered to be extinct. This was likely due to massive disease epidemics, & pressure from the Arawak & Spanish. This indigenous group is well known for their lack of a large-scale political structure, as well as a lack of governmental oversight.
In this article we will be discussing the documented history of Isla de la Juventud, the indigenous aboriginals of Isla de la Juventud, the Most Destructive Natural & Man Caused disasters to affect Isla de la Juventud, & finally the Economic State of Isla de la Juventud. With that being said, let us delve into this Cuban Paradise.
The Documented History Of Isla de la Juventud
Before Colonization By The Spanish
Historical Events From Approximately 135 Million Years Ago
Isla de la Juventud as well as the rest of Cuba began forming approximately 135 million years ago, in the late Jurassic. The island as formed by the breakage of Pangea’s coastline, & how some of the coastline broke off then drifted into the area.
Historical Events From Approximately 3000 B.C
The Ciboney people began migrating to Cuba & the Surrounding islands approximately 5,000 years ago, from mainland America. They likely came via dug out kayak, instead of there being a land bridge. Archeologically, there are 2 major groups or cultures of the Ciboney people.
The Ciboney of the northern area of the island, were known as people of the stone. This is due to the fact that their tools were largely made of stone.
The Ciboney people of the south were known as the people of snails, as their tools were mainly made of the Strombus Gijas snail that is abundant in southern Cuba. All of their culture were hunters, gatherers, & fishermen.
After Colonization By The Spanish
Historical Events From The 1500’s
After the arrival of Christopher Columbus, pirates began visiting the island to hide treasure & valuables near the coastlines & in the mountains. The first pirate to visit the island was the infamous Jean Francois La Roque, in 1543. The island was not used by the spaniards for much of anything for years.
Many more pirates would visit over the years, including John Hawkins in 1565, & Francis Drake in 1586. Francis Drake visited the island many times prior to 1586, & is rumoured to have buried many valuables along the coast.
Historical Events From The 1600’s
The island was officially conquered in 1627 by Captain Hernando de Pedroso.
Pirates would continue using the island in this century, with Pieter Hayn using the island for shelter in 1628. A year later in 1629, pirate Cornelius Cornelizoon Hol used the island as a station to attack Havana. He would repeat the action in 1638, in order to attack naval fleets being sent from South America. At least 6 more pirates would visit the island in the later half of the 1600’s.
Historical Events From The 1700’s
Pirates continued to regularly visit the island into the early 1700’s. The Spanish Earl of Ricia attempted to colonize the island, however he failed & had to return back to Spain. This was despite the island having an official owner, Domingo Duarte. The first official census was conducted in 1787, & 300 inhabitants were accounted for. In the same year, a small settlement was formed in modern day Nueva Gerona.
Historical Events From The 1800’s
Ex-soldiers began being deployed to the island from Saint Augustine, Florida, in 1831. This would help the locals ward off pirates who harassed the island.
The first church on the island was constructed in 1847, & was named Nuestra señora de los Dolores. 2 elementary schools were also constructed, along with a hospital & a prison. This is when the island began to flourish, & truly began to have a community. Migration to the town exploded, & approximately 14 soldiers settled nearby the new Nueva Gerona. Barracks were built in 1850, & more soldiers came. The island was called the island of deportees by the Spanish Government, as they would deport those who desired political independence to the isle.
Its name would soon change to the Isle of Pines, & would remain so until 1972. Cuba gained independence from the Spanish in 1898, & so did Isla de la Juventud. The next census occurred in 1899 & accounted for approximately 3,200 inhabitants.
After Becoming A Part of Cuba
Historical Events From The 1900’s
Cuba officially became its own country in 1902, however Americans didn’t recognize that Isla de la Juventud belonged to Cuba until 1925. Approximately 500 American families moved to the region after the independence movement, as they saw many economic prospects on the isle.
In 1913, there were approximately American 1,600 residents, along with the 3,200 Spanish residents. These residents increased the economic influence of the island by beginning farms, & fisheries services. In the Hay-Quesada treaty of 1925, the United States officially recognized that the island belonged to Cuba. Many U.S citizens would leave as a result of this, selling their land & stakes on the isle.
In 1931, a prison named the Model Prison was constructed with the capacity for 6,000 inmates. The prison had horrific conditions, & 532 deaths were registered with in the first 4 years. A book was written by an ex-inmate who was imprisoned at the jail, called “Model Prison”. Many political prisoners were held at this island, & in World War 2, it was used for captured Japanese, Italian, & German soldiers. The prison was closed in 1967, & was legally declared a national monument in 1972. Modernly, the island has a population of 83,583 humans.
The Indigenous Aboriginals Of Isla de la Juventud
The Ciboney People Of Isla de la Juventud
The Ciboney indigenous peoples lived all throughout the Caribbean. They lived throughout Cuba & as well as the greater & lesser Antilles. They were also known as the Siboney. Their language was unknown & it was a language was an isolate. They often stayed out of the way & lived on the coast lines. Their ambitions in relation to war & peace are unknown. They did not practice agriculture to our knowledge, instead opting to hunt & gather their supplies. Fishing was also popular for gathering food. They did not write anything down, so extremely little is known about them as the majority of them were gone before the Europeans arrived. Some of their primary sources of food were shellfish, turtles, & certain available island rodents. They also lacked in arts such as pottery & weaving. They may have originated from southern America in the areas of modern day Venezuela. If they were, they would have migrated to up to Cuba. Alternatively, they may have originated from the southern areas of modern day Florida. However, they did not have very apt maritime technologies.
The Most Destructive Natural & Man Caused Disasters To Affect Isla De La Juventud
Disaster No. 1: Hurricane Flora of 1963
Hurricane Flora was one of the deadliest Hurricanes to ever affect Cuba. It formed on September 26th, 1963 as a tropical storm in the Hurricane Convergence zone. At its peak, it reached Category 3 status. Its highest wind speed was approximately 149 miles per hour (239.792 kilometers per hour). Unfortunately, due to advisories not being sent out at the proper time, very few people had the opportunity to prepare for the hurricane. Hurricane Flora levelled At least 6,500 houses, & claimed the lives of at least 7,180 people. It cost approximately 528 million U.S.D to rebuild from, & forever scarred many lives.
Disaster No. 2: 1932 Camagüey Hurricane
The 1932 Camagüey hurricane is considered to be one of if not the most devastating hurricane to affect Cuba. The 1932 Camagüey Hurricane was a category 5 level hurricane that lasted from October 30th to November 14th of 1932. It caused a severe storm surge, & caused waves to reach 30 feet (9.144 meters) high. Additionally, it caused winds as quick as 175 miles per hour (281.635 kilometers per hour). It claimed the lives of approximately 3,103 people, & cost 40 million U.S.D in damages.
The Economic State Of Isla Juventud
The economic state of Isla de la Juventud is relatively stable. Their largest sources of revenue are tourism, fishing, citrus production, & grapefruit production. The Covid-19 Pandemic did heavily affect the economic development of the island, however it slowly has been recovering. Due to economic turnout not being as high as expected, the Cuban President began regularly visiting the province in 2024, to seek solutions for their development. He continues to actively tour various provinces to seek growth strategies & provide guidance to the labor forces on the island.
Directories / Credits
Citation No. 1: “History”, Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by Isla de la Juventud, Cuba. Retrieval Date: April 23rd, 2024.
Citation No. 2: “Isla de la Juventud Island, Cuba”, Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by Trip Cuba. Retrieval Date: April 23rd, 2024.
Citation No. 3: “1963- Hurricane Flora”, Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by the University of Rhode Island. Retrieval Date: April 23rd, 2024.
Citation No. 4: “Hurricane Flora 1963”, Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by University of the West Indies. Retrieval Date: April 23rd, 2024.
Citation No. 5: “Monthly Weather Review”, Written by Unknown, & Published in August 1932. Published by the National Atmospheric & Oceanic Administration. Retrieval Date: April 23rd, 2024.
Citation No. 6: “Irma is first Cat 5 hurricane to make landfall in Cuba since killer storm of 1932”, Written by Mimi Whitefield, & Published on September 10th, 2017. Published by the Miami Herald. Retrieval Date: April 23rd, 2024.
Citation No. 7: “Cuban President Checks Economic Development Of The Isle Of Youth”, Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by Radio Habana Cuba. Retrieval Date: April 23rd, 2024.
Citation No. 8: “Diaz-Canel visits sites of Economic Interest in Isla de la Juventud”, Written by Ed Newman, & Published on February 12th, 2024. Retrieval Date: April 23rd, 2024.
Strategic Partnerships
Reel Guppy Outdoors
SharkedSkooler
Marine Enthusiasts Podcast
Cash Daniels
Tides of Tomorrow
The Open Book, Topanga
Pitfire Artisan Pizza
Olivenbaum Music
Our Loyal Patrons
P. R. Ochoa
Comments