Nueva Gerona , city, capital of Isla de la Juventud municipio especial special municipality , western Cuba , located on Juventud Island just south of the Cuban mainland in the Caribbean Sea. The city is on the western bank of the Las Casas River about 6 miles 10 km above its mouth on the north coast of the island.
For three centuries the island was the haunt of pirates of many nationalities, and it was not until that the city of Nueva Gerona was founded by Francisco Dionisio Vives. The city and its harbour are the principal market and export centre for the agricultural products of the island: citrus fruits grapefruit, oranges, tangerines , mangoes, melons, and other tropical fruits.
Marble dimension stone and kaolin, used in the making of porcelain, are produced locally as well. Nueva Gerona. Info Print Cite. Submit Feedback. Thank you for your feedback. Nueva Gerona Cuba. See Article History. Learn More in these related Britannica articles:. It is bounded to the northwest by the Canal de los Indios and on the north and northeastβ¦. It is approximately 1,, square miles 2,, square km in extent.
To the south it is bounded by the coasts of Venezuela, Colombia, and Panama; to the westβ¦. Cuba, country of the West Indies, the largest single island of the archipelago, and one of the more-influential states of the Caribbean region.
The domain of the Arawakan-speaking Taino, who had displaced even earlier inhabitants, Cuba was claimed by Christopher Columbus for Spain in History at your fingertips. Sign up here to see what happened On This Day , every day in your inbox! By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Notice. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox.
