Havana is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The city is in the province of Havana and is a major port and leading commercial centre of the country. The city has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants and spans a total of 781.58 km², making it the largest city by area, the most populous city, and the fourth largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean region.

The city of Havana was founded by the Spanish in the 16th century and due to its strategic location it served as a springboard for the Spanish conquest of the Americas, becoming a stopping point for treasure-laden Spanish galleons returning to Spain. King Philip II of Spain granted Havana the title of City in 1592. Walls as well as forts were built to protect the old city. The city is the centre of the Cuban government, and home to various ministries, headquarters of businesses and over 90 diplomatic offices. In 2009, the city/province had the third highest income in the country.

Contemporary Havana can essentially be described as three cities in one: Old Havana, Vedado and the newer suburban districts. The city extends mostly westward and southward from the bay, which is entered through a narrow inlet and which divides into three main harbors: Mari melena, Guanabacoa and Antares. The sluggish Almendares River traverses the city from south to north, entering the Straits of Florida a few miles west of the bay. The city attracts over a million tourists annually; the Official Census for Havana reports that in 2010 the city was visited by 1,176,627 international tourists, a 20% increase from 2005. Old Havana was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982. The city is also noted for its history, culture, architecture and monuments. As typical of Cuba, Havana experiences a tropical climate. In May 2015, Havana was selected as one of the so-called New7Wonders Cities together with Beirut, Doha, Durban, Kuala Lumpur, La Paz, and Vigan.

More information is available on: Wikipedia

As part of our tour around the world in 2018, we are visiting the city of Havana in Cuba. With this comparision of images taken by the Copernicus Sentinel-1 and -2 satellites, we aim to show the field of application of the Sentinel series. In addition, we show a new image acquired by Sentinel-3.

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View Sentinel-2 high resolution image (JPG 2.7 MB)

View Sentinel-1 high resolution image (JPG 3.6 MB)

View Sentinel-3 high resolution image (JPG 1.6 MB)

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