Cárdenas (San Juan de Dios de Cárdenas) is a town in Matanzas Province, Cuba, about 150 km (75 mi) east of Havana. Statistics Capital: Matanzas Area: 11,978km² Inhabitants: 643,400 Population Density: 53 per km² Map Categories: Provinces of Cuba | Stub ... The Republic of Cuba is an archipelago in the northern Caribbean that lies at the confluence of the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. ... This article is about the Cuban city. ...

Cárdenas is a maritime town on the level and somewhat marshy shore of a spacious bay of the northern coast of the island, sheltered by a long promontory. The city lies between the sea and hills. There are broad streets, various squares (including the Plaza de Colón, with a bronze statue of Columbus given to the city by Queen Isabella II. and erected in 1862) and substantial business buildings. No authentic contemporary portrait of Columbus has been found; this late 19th-century engraving is one of many conjectural images For information about the director, see the article on Chris Columbus. ... Isabella II (October 10, 1830 – 1904), Isabel II in Spanish, was queen of Spain. ...

Cárdenas was founded in 1828, and in 1861 already had 12,910 inhabitants. In 1850 General Narciso Lopez landed here on a filibustering expedition, and held the town for a few hours, abandoning it when he saw that the people would not rise to support him in his efforts to secure Cuban independence. On the 11th of May 1898 an American torpedo-boat and revenue cutter here attacked three Spanish gun-boats, and Ensign Worth Bagley (1874–1898) was killed—the first American naval officer to lose his life in the Spanish-American War. Events January 4 - The Vicomte de Martignac succeeds the Comte de Villèle as Prime Minister of France. ... Events January 4 - The first American ice-skating club is formed (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). ... Narciso López (1798?-1851) was a Venezuelan soldier. ... 1898 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Ensign Worth Bagley (April 6, 1874 – May 11, 1898) was a United States Navy officer during the Spanish-American War, distinguished as the only U.S. naval officer killed in action during that war. ... The Spanish-American War took place in 1898, and resulted in the United States of America gaining control over the former colonies of Spain in the Caribbean and Pacific. ...

In the early 20th Century, Cárdenas was one of the principal sugar-exporting towns of Cuba. By 1907 the population was 24,280. The shallowness of the harbour necessitated lighterage and repeated loading of cargoes. The surrounding region is famed for its fertility. A large quantity of asphalt has been taken from the bed of the harbour. A flow of fresh water from the bed of the harbour is another peculiar feature; it comes presumably from the outlets of subterranean rivers. At El Varadero, on a peninsula at the mouth of the bay, there is fine sea-bathing on a long beach, and El Varadero is a winter resort.

The town's greatest claim to fame is being the home of attempted refugee Elián González. As of 2003, González attended Marcelo Salado Elementary School, whose director (principal) is Maribel Reyes. Elián González (born December 6, 1993) was a young boy when his mother escaped from Cuba (which has strict laws forbidding emigration) and floated to Florida. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January events January 1 Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. ...

This article incorporates text from the public domain 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica. The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... The Eleventh Edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica ( 1911) in many ways represents the sum of knowledge at the beginning of the 20th century. ...