Ranchuelo

Ranchuelo
Municipality
Town hall
Flag Coat of arms
Ranchuelo municipality (red) within Villa Clara Province (yellow) and Cuba
Coordinates: 22°22′35.2″N 80°09′03.6″W
Country	Cuba
Province	Villa Clara
Founded	1734[1]
Established	1879 (Municipality)
Area [2]
• Total	556 km^2 (215 sq mi)
Elevation	125 m (410 ft)
Population  (2022)[3]
• Total	50,708
• Density	91/km^2 (240/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
Area code	+53-422

Ranchuelo is a town and municipality in the Villa Clara Province of Cuba. It was founded in 1734[1] and has a municipal population of 50,708, of which about 15,000 in the town itself.

History

Originally named Boca de Ranchuelo, the settlement was founded by Dionisio Consuegra on October 1, 1734. In 1856 it was linked to the national rail network, and in 1879 gained the municipal status.[1]

Geography

José Martí Square

Jicotea sign leading into the village on the Carretera Central del Cuba highway.

The town is divided into the barrios of Norte, Poza de la China, Sitio Viejo and Sur.[1]

Ranchuelo is 7 km from San Juan de los Yeras, 9 from Esperanza, 16 from Cruces, 28 from Santa Clara, 43 from Cienfuegos and 256 from Havana. It borders with the municipalities of Santo Domingo, Cifuentes, Santa Clara, Manicaragua, Cruces and Lajas.[4]

Demographics

In 2022, the municipality of Ranchuelo had a population of 50,708.[3] With a total area of 556 km^2 (215 sq mi),[2] it has a population density of 106.2/km^2 (275/sq mi).

Transport

Ranchuelo is served by the A1 motorway at the homonym exit, also known as "Ranchuelo-Cienfuegos".[5] It counts a railway station on the Santa Clara-Cienfuegos line, that is also the western terminus of a freight line to Mataguá.[6]

Esperanza, the most populated municipal hamlet, is crossed in the middle by the "Carretera Central" state highway.

Notable people

• Samuel Feijóo (1914-1992), singer, born in San Juan de los Yeras
• María Dámasa Jova Baró (1890-1940), writer, educator and feminist

See also

• Municipalities of Cuba
• List of cities in Cuba

References

1. Guije.com. "Ranchuelo" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2007-10-09.
2. Statoids (July 2003). "Municipios of Cuba". Retrieved 2007-10-09.
3. "Cuba: Administrative Division (Provinces and Municipalities) - Population Statistics, Charts and Map". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
4. 5884799 (x j a h) Ranchuelo on OpenStreetMap
5. 1308266444 Ranchuelo (A1 exit) on OpenStreetMap
6. 2925075943 Ranchuelo railway station on OpenStreetMap

External links

• (in Spanish) (historical info on guije.com)