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Archaeological Landscape of the First Coffee Plantations in the South-East of Cuba

Cuba
Date of Inscription: 2000
Criteria: (iii)(iv)
Property : 81475.0000 ha
Santiago and Guantanamo Provinces, South-Eastern Region
N20 01 48 W75 23 29
Ref: 1008

Brief Description

The remains of the 19th-century coffee plantations in the foothills of the Sierra Maestra are unique evidence of a pioneer form of agriculture in a difficult terrain. They throw considerable light on the economic, social, and technological history of the Caribbean and Latin American region.

Justification for Inscription

Criterion iii The remains of the 19th and early 20th century coffee plantations in eastern Cuba are unique and eloquent testimony to a form of agricultural exploitation of virgin forest, the traces of which have disappeared elsewhere in the world. Criterion iv The production of coffee in eastern Cuba during the 19th and early 20th centuries resulted in the creation of a unique cultural landscape, illustrating a significant stage in the development of this form of agriculture.