Pinar del Río

/pee nahrdd" dhel rddee"aw/

a city in W Cuba. 73,206.

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▪ Cuba

      city, western Cuba. Founded in 1775, the city is situated near the base of the Sierra de los Órganos. In 1800 it was officially named Nueva Filipina and was made capital of the western jurisdiction of Cuba. Its economic importance dates from about 1830, when the tobacco industry of the Vuelta Abajo region was developed. With the completion of the railroad from Havana came the development of Pinar del Río as a commercial centre for the hinterland, which yields tobacco, sugarcane, rice, pineapples, coffee, and livestock. The city's industrial activity centres on the manufacture of cigars, cigarettes, and furniture, and it has a small thermal power plant. Pinar del Río is also the western terminus of the central highway. Pop. (2002) 139,336.

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