Plaza de la Revolución


Plaza de la Revolución, "Revolution Square", is a municipality and a square in Havana, Cuba.
The municipality, one of the 15 forming the city, stretches from the square down to the sea at the Malecón and includes the Vedado district.

Square

The Plaza is 31st largest city square in the world, measuring 72,000 square meters.
The square is notable as being where many political rallies take place and Fidel Castro and other political figures address Cubans. Fidel Castro addressed more than a million Cubans on many important occasions, such as 1 May and 26 July each year. Pope John Paul II, during his 1998 first visit by a Pope, and Pope Francis in 2015, held large Masses there during papal visits to Cuba.
The square is dominated by the José Martí Memorial, which features a 109 m tall tower and an 18 m statue. The National Library, many government ministries, and other buildings are located in and around the Plaza. Located behind the memorial is the Palace of the Revolution, the seat of the Cuban government and Communist Party. Opposite the memorial are the offices of the Ministries of the Interior and Communications, whose facades feature matching steel memorials of the two most important deceased heroes of the Cuban Revolution: Che Guevara, with the quotation "Hasta la Victoria Siempre" and Camilo Cienfuegos, with the quotation "Vas bien, Fidel". It is also the site of several cultural institutions.
Construction of the square and the José Martí monument commenced during the Presidency of Fulgencio Batista. The square and the memorial were completed in 1959. It was originally called Plaza Cívica. After the Cuban Revolution, it was renamed "Plaza de la Revolución" or "Revolution Square." An elevator allows access the top of the memorial, at 109 m one of the tallest points in the city.

Demographics

In 2004, the municipality of Plaza de la Revolución had a population of 161,631. With a total area of, it has a population density of.

Economy

has its headquarters in Vedado, Plaza de la Revolución.

Government and infrastructure

Instituto de Aeronáutica Civil de Cuba, Cuba's civil aviation authority, has its headquarters in Vedado, a ward of Plaza de la Revolución. The Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces have their headquarters on the square.

Landmarks