# Gibara

> municipality and city in the province of Holguín, Cuba

**Wikidata**: [Q281016](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q281016)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibara)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/gibara

## Summary
Gibara is a municipality and city located within the Holguín Province of Cuba, founded in 1817. Spanning an area of 630 square kilometers with a population of 71,126, it serves as a significant administrative region that includes the settlements of Velasco, Floro Pérez, and Bocas. Often referred to by the alias "La Villa Blanca de los Cangrejos," it sits at an elevation of 45 meters above sea level on the northern coast of the island.

## Key Facts
- **Classification:** Gibara is both a city and a municipality of Cuba.
- **Location:** It is located in the Holguín Province, Cuba, within the Eastern Time Zone.
- **Coordinates:** Latitude 21.107737784470807, Longitude -76.1324386963167.
- **Foundation:** The city was founded (inception) in 1817.
- **Population:** The municipality has a recorded population of 71,126.
- **Area:** The total area covers 630 square kilometers.
- **Elevation:** The city sits at an elevation of 45 meters above sea level.
- **UN/LOCODE:** Its international trade location code is CUGIB.
- **Twin City:** Gibara is twinned with El Prat de Llobregat.
- **Aliases:** It is also known as "La Villa Blanca de los Cangrejos" and "ヒバーラ" (Japanese).
- **Sub-divisions:** The municipality contains the settlements of Velasco, Floro Pérez, Gibara, and Bocas.

## FAQs
**What is the geographical location of Gibara?**
Gibara is situated in the province of Holguín in northeastern Cuba. It is positioned at specific coordinates 21.11°N, -76.13°W and operates within the Eastern Time Zone.

**How large is Gibara and what is its population?**
The municipality covers a total area of 630 square kilometers and has a population of 71,126 people, resulting in a distributed settlement pattern across its territory.

**What are the constituent settlements within the municipality?**
In addition to the city of Gibara itself, the municipality administers the settlements of Velasco, Floro Pérez, and Bocas.

**What historical records exist for Gibara?**
The city's formal inception is recorded as 1817. It has been historically documented in the 11th edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica, indicating its long-standing recognition.

## Why It Matters
Gibara holds administrative and historical significance as a structured municipality within Cuba's Holguín Province. With a foundation dating back to 1817, it represents an established human settlement that has grown to accommodate a population of over 71,000 residents across a substantial 630 square kilometer area. Its inclusion in the 11th Edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica highlights its historical relevance as a recognized geographic entity. Furthermore, its twinning with El Prat de Llobregat indicates a level of international municipal engagement. The city also functions as a logistical node, evidenced by its assignment of the UN/LOCODE "CUGIB," facilitating its identification in global trade and transport networks.

## Notable For
- **Distinctive Nickname:** Known as "La Villa Blanca de los Cangrejos" (The White Town of Crabs).
- **Geographic Scope:** Encompasses a large area of 630 square kilometers.
- **Historical Documentation:** Described by the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica.
- **International Relations:** Maintains a sister-city relationship with El Prat de Llobregat.
- **Biodiversity Monitoring:** Assigned a specific iNaturalist place ID (98188) for tracking local flora and fauna.

## Body

### Geography and Demographics
Gibara is a coastal municipality and city situated in the Holguín Province of Cuba. Geographically, it is positioned at latitude 21.107737784470807 and longitude -76.1324386963167. The terrain is defined by an elevation of 45 meters above sea level. The municipality governs a significant land area, measuring 630 square kilometers. According to demographic records, the population stands at 71,126.

### Administration and Settlements
As a municipality of Cuba, Gibara functions as an administrative body containing multiple human settlements. The primary city is Gibara itself, but the municipal jurisdiction extends to include the settlements of **Velasco**, **Floro Pérez**, and **Bocas**. The administrative structure connects it to the broader province of Holguín and the nation of Cuba. The local time zone observed is the Eastern Time Zone.

### History and Culture
The inception of Gibara as a recognized city dates to 1817. Historically, it has been referenced in major academic works, specifically described by the **Encyclopædia Britannica 11th edition**. Culturally, the city carries the unique alias **"La Villa Blanca de los Cangrejos"** (The White Town of Crabs), and it is also recognized internationally under the Japanese name ヒバーラ.

### International Relations
Gibara maintains a formal civic connection with **El Prat de Llobregat**, serving as its twinned administrative body. This relationship fosters cross-cultural and municipal cooperation between the Cuban city and its counterpart.

### Logistics and Identification
In the context of global logistics, Gibara is identified by the United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations (UN/LOCODE) **CUGIB**. It has a Where On Earth ID (WOEID) of 62702.

### Digital and Academic Presence
Gibara possesses a robust digital footprint across various knowledge bases and identifiers:
- **Wikipedia:** The entity has a sitelink count of 17 across languages including English (en), Spanish (es), German (de), French (fr), Italian (it), Polish (pl), Swedish (sv), Vietnamese (vi), Chinese (zh), and others (ca, ceb, fa, ht, ka, sco, szl).
- **Academic IDs:** It is indexed in the Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names (ID: 1016352), the Yale Lux database (place/49203d01-b932-47a4-8490-ceb9f304a735), and the German National Library (GND ID: 1231980621).
- **Open Data:** It is tracked by GeoNames (ID: 3558314), OpenStreetMap (Relation ID: 5904275), Who's On First (ID: 890440889), and iNaturalist (Place ID: 98188).
- **Media:** Visual documentation includes a locator map image and a coat of arms, available through Wikimedia Commons.

## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
2. MusicBrainz
3. Flickr Shapefiles Public Dataset 2.0
4. GeoNames
5. [Source](https://service.unece.org/trade/locode/cu.htm)
6. [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/places/inaturalist-places.csv.zip)