# San Cristóbal > city in the Artemisa Province of Cuba **Wikidata**: [Q559801](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q559801) **Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Cristóbal,_Cuba) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/san-cristobal-q559801 ## Summary San Cristóbal is a city and municipality in the Artemisa Province of Cuba, founded in 1830. The municipality covers 936 square kilometres and had a population of 29,119 according to the 2012 census. It sits at 22.716944°N, 83.051111°W near the Caribbean Sea, 50 metres above sea level in the Eastern Time Zone. ## Key Facts - **Classification**: San Cristóbal is a city and municipality of Cuba. - **Provincial Location**: Located in Artemisa Province since 2010. - **Founding Date**: Established in 1830. - **Population**: 29,119 residents as of the 2012 census. - **Area**: 936 square kilometres. - **Geographic Coordinates**: 22.716944444444°N latitude, 83.051111111111°W longitude. - **Elevation**: 50 metres above sea level. - **Time Zone**: Eastern Time Zone. - **Water Body**: Situated near the Caribbean Sea. - **Telephone Code**: Local dialing code is 53-82. - **Official Website**: http://www.pri.jovenclub.cu/jc/sc/ - **Alternate Names**: San Cristobal, Villa de San Cristóbal, Villa de San Cristobal, San Cristóbal (Cuba), San Cristóbal (Artemisa), San Cristóbal (Pinar del Río), and Arabic variants including سان كريستوبال, كوبا. - **Wikipedia Presence**: Article titled "San Cristóbal, Cuba" available in 21 languages: Arabic, Egyptian Arabic, Cebuano, German, English, Spanish, Persian, French, Italian, Georgian, Dutch, Portuguese, Russian, Scots, Serbian, Swedish, Turkish, Urdu, Uzbek, Vietnamese, and Chinese. - **Sitelink Count**: 21 sitelinks across Wikimedia projects. - **Commons Category**: San Cristóbal, Cuba. - **Representative Image**: Rio SanCristobal.jpg shows a local river. - **Locator Map**: San_Cristóbal_(Cuban_municipal_map).png provides municipal boundaries. - **EcuRed Article**: San_Cristóbal entry exists on Cuba's EcuRed encyclopedia. - **Database Identifiers**: - Freebase ID: /m/02z0psf - GeoNames ID: 3540673 - Who's on First ID: 890434857 - OpenStreetMap Relation ID: 2575072 - iNaturalist Place ID: 98244 - GNS Unique Feature ID: -1641588 - **Wikidata Description**: "city in the Artemisa Province of Cuba" - **SNARC ID**: Associated with Category:Government of the Soviet Union (classification reference) - **People Categories**: Dedicated Wikimedia categories exist for births in San Cristóbal (Category:Births in San Cristóbal (Cuba)) and people from San Cristóbal (Category:People from San Cristóbal, Cuba) ## FAQs **What exactly is San Cristóbal?** San Cristóbal is a municipality and city in Cuba's Artemisa Province, functioning as both a local government unit and an urban settlement. It was founded in 1830 and operates under Cuba's municipal system, providing administrative services to its residents. **Where is San Cristóbal located geographically?** The city sits at coordinates 22.716944°N, 83.051111°W in western Cuba, within Artemisa Province. It lies 50 metres above sea level near the Caribbean Sea coastline. **When did San Cristóbal become part of Artemisa Province?** San Cristóbal was incorporated into Artemisa Province in 2010 following Cuba's provincial reorganization. Previously, it had been part of Pinar del Río Province, which explains its alternate name "San Cristóbal (Pinar del Río)" in some references. **How large is San Cristóbal in terms of area and population?** The municipality spans 936 square kilometres and contained 29,119 inhabitants according to 2012 census data. This makes it a mid-sized Cuban municipality by land area. **What are the key digital identifiers for San Cristóbal?** San Cristóbal appears in major geographic databases with these IDs: Freebase /m/02z0psf, GeoNames 3540673, Who's on First 890434857, and OpenStreetMap relation 2575072. It also has an iNaturalist place ID of 98244 for biodiversity documentation. **Why does San Cristóbal have so many Wikipedia language versions?** The city is documented in 21 Wikipedia languages, reflecting international interest in Cuban geography. Available languages include Spanish, English, Arabic, Russian, Chinese, and others, indicating its relevance to diverse global audiences. **What communication infrastructure serves San Cristóbal?** The municipality uses telephone dialing code 53-82 for domestic and international calls. Its official website is hosted at http://www.pri.jovenclub.cu/jc/sc/, providing local information to residents and visitors. ## Why It Matters San Cristóbal represents a significant administrative unit within Cuba's modern provincial structure, embodying the country's 2010 governmental reorganization that created Artemisa Province. Its establishment in 1830 places it among Cuba's historic municipalities that predate the republic, offering insights into Spanish colonial settlement patterns and agricultural development in western Cuba. The municipality's substantial land area of 936 square kilometres encompasses diverse ecosystems documented by its iNaturalist place ID, making it valuable for biodiversity research and conservation efforts. Its location near the Caribbean Sea positions it within critical coastal zones affected by climate change, sea-level rise, and hurricane activity, giving it importance in regional environmental planning. The extensive digital footprint across 21 Wikipedia languages and multiple geographic databases (Freebase, GeoNames, Who's on First, OpenStreetMap) demonstrates San Cristóbal's role as a reference point for international researchers, travelers, and Cuban diaspora communities seeking information about their homeland. The dedicated Wikimedia categories for births and notable people indicate the municipality has produced individuals of cultural or historical significance warranting documentation. Furthermore, its specific telephone dialing code and active municipal website show functional integration into Cuba's national communications infrastructure, serving as a hub for local governance and citizen services. The preservation of its colonial-era name variations ("Villa de San Cristóbal") reflects cultural heritage conservation efforts. As a mid-sized municipality with nearly 30,000 residents, San Cristóbal functions as an economic and social anchor for its surrounding rural areas, likely supporting agricultural production and providing essential services to a dispersed population across its large territorial expanse. ## Notable For - **Historic Founding**: Established in 1830 during Spanish colonial rule, making it one of Cuba's older municipalities with nearly two centuries of continuous settlement. - **Provincial Reorganization**: Transferred from Pinar del Río Province to newly created Artemisa Province in 2010, marking a significant administrative change in its governance structure. - **Extensive Land Area**: Covers 936 square kilometres, ranking among larger Cuban municipalities by territorial size relative to its population. - **Multilingual Documentation**: Featured in 21 Wikipedia language editions, exceeding documentation for many similarly-sized municipalities and indicating unusual global informational interest. - **Comprehensive Database Coverage**: Uniquely identified across seven major geographic and knowledge databases (Freebase, GeoNames, Who's on First, OpenStreetMap, iNaturalist, GNS, Wikidata), facilitating data interoperability. - **Coastal Proximity**: Positioned near the Caribbean Sea, giving it ecological and economic characteristics distinct from inland municipalities. - **Cultural Heritage Name**: Officially recognized alternate name "Villa de San Cristóbal" preserves its colonial founding title. - **Specific Elevation**: At exactly 50 metres above sea level, its elevation data is precisely recorded in geographic information systems. - **Telecommunications Identity**: Uses the distinctive dialing code 53-82, differentiating it from other Cuban municipalities. - **Digital Biodiversity Hub**: iNaturalist place ID 98244 designates it as a tracked location for citizen science wildlife observations. ## Body ### Identity and Administrative Classification San Cristóbal functions as both a city and municipality within Cuba's political structure, holding dual classification as an urban settlement and local government unit. Its formal designation includes several historical variants: Villa de San Cristóbal, San Cristóbal (Cuba), San Cristóbal (Artemisa), and San Cristóbal (Pinar del Río). The latter variant reflects its previous administrative affiliation before the 2010 provincial restructuring. The municipality operates under the legal framework governing Cuban municipalities, providing essential services to its resident population. Its official website at http://www.pri.jovenclub.cu/jc/sc/ serves as the digital portal for municipal information and services. ### Geographic Position and Physical Setting The municipality occupies precise geographic coordinates at 22.716944444444° north latitude and 83.051111111111° west longitude. This location places it in western Cuba within the Artemisa Province boundaries. San Cristóbal sits at an elevation of 50 metres above sea level, a measurement recorded in geographic reference systems. The municipality's territory extends to the Caribbean Sea coastline, positioning it as a coastal municipality with associated marine and littoral ecosystems. Its location in the Eastern Time Zone synchronizes it with Cuba's national time standard. ### Territorial Dimensions and Demographics San Cristóbal encompasses 936 square kilometres of land area, making it a territorially extensive municipality. The 2012 census recorded 29,119 inhabitants, yielding a population density characteristic of Cuba's more rural municipalities. This demographic data, referenced through Wikidata source Q8447, provides baseline statistics for planning and development. The municipality's size relative to its population suggests an economy likely based on agriculture and natural resource use rather than dense urban industry. ### Historical Development and Administrative Evolution Founded in 1830, San Cristóbal originated during Cuba's Spanish colonial period as Villa de San Cristóbal. The municipality underwent its most significant modern change in 2010 when it was transferred from Pinar del Río Province to the newly created Artemisa Province. This reorganization, documented with a start_time qualifier of 2010, realigned San Cristóbal's administrative oversight and resource allocation. The change explains why historical references sometimes list it under Pinar del Río while contemporary sources place it in Artemisa. ### Digital Presence and Knowledge Representation San Cristóbal maintains extensive digital documentation across multiple platforms. Wikipedia hosts articles in 21 languages, from Arabic (سان كريستوبال، كوبا) to Chinese, reflecting global interest. The Wikimedia Commons category "San Cristóbal, Cuba" contains visual documentation including Rio_SanCristobal.jpg and the locator map San_Cristóbal_(Cuban_municipal_map).png. The municipality's Wikidata entry describes it as "city in the Artemisa Province of Cuba" and records 21 sitelinks across sister projects. Cuba's EcuRed encyclopedia maintains a dedicated San_Cristóbal article, providing a domestic perspective. ### Geographic Database Integration Multiple international databases uniquely identify San Cristóbal. The GeoNames database assigns ID 3540673. Who's on First uses ID 890434857. OpenStreetMap relation 2575072 defines its boundaries for mapping purposes. The Freebase ID /m/02z0psf enables knowledge graph integration. The GNS Unique Feature ID -1641588 appears in the GEOnet Names Server. For biodiversity documentation, iNaturalist place ID 98244 tracks species observations within municipal boundaries. These identifiers facilitate data exchange between geographic information systems. ### Communications Infrastructure The municipality uses telephone dialing code 53-82 for all fixed-line communications. This code routes calls through Cuba's national telecommunications network. The municipal website, hosted on the Joven Club domain, provides internet-based information access for residents and external inquiries. ### Cultural and Biographical Significance Wikimedia maintains two dedicated categories for human connections to San Cristóbal: Category:Births in San Cristóbal (Cuba) and Category:People from San Cristóbal, Cuba. These categories organize biographical content about notable individuals associated with the municipality, indicating its role in producing or hosting persons of encyclopedic interest. ### Environmental Context San Cristóbal's territory includes the Caribbean Sea coastline, integrating marine and terrestrial ecosystems. The iNaturalist place ID 98244 documents this biodiversity, enabling citizen science contributions. The municipality's 936 square kilometre area likely encompasses varied habitats from coastal mangroves to interior agricultural lands. The Rio SanCristobal, featured in the Commons image, represents one of the municipality's freshwater systems. ### Classification References The SNARC ID association with Category:Government of the Soviet Union appears in the source material, likely reflecting a classification system artifact rather than direct Soviet governance. This reference connects San Cristóbal to broader municipal governance taxonomies used in knowledge organization systems. ### Cartographic Representation The locator map San_Cristóbal_(Cuban_municipal_map).png provides visual boundary definition for the municipality. This map, referenced from English Wikipedia, helps distinguish San Cristóbal from neighboring municipalities within Artemisa Province. The map serves as a standard reference for administrative and geographic purposes. ### Data Provenance and Sources Information about San Cristóbal originates from multiple authoritative sources. Wikipedia versions in German, English, and other languages provide foundational data. The German Wikipedia article (oldid 194405430) supplied founding date, dialing code, and water body information. English Wikipedia (oldid 839631537) contributed area and map data. Wikidata coordinates reference Q206855, while elevation data comes from Q11920. The iNaturalist ID was verified on April 25, 2021, from the platform's official places dataset. ## References 1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013 2. GeoNames 3. [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/places/inaturalist-places.csv.zip)