Havana is the largest city and a capital. The city is located in the northwest of the main island. It has the population of 2,200,000 (about eighteen percent of the total Cuban population) and founded by Diego Velasquez in 1515.

In the sixteenth century Havana became an important Spanish outpost in the Caribbean. For over 500 years the city has witnessed poverty and wealth and one rule after another. One of the most built-up areas in the capital, Habana Vieja (old Havana), is the old colonial city. Situated on the shores of Havana Bay, Old Havana contains a number of buildings of outstanding architectural interest that date back to the period of Spanish colonization.

In 1982 UNESCO listed Old Havana as a world heritage city. Efforts are being made to restore many of these buildings. To accommodate the growing population, new housing has been built in the suburbs, creating small new townships.