San José de las Lajas


San José de las Lajas is a municipality and the capital city of the newly formed Mayabeque Province of Cuba, after the segmentation of La Habana Province in 2011. It is located in the center north of the province, and is bisected by the Carretera Central.
It was founded in 1778.

Geography

The municipality includes the villages of Jamaica, Liberación, Tapaste, Pedro Pi, El Perú, Valle del Perú, Morales, Ganuza, Zaragoza, Nazareno, Comunidad Nazareno, El Volcán, La Ruda, Managuaco and San Antonio de las Vegas.

Demographics

In 2004, the municipality of San José de las Lajas had a population of 69,375. The city proper has 37,000 inhabitants. With a total area of, it has a population density of.

Economy

San José is the most important economical hub of Mayabeque Province with important industries and a well-developed farming sector.

Science and Education

This municipality hosts the Agrarian University of Havana as well as important country level scientific institutions of the agricultural sciences: CENSA, ICA and INCA, forming together the core of the so named "Havana East Scientific Pole"

Transport

San José counts a railway station, on the Havana-Güines line, served by a line of the Havana Suburban Railway. It is crossed in the middle by the Carretera Central highway and is served by 2 exits of the A1 motorway. The southwestern area of the municipality, nearby San Antonio de las Vegas, is served by the A3 motorway.

Sports

The baseball stadium "Nelson Fernández" is the venue of the La Habana baseball team Vaqueros which was the national champion in the 2008-2009 campaign.