2 The city is located on the north coast of Cuba , along a deep-sea bay with a protected harbor .
8 Havana's location along a magnificent deep-sea bay with a sheltered harbour made the city a prime location for economic development from Spanish colonial times in the early 16th century .

8 Also in Old Havana is the Castillo ( Castle ) de la Fuerza .
66 The oldest fortification , La Fuerza ( Castillo de la Fuerza ) , was begun in 1565 and completed in 1583 .

9 This castle is the oldest in Havana , built from 1565 to 1583 .
66 The oldest fortification , La Fuerza ( Castillo de la Fuerza ) , was begun in 1565 and completed in 1583 .

10 The Palace of the Captains General stands on the Plaza de Armas .
50 Through colonial times and almost to the end of the 19th century , the Plaza de Armas in Old Havana was the centre of Cuban life .

10 The Palace of the Captains General stands on the Plaza de Armas .
51 Its most famous building , completed in 1793 , is the Palace of the Captains General , an ornate structure that housed the Spanish colonial governors and , from 1902 , three Cuban presidents .

10 The Palace of the Captains General stands on the Plaza de Armas .
67 Its site at the Plaza de Armas was that of an even older fort erected by Hernando de Soto in 1538 and later destroyed by French pirates .

11 No longer used as a palace , the building is now the home of the Museum of the City of Havana .
52 The building is now a museum .

14 Central Havana is the location of the old National Capitol , which once was home to the Cuban legislature .
62 In Central Havana are more traditional buildings , including the white-domed former National Capitol , now housing the Cuban Academy of Sciences; the Museum of the Revolution , housed in the old Presidential Palace; and the National Museum of Art .

15 Today the domed building houses the Cuban Academy of Sciences .
62 In Central Havana are more traditional buildings , including the white-domed former National Capitol , now housing the Cuban Academy of Sciences; the Museum of the Revolution , housed in the old Presidential Palace; and the National Museum of Art .

17 Manufacturing is an important part of Havana's economy .
98 Other food-processing industries are also important , along with shipbuilding , vehicle manufacturing , production of alcoholic beverages ( particularly rum ) , textiles , and tobacco products , particularly the world-famous Havana cigars .

20 Havana is Cuba's main port , so a majority of Cuban imports and exports pass through Havana .
99 Although the ports of Cienfuegos and Matanzas , in particular , have been developed under the Castro government , Havana remains Cuba's primary port facility; a majority of Cuban imports and exports pass through Havana .

21 The port also supports fishing .
100 The port also supports a considerable fishing industry .

23 The deep , protected port attracted many settlers , making the city grow quickly .
170 The natural deepwater port , together with the land protection to the harbour , made Havana a site that early attracted growing numbers of settlers .

30 However , when Fidel Castro , a Communist dictator , took power in Cuba in 1959 , the situation changed .
4 Prior to 1959 , when Fidel Castro came to power , it was a mecca for tourists from the United States , who were drawn by the city's many attractions , which included climate and nightlife in addition to history .

30 However , when Fidel Castro , a Communist dictator , took power in Cuba in 1959 , the situation changed .
191 There were a number of abortive coup attempts against the government of Fulgencio Batista , but change did not come until the revolution led by Fidel Castro , who on January 1 , 1959 , took control of Cuba .