Pico Turquino
Pico Turquino is the highest point in Cuba. It is located in the southeast part of the island, in the Sierra Maestra mountain range in the municipality of Guamá, Santiago de Cuba Province.
| Pico Turquino | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,974 m (6,476 ft) |
| Prominence | 1,974 m (6,476 ft) |
| Listing |
|
| Coordinates | 19°59′22″N 76°50′09″W |
| Naming | |
| English translation | Turquino Peak |
| Language of name | Spanish |
| Geography | |
  Pico Turquino | |
| Parent range | Sierra Maestra |
The name is believed to be a corruption of turquoise (Spanish: turquesa) peak, named so for the blue hues taken by the heights in certain views.[1] It was first mentioned (under the name "Tarquino") on a map drawn by Gerardo Kramer in the late 18th century. The first detailed written account of ascent of the peak by a European was in 1860 by F.W. Ramsden.[2]
A bust of José Martí, sculpted by Jilma Madera, was placed on the peak to celebrate his centenary.
Fidel Castro and his soldiers summitted the peak in 1957 during their insurgency. According to Che Guevara, Castro's second-in-command, the mountain had an "almost mystical significance" to the revolutionaries, due to it being the highest point in Cuba.[3]
Turquino National Park is established on a 229.38 km2 (88.56 sq mi) area around the peak.[4]
See also
References
- Cuban Foreign Ministry. "Pico Turquino, la montaña azul o el monte de los turcos" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2011-10-02. Retrieved 2007-10-18.
- Full text of "THE ASCENT OF THE TURQUINO, THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN IN CUBA"
- Ernesto Che Guevara. "Reminiscences of the Cuban Revolutionary War".
- National Protected Areas System of Cuba (2005). "Protected Areas". Archived from the original on 2007-08-10. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
