Santiago de Cuba Province is the second most populated province in the island of Cuba. It has a population of approximately 1.2 million; the largest city Santiago de Cuba (554,000) is the main administrative center. Other large cities include Palma Soriano (125,000), Contramaestre (88,000), Mayari (80,000), San Luis, Cuba (65,000) and Songo-la Maya (50,000).
The province is rich in material resources such as iron and nickel. The economy, however, relies mostly on agriculture, with large plantations growing bananas, cacao and coffee dotting the landscape. Industry is growing around the capital, as is tourism. The natural beauty of the area is attracting many tourists from both the rest of Cuba and from overseas.
Santiago de Cuba province has been the site of many battles, both during the war for independence and the 1959Cuban Revolution, where much of the guerilla fighting took place in the mountainous province.
== Municipalities ==
# Contramaestre (Contramaestre)
# Guamá (Chivirico)
# Mella (Mella)
# Palma Soriano (Palma Soriano)
# San Luis (San Luis, Cuba)
# Santiago de Cuba (Santiago de Cuba)
# Segundo Frente (Mayarí Arriba)
# Songo-La Maya (La Maya)
# Tercer Frente (Cruce de los Baños)
==Historical use of the name==
Prior to 1976, Cuba was divided into five provinces. One of these was Oriente province, which was, prior to 1905, known as Santiago de Cuba province. See Provinces of Cuba#Provinces of Cuba.
