Governorate of Cuba

Governorate of Cuba Gobernación de Cuba
1511–1607
Flag Coat of arms
Islands and the Province of Tierra Firme in 1513
Status	Governorate of the Spanish Empire
Capital	Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Baracoa
Official languages	Spanish
Common languages	Taíno Guanahatabey
Religion	Roman Catholicism Judaism
Government	Monarchy
List of Castilian monarchs
Historical era	Spanish Empire
• Established	1511
• Elevated into a Captaincy General	1607
Currency	Spanish dollar
Succeeded by Captaincy General of Cuba
Today part of	Cuba Guantanamo Bay Naval Base

Since the 16th century the island of Cuba had been under the control of the governor-captain general of Santo Domingo. The conquest of Cuba was organized in 1510 by the recently restored Viceroy of the Indies, Diego Colón, under the command of Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar, who became Cuba's first governor until his death in 1524.

Velázquez founded the city of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Baracoa in 1511 and convoked a general cabildo (a local government council) to govern Cuba, which was authorized by Ferdinand II of Aragon.

Cuba was elevated into the Captaincy General of Cuba in 1607.

References

• Historia general de los hechos de los Castellanos en Las Islas Y Tierra firme