Santa Clara is the capital of the Cuban province of Villa Clara (which together with the provinces of Cienfuegos and Sancti Spiritus was part of the former pronvincia Las Villas). Estimated Population: 217,000 (1994). It is a commercial and communications center located at a junction of roads and railways. It also has an airport.

Livestock was the tradition until the nineteenth century, when the sugarcane became important. Processing and marketing of snuff is held in the province. Santa Clara, the provincial capital was founded on July 15 1689. He was captured by guerrilla forces under the command of Che Guevara in December 1958 during the revolution led by Fidel Castro against Fulgencio Batista Zaldívar and.

In the Plaza of the Revolution is the sculpture erected by the sculptor José Delarra dedicated to Ernesto Guevara de la Serna (Che).