In GTA 6 City of the Week we stick to the country where the GTA franchise has reigned the longest, while in Foreign City of the Week, we look beyond the borders of the USA in order to find the ideal candidate as the setting of the next installment of Rockstar Games' flagship franchise.
We kicked off our tour of the Caribbean with Kingston, Jamaica some time ago. At that point we already said we'd likely take a look at other cities within the archipelago, but would not do them back to back lest things get too monotonous. Well, it's time to fly back to the sunny islands, and this time to the largest of the islands.
Havana
The capital city of Cuba is the largest city both by area and population throughout the whole Caribbean. While this claim is contested by many hailing from other nations in the island group, the city is widely considered the unofficial capital of the whole archipelago. Granted, it does have size going for it, as well as the fact that it is the largest economic, cultural and political center, as well as the one most visited by foreigners per year.
Havana today is the combination of Old Havana, the large Vedado district which can be considered a city on its own, and a number of newer, outlying residential districts. Old Havana is the historic city center of the capital which holds most of its landmarks as well as a general look reminiscent of what the city looked like countless years ago, and is a UNESCO Heritage site. Vedado is the modern part of the city, as well as its business center.
Havana is home to over 2 million residents, placing it even above many American cities we've looked at in the main article series. That said, it isn't particularly large by area, due to the city's notably high population density. The city also happens to anchor a large metropolitan area, which in spite of the city's ranking as first, is only the third largest in the Caribbean.
Havana has great historic significance. It was one of the most successful Spanish colonies in the New World soon after its discovery, and was for a long time the main port for the Conquistadors. Most campaigns into South America launched by the Spanish set sail from Havana. It was also a main stop on the voyage between the Spanish homeland and their colonies.
The natural harbor around which Havana was built offered protection both from natural dangers and pirates, due to the narrow strait leading into the three-pronged bay. The area possesses admirable natural fortifications, thus turning it into a real fortress was not too difficult.
Nonetheless, the city was often stricken by the latter. In fact, it was the handiwork of a French pirate, one Jacques de Sores, who burned down part of the city, which lead to the construction of multiple forts and barracks throughout the city and its vicinity. The construction and expansion of Havana's defensive structures was almost constant during the colonial era, the results of which are obvious even today.
