Encrucijada

{{for|the telenovela|Encrucijada (telenovela)}} {{Infobox settlement   |official_name = Encrucijada |other_name = |native_name = |nickname = |settlement_type = Municipality |motto =  |image_skyline = Casa Marta Abreu.jpg |imagesize = |image_caption = House of Marta Abreu |image_flag = |flag_size = |image_seal = |seal_size = |image_shield = |shield_size = 120x90px |image_map = Encrucijada (Cuban municipal map).png |map_caption = Encrucijada municipality (red) within <br> Villa Clara Province (yellow) and Cuba  |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = Cuba |subdivision_type1 = Province |subdivision_name1 = Villa Clara |subdivision_type2 = |subdivision_name2 =  |government_footnotes = |government_type = |leader_title = |leader_name = |leader_title1 = |leader_name1 = |established_title = Founded |established_date = 1850<ref name=guije/> |established_title2 = Established |established_date2 = 1910 (Municipality) |established_title3 =  |established_date3 =  |area_magnitude = |unit_pref = |area_footnotes = <ref name=statoids/> |area_total_km2 = 345 |area_land_km2 =  |area_water_km2 =  |population_as_of = 2022 |population_footnotes = <ref name=citypopulation/> |population_note = |population_total = 31,500 |population_density_km2 = auto  |timezone = EST |utc_offset = -5 |timezone_DST = |utc_offset_DST = |coordinates = {{coord|22|37|1|N|79|51|58|W|region:CU|display=inline,title}} |elevation_footnotes =  |elevation_m = 55  |postal_code_type = |postal_code = |area_code = +53-422 |website = https://www.somosencrucijada.gob.cu/ |footnotes = }}  '''Encrucijada''' ({{IPA|es|eŋkɾusiˈxaða}}) is a municipality and town in the Villa Clara Province of Cuba. It was founded in 1850<ref name=guije/> and established as a municipality in 1910.

==History== The municipality was divided into the barrios of Centro, Paso Real, El Santo and Vega Redonda.<ref name=guije>{{Cite web|url=http://www.guije.com/pueblo/municipios/vencrucijada/index.htm|title=Encrucijada|author=Guije.com|access-date=2007-10-09|language=es}}</ref> After the 1977 administrative reform, Calabazar de Sagua, part of Sagua la Grande, became part of it.

==Geography== The municipality borders with Sagua la Grande, Cifuentes, Santa Clara and Camajuaní.<ref>{{OSM|n|5884794|Encrucijada}}</ref>

The Municipality has the Consejos populares (wards) of: * Encrucijada Norte (North Encrucijada in English) * Encrucijada Sur (South Encrucijada in English) * Abel Santamaría * Dos Hermanas * La Sierra * Calabazar de Sagua * El Purio * El Santo * Emilio Córdova

== Transportation == Encrucijada is on a rail line starting in Santa Clara, going to Crucero Margot, to Luis Arcos Bergnes, Vega Alta, Canoa, Tuinicu, Constancia, Encrucijada, Mata, El Vaquerito, Aguada la Piedra, Cifuentes, San Diego del Valle, Conyedo, and finally back to Santa Clara.<ref>{{Citation |last=lezumbalaberenjena |title=Composed road map from a tour guide (1980's) |date=2017-11-09 |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/lezumbalaberenjena/44038904924/ |access-date=2023-04-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019 |title=Road guides of Cuba |url=http://itravelnetwork.us/document/guides/GC_2019_English.pdf}}</ref>

The municipality has 3 state highways, being the Carretera de Malezas (4–311), linking the municipality to the provincial capital, Santa Clara, Highway 4–273, from Calabazar de Sagua to the municipality of Cifuentes, and the Circuito Norte (4–I–3) from Calabazar–Encrucijada–La Sierra and the municipalities of Sagua La Grande and Camajuaní.

==Demographics== In 2004, the municipality of Encrucijada had a population of 33,641.<ref name=atenas>{{Cite web |url=http://www.atenas.inf.cu/todo/Estadisticas/TABLA%20No_3balance.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060714001016/http://www.atenas.inf.cu/todo/Estadisticas/TABLA%20No_3balance.htm |archive-date=2006-07-14 |title=2004 Population trends, by Province and Municipality |author=Atenas.cu |year=2004 |access-date=2007-10-09 |language=es |url-status=dead }}</ref> With a total area of {{convert|345|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}},<ref name=statoids>{{Cite web|url=http://www.statoids.com/ycu.html|title=Municipios of Cuba|author=Statoids|date=July 2003| access-date=2007-10-09}}</ref> it has a population density of {{convert|97.5|/km2|/sqmi|abbr=on}}. The population number had dropped to 31,500 in 2022.<ref name="citypopulation">{{Cite web |title=Cuba: Administrative Division (Provinces and Municipalities) - Population Statistics, Charts and Map |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/cuba/admin/ |access-date=2024-02-03 |website=www.citypopulation.de}}</ref>

==Notable people== *Onelio Jorge Cardoso (1914–1986), writer, born in Calabazar *{{ill|Jesús Menéndez Larrondo|es|Jesús Menéndez}} (1911–1948), trade unionist and politician *Abel Santamaría Cuadrado (1927–1953), revolutionary, born in Constancia *Haydée Santamaría Cuadrado (1922–1980), revolutionary, born in Constancia

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category-inline}}

{{Adjacent communities | Centre = Encrucijada | N = ''Nicholas Channel (North Atlantic Ocean)<br/>Sabana Archipelago'' | E = Camajuaní | S = Santa Clara | W = Cifuentes | NW = Sagua la Grande }} {{Municipalities in Villa Clara}}

Category:Populated places in Villa Clara Province Category:1850 establishments in North America Category:Populated places established in 1850 Category:1850 establishments in the Spanish Empire