port city in southeastern Chile; industrial center

a naval battle in the Spanish-American War (1898); the United States fleet bottled up the Spanish ships in the harbor of Santiago de Cuba and destroyed them when they tried to escape

This is Cuba's second largest city and a strong rival to Havana in literature, music and politics. During the 19th century, French settlers arrived and contributed to the melting pot of Haitian, Afican and Spanish influences that have made this Cuba's most Caribbean city.