Havana, November 16 (RHC)-- Residents of Havana, Cuba's capital, are celebrating their city's 496th birthday today. Havana, declared one of the seven World Wonder Cities, was founded on November 16, 1519.

Havana has grown over the years to some 732 square kilometers, and its Spanish colonial architecture has been well preserved thanks to the restoration program developed by the City Historian's office. A key point in this restoration is that local residents live in the area and joins in the preservation of their city.

The magnificent buildings in Old Havana and the history they treasure have become major attractions for tourists from around the world.

Havana was declared a World Heritage Site in 1982 by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO. The city, with 15 municipalities, has a population of over two million inhabitants, adding to this the large amount of visitors from other provinces around the island.

In December 2014, Havana was chosen as one of the Seven Wonder Cities of the world, as part the New 7 Wonder initiative.