Ramón de La Sagra, naturalista, geógrafo y cartógrafo de Cuba

Abstract

One of the ways to know, control and govern the colonies was sending scientific expeditions, as well as the designation of naturalists and scientists to conduct the academic institutions that were established. After the establishment of the chair of Natural History in Havana in 1822, the Spanish scientist Ramon de La Sagra was appointed as director. His stay in Cuba served to launch teaching program of agricultural botany and other subjects of Natural History, as well as to promote the diversified agriculture. For that purpose, La Sagra used the Botanical Garden established in Havana in 1817 as an educational and experimental space. His work resulted in seÞing up the Agricultural Institution which served as a center of conservation of the plants that were sent to the Peninsula. In his pursuit for knowledge La Sagra developed a vast work that included not only documentation in Natural History, but also collected data on geography and cartography of Cuba which represents a primary source for scholars.