In Cuba, the Plaza de la Revolución (Revolution Square) no longer bears witness to marathon speeches from Fidel Castro.

Up to a million local residents were ‘encouraged’ to stay for the entire duration of ‘inspirational’ speeches lasting many, many hours, standing in the shadow of the memorial to José Martí, Cuba’s national hero for his role in the battle for independence from Spain.

Lining the square are imposing buildings such as the National Library and the Ministry of the Interior, adorned with an ironwork image of another national hero, Che Guevara, and the text Hasta la Victoria Siempre (Forever Onwards Towards Victory).

With Fidel’s withdrawal from public life, brother Raúl has taken on the role of President, with some apparent easing of restrictions on personal freedoms.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, the North Korean government has been rather less open about the plan for succession should rumours of Kim Jong-il’s ill-health actually prove to be true.

While some observers believe he died as long ago as 2003, there’s no denying that he missed more recent events such as the parade for the country’s 60th anniversary in September 2008, in which the usual collections of military muscle marched through the city with landmarks such as Kim Il-sung Square – named for his father whose statue was previously featured here – and the Arch of Triumph, which was specifically built to be slightly larger than the one in Paris, just to prove a point.

Rumours of Kim Jong-il’s health weren’t helped by the release of apparently doctored photographs of him. Perhaps he’s hiding out in the Ryugyong hotel, which we’ve previously featured on Google Sightseeing.

Locations: Cuba, North Korea / Categories: Buildings, Monuments

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A panopticon was never built in Bentham’s lifetime, but the idea was revived many years later for the design of Statesville Correctional Centre in Crest Hill, Illinois. Opened in 1925 it has two ’roundhouses’, and is the only working example of a panopticon in the United States. Here’s a great photo which clearly illustrates what the interior is like.

Although genuine panopticons are very rare, outside of the US there are a few more for us to see.

The Presidio Modelo on the Isla de la Juventud in Cuba was directly inspired by Statesville, completed in 1931, and remains one of the best examples of Bentham’s concept. Originally holding up to 6000 prisoners, its most famous inmate was probably the current President of Cuba, Fidel Castro, who was held here between 1953 and 1955. The last prisoner was released in 1967 however, and it is now a national museum – this photo shows how it looks inside today.

Chi Hoa prison in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, is an outdoor version of the panopticon, but still has the central observation tower and cells ringed round it. During the Vietnam War, the prison was used to hold Viet Cong members, and still serves as the main correctional facility for the city.

Finally, Holland actually has three panopticons – in Haarlem, Breda and Arnhem. Designed by Willem C. Metzelaar, Haarlem’s domed prison has four floors of cells, and was completed in 1901.

Merzelaar’s father was the architect for Breda and Arnhem, which perhaps explains the similar style of the three buildings. The Dutch government refurbished these prisons in 1979, choosing to remove the central observation platforms, but keeping the rings of cells intact.

Wikipedia has more on panopticons, Jeremy Bentham and the Separate System.

Locations: Cuba, Illinois, Netherlands, Vietnam / Categories: Buildings, Structures

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In 1972 while on a state visit to East Berlin, Fidel Castro gifted this island¹ to the former socialist country of East Germany, and renamed it Cayo Ernesto Thaelmann, after the leader of the German Communist Party, Ernst Thälmann.²

Of course, East Germany ceased to exist in 1990 when the (East) German Democratic Republic was absorbed by the Federal Republic of (West) Germany. Well, that’s what everybody thought.

It transpires that Cayo Ernesto Thaelmann wasn’t actually mentioned in the unification treaty – West Germany never made a claim to it – meaning this Caribbean island is arguably the only remaining piece of East German territory.

You can read more about this bizarre story at the excellent Strange Maps blog.

Locations: Cuba, Germany / Categories: Islands

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There are also (low-res) shots of a huge fire in Central Cuba, a collection of fires in Alaska and yet more in Alaska.

Thanks: Rusty, K-milo, DDA & Jason

Locations: Alaska, Cuba, Louisiana, Texas / Categories: Natural Landmarks

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