▁part ▁of ▁the ▁former ▁province ▁of ▁Hav ana . ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁town ▁until ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁when ▁it ▁became ▁incorpor ated ▁into ▁the ▁municipality ▁of ▁Mad ru ga . ▁As ▁of ▁January ▁ 1 , ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁the ▁local ity ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁Province ▁of ▁May abe que . ▁Agu ac ate ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁station ▁on ▁the ▁main ▁line ▁of ▁the ▁Cub an ▁National ▁Railway . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁town ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 6 ▁by ▁some ▁neighb ors ▁who ▁settled ▁in ▁el ▁cor ral ▁de ▁los ▁S iet e ▁Pr ín ci pes . ▁This ▁community ▁was ▁divided ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 3 . ▁That ▁same ▁year ▁the ▁first ▁church ▁was ▁constructed , ▁being ▁auxili ary ▁of ▁J ib aco a . ▁Later ▁an ▁or atorio ▁consec r ated ▁to ▁Our ▁Lady ▁of ▁the ▁Car men ▁was ▁constructed , ▁replacing ▁the ▁first ▁church . ▁The ▁community ▁was ▁sever ely ▁dam aged ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 6 ▁Hav ana ▁h urr icane . ▁The ▁municipal ▁council ▁dates ▁from ▁ 1 8 7 9 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 9 ▁Agu ac ate ▁had ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 2 5 5 7 ▁people , ▁increasing ▁to ▁ 2 8 9 5 ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 1 ▁and ▁reaching ▁ 3 3 2 4 ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 3 . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁it ▁sur pass ed ▁ 5 , 0 0