History of Puerto Rico
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The history of Puerto Rico began with the settlement of the Ortoiroid people before 430 BC. At the time of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1493, the dominant indigenous culture was that of the Taínos. The Taíno people's numbers went dangerously low during the later half of the 16th century because of new infectious diseases carried by Europeans, exploitation by Spanish settlers, and warfare.
Taíno village at Tibes Indigenous Ceremonial Center in Ponce, Puerto Rico.
Christopher Columbus, the explorer credited with the European discovery of Puerto Rico.
Juan Ponce de León (Santervás de Campos, Valladolid, Spain), was the first governor of Puerto Rico. His grandson Juan Ponce de Leon II was the first indigenous governor of Puerto Rico.
View across the Bay of San Juan of Fort San Felipe del Morro.
Aguadilla, Puerto Rico
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Aguadilla, founded in 1775 by Luis de Córdova, is a city and municipality located in the northwestern tip of Puerto Rico, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, north of Aguada, and Moca and west of Isabela. Aguadilla is spread over 15 barrios and Aguadilla Pueblo. It is a principal city and core of the Aguadilla-Isabela-San Sebastián Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Aerial View of Downtown Aguadilla
Ojo de Agua, water spring located in downtown (pueblo), which gives the municipality one of its nicknames
FAA radar tower in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico
Aguadilla in 1910