1.
United States Census Bureau
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The United States Census Bureau is a principal agency of the U. S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureaus primary mission is conducting the U. S. Census every ten years, in addition to the decennial census, the Census Bureau continually conducts dozens of other censuses and surveys, including the American Community Survey, the U. S. Economic Census, and the Current Population Survey, furthermore, economic and foreign trade indicators released by the federal government typically contain data produced by the Census Bureau. The Bureaus various censuses and surveys help allocate over $400 billion in federal funds every year and help states, local communities, the Census Bureau is part of the U. S. Department of Commerce and its director is appointed by the President of the United States. The Census Bureau now conducts a population count every 10 years in years ending with a 0. Between censuses, the Census Bureau makes population estimates and projections, the Census Bureau is mandated with fulfilling these obligations, the collecting of statistics about the nation, its people, and economy. The Census Bureaus legal authority is codified in Title 13 of the United States Code, the Census Bureau also conducts surveys on behalf of various federal government and local government agencies on topics such as employment, crime, health, consumer expenditures, and housing. Within the bureau, these are known as surveys and are conducted perpetually between and during decennial population counts. The Census Bureau also conducts surveys of manufacturing, retail, service. Between 1790 and 1840, the census was taken by marshals of the judicial districts, the Census Act of 1840 established a central office which became known as the Census Office. Several acts followed that revised and authorized new censuses, typically at the 10-year intervals, in 1902, the temporary Census Office was moved under the Department of Interior, and in 1903 it was renamed the Census Bureau under the new Department of Commerce and Labor. The department was intended to consolidate overlapping statistical agencies, but Census Bureau officials were hindered by their role in the department. An act in 1920 changed the date and authorized manufacturing censuses every 2 years, in 1929, a bill was passed mandating the House of Representatives be reapportioned based on the results of the 1930 Census. In 1954, various acts were codified into Title 13 of the US Code, by law, the Census Bureau must count everyone and submit state population totals to the U. S. President by December 31 of any year ending in a zero. States within the Union receive the results in the spring of the following year, the United States Census Bureau defines four statistical regions, with nine divisions. The Census Bureau regions are widely used. for data collection, the Census Bureau definition is pervasive. Title 13 of the U. S. Code establishes penalties for the disclosure of this information, all Census employees must sign an affidavit of non-disclosure prior to employment. The Bureau cannot share responses, addresses or personal information with anyone including United States or foreign government, only after 72 years does the information collected become available to other agencies or the general public
2.
Metropolitan statistical area
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In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or town would be, as such, the precise definition of any given metropolitan area can vary with the source. A typical metropolitan area is centered on a large city that wields substantial influence over the region. However, some areas contain more than one large city with no single municipality holding a substantially dominant position. MSAs are defined by the Office of Management and Budget and used by the Census Bureau, U. S. Census statistics for metropolitan areas are reported according to the following definitions. The U. S. Office of Management and Budget defines a set of core based statistical areas throughout the country, CBSAs are delineated on the basis of a central urban area or urban cluster – in other words, a contiguous area of relatively high population density. CBSAs are composed of counties and county equivalents, the counties containing the core urban area are known as the central counties of the CBSA. Outlying counties are included in the CBSA if the employment interchange measure is 25% or more, although numbers are estimates. Some areas within these counties may be rural in nature. As well as MSAs, CBSAs are subdivided into statistical areas based on the population of the core urban area. Under certain conditions, one or more CBSAs may be grouped together to form a larger entity known as a combined statistical area. Previous terms that are no longer used include standard metropolitan statistical area, in New England, towns have precedence over counties, so statistically similar areas are defined in terms of town-based units known as New England city and town areas. United States of America Outline of the United States Index of United States-related articles Book, United States Demographics of the United States United States Census Bureau List of U. S
3.
Puerto Rico
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Puerto Rico, officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and briefly called Porto Rico, is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeast Caribbean Sea. It is an archipelago that includes the island of Puerto Rico and a number of smaller ones such as Mona, Culebra. The capital and most populous city is San Juan and its official languages are Spanish and English, though Spanish predominates. The islands population is approximately 3.4 million, Puerto Ricos rich history, tropical climate, diverse natural scenery, renowned traditional cuisine, and attractive tax incentives make it a popular destination for travelers from around the world. Four centuries of Spanish colonial government transformed the ethnic, cultural and physical landscapes primarily with waves of African captives, and Canarian. In the Spanish imperial imagination, Puerto Rico played a secondary, in 1898, following the Spanish–American War, the United States appropriated Puerto Rico together with most former Spanish colonies under the terms of the Treaty of Paris. Puerto Ricans are natural-born citizens of the United States, however, Puerto Rico does not have a vote in the United States Congress, which governs the territory with full jurisdiction under the Puerto Rico Federal Relations Act of 1950. As a U. S. territory, American citizens residing on the island are disenfranchised at the level and may not vote for president. However, Congress approved a constitution, allowing U. S. citizens on the territory to elect a governor. A fifth referendum will be held in June 2017, with only Statehood, in early 2017, the Puerto Rican government-debt crisis posed serious problems for the government. The outstanding bond debt that had climbed to $70 billion or $12,000 per capita at a time with 12. 4% unemployment, the debt had been increasing during a decade long recession. Puerto Ricans often call the island Borinquen – a derivation of Borikén, its indigenous Taíno name, the terms boricua and borincano derive from Borikén and Borinquen respectively, and are commonly used to identify someone of Puerto Rican heritage. The island is also known in Spanish as la isla del encanto. Columbus named the island San Juan Bautista, in honor of Saint John the Baptist, eventually traders and other maritime visitors came to refer to the entire island as Puerto Rico, while San Juan became the name used for the main trading/shipping port and the capital city. The islands name was changed to Porto Rico by the United States after the Treaty of Paris of 1898, the anglicized name was used by the US government and private enterprises. The name was changed back to Puerto Rico by a joint resolution in Congress introduced by Félix Córdova Dávila in 1931, the ancient history of the archipelago known today as Puerto Rico is not well known. The scarce archaeological findings and early Spanish scholarly accounts from the colonial era constitute the basis of knowledge about them. The first comprehensive book on the history of Puerto Rico was written by Fray Íñigo Abbad y Lasierra in 1786, the first settlers were the Ortoiroid people, an Archaic Period culture of Amerindian hunters and fishermen who migrated from the South American mainland
4.
2000 United States Census
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This was the twenty-second federal census and was at the time the largest civilly administered peacetime effort in the United States. Approximately 16 percent of households received a form of the 2000 census. Full documentation on the 2000 census, including forms and a procedural history, is available from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series. Microdata from the 2000 census is available through the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series. Aggregate data for small areas, together with electronic boundary files, personally identifiable information will be available in 2072. The U. S. resident population includes the number of people in the 50 states. The Bureau also enumerated the residents of the U. S. territory of Puerto Rico, its population was 3,808,610, the 2000 Census was the first time survey options for multiracial Americans were provided. S. Households had access to computers, 42% have Internet access, regionally, the South and West experienced the bulk of the nations population increase,14,790,890 and 10,411,850, respectively. This meant that the center of U. S. population moved to Phelps County. The Northeast grew by 2,785,149, the Midwest by 4,724,144, the results of the census are used to determine how many congressional districts each state is apportioned. Congress defines the formula, in accordance with Title 2 of the U. S. Code, each member of the House represents a population of about 647,000. The populations of the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are excluded from the apportionment population because they do not have voting seats in the U. S, since the first census in 1790, the decennial count has been the basis for the United States representative form of government. Article I, Section II specifies that The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, in 1790, each member of the House represented about 34,000 residents. Since then, the House more than quadrupled in size, today, each member represents about 20 times as many constituents. This recommendation was followed by the Secretary of Commerce, after the census was tabulated, Utah challenged the results in two different ways. Utah was extremely close to gaining a fourth seat, falling 857 people short. The margin was later shortened to 80 people, after the government discovered that it overcounted the population of North Carolina by 2,673 residents. Utah claimed that individuals traveling abroad as religious missionaries should be counted as residents, almost half of all Mormon missionaries, more than 11,000 individuals, were from Utah, only 102 came from North Carolina
5.
San Juan, Puerto Rico
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San Juan is the capital and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of the United States, San Juan was founded by Spanish colonists in 1521, who called it Ciudad de Puerto Rico. Puerto Ricos capital is the second oldest European-established capital city in the Americas, after Santo Domingo, today, San Juan is Puerto Ricos most important seaport, and is the islands manufacturing, financial, cultural, and tourism center. San Juan is also a city of the San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo Combined Statistical Area. In 1508, Juan Ponce de León founded the settlement which he called Caparra. In 1521, the settlement was given its formal name. On the other hand, the name for the island became the name for the city only after the occupation of the island by the United States. San Juan, as a settlement of the Spanish Empire, was used by merchant, because of its prominence in the Caribbean, a network of fortifications was built to protect the transports of gold and silver from the New World to Europe. Because of the cargoes, San Juan became a target of the foreign powers of the time. The city was witness to attacks from the English led by Sir Francis Drake in 1595 and by George Clifford, Earl of Cumberland, artillery from San Juans fort, El Morro, repelled Drake, however, Clifford managed to land troops and lay siege to the city. After a few months of English occupation, Clifford was forced to abandon the siege when his troops began to suffer from exhaustion, in 1625 the city was sacked by Dutch forces led by Captain Balduino Enrico, but El Morro withstood the assault and was not taken. The Dutch were counterattacked by Captain Juan de Amezquita and 50 members of the militia on land. The land battle left 60 Dutch soldiers dead and Enrico with a wound to his neck which he received from the hands of Amezquita. The Dutch ships at sea were boarded by Puerto Ricans who defeated those aboard, after a long battle, the Spanish soldiers and volunteers of the citys militia were able to defend the city from the attack and save the island from an invasion. On October 21, Enrico set La Fortaleza and the city ablaze, captains Amezquita and Andre Botello decided to put a stop to the destruction and led 200 men in an attack against the enemys front and rear guard. They drove Enrico and his men from their trenches and into the ocean in their haste to reach their ships, the British attack in 1797, during the French Revolutionary Wars, led by Sir Ralph Abercromby. His army laid siege to the city but was forced to withdraw in defeat as the Puerto Rican defenses proved more resilient than those of Trinidad. The USS Yale captured a Spanish freighter, the Rita in San Juan Bay, on May 9, Yale fought a brief battle with an auxiliary cruiser of Spain, name unknown, resulting in a Spanish victory
6.
Caguas, Puerto Rico
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Caguas is located 20 miles from San Juan and 40 miles from Ponce. It is known as El Valle del Turabo or La Ciudad Criolla, Caguas is both a principal city of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area and the San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo Combined Statistical Area. Caguas was founded on January 1,1775 as San Sebastián del Piñal de Caguax, Caguax was a local Taíno chief and early convert to Christianity. Caguas construction was finished in 1779, in 1820 it was declared a valley, in 2002, Caguas was the site of the 2002 USAF Hercules air disaster. Caguas is located in the largest valley in Puerto Rico, the Valle de Caguas which it shares with Gurabo and part of Aguas Buenas. It is located approximately 30 minutes from the coastline both on the east and the north, and is divided from the Gurabo portion of the valley by the river of the same name. It is east of Aguas Buenas and Cidra, north of Cayey, south of San Juan and it also shares borders with Guayama and Patillas via a five-point border, with Cayey and San Lorenzo. At this point there are two tall antennas which provide signal to Puerto Ricos principal TV stations such as WKAQ-TV and WAPA-TV, no road passes exactly at this point, and it can be approached nearby through Puerto Rico Highway 184. Being a valley, Caguas has the distinction of being relatively flat except near the borders with all the mentioned municipalities except Gurabo, the Río Grande de Loíza divides this municipality from Gurabo. Other Rivers, Río Turabo, Río Caguitas, Río Cañaboncito, Río Bairoa and Río Cañas. The climate is classified as a Tropical monsoon climate, meaning the mean temperature from month to month is never less than 64.4 °F. Rainfall is common in relative abundance throughout most of the year, the land, however, is fertile and deep. Three of the first five Puerto Ricans that played Major League Baseball in the U. S. at one point in their careers played for the Criollos de Caguas, the Criollos de Caguas basketball team, founded in 1968 by Dr. Héctor Tato Dávila and Lcdo. Libertario Pérez Rodríguez, hasnt enjoyed as much success as their baseball counterparts, however in the early 2000s, they showed a lot of progress by reaching the national playoffs various times. The team is a member of the BSN, in 2006, the team won its first BSN national basketball championship, defeating Flor Melendez and his Santurce Crabbers in five games. The Criollas de Caguas womens volleyball team has won 9 national Puerto Rico titles and has made it to the more than 15 times. The team is a member of the Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino, in September 2005 City Mayor William Miranda Marin levied the first Municipal tax in Puerto Rico via city ordinance. Area Merchants now charge a one cent tax for every dollar spent on all retail businesses, the tax has become known around the island as the Willie Tax
7.
Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
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Guaynabo is a municipality in the northern part of Puerto Rico, located in the northern coast of the island, north of Aguas Buenas, south of Cataño, east of Bayamón, and west of San Juan. Guaynabo is spread over 9 wards and Guaynabo Pueblo, Guaynabo is considered, along with its neighbors – San Juan and the municipalities of Bayamón, Carolina, Cataño, Trujillo Alto and Toa Baja – to be part of the San Juan metropolitan area. It is also part of the larger San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area, the municipio has a land area of 27.13 square miles and a population of 97,924 as of the 2010 census. The first European settlement in Puerto Rico, Caparra, was founded in 1508 by Juan Ponce de León in land that is part of Guaynabo. Ponce de León resided there as first Spanish governor of Puerto Rico and this settlement was abandoned in 1521 in favor of San Juan. The ruins of Caparra remain and are a U. S. National Historic Landmark, the Museum of the Conquest and Colonization of Puerto Rico, which features artifacts from the site and others in Puerto Rico, is located on the grounds. The municipality of Guaynabo was founded in 1769 by Pedro R. Davila, previously, the municipality was known as Buinabo, a name that means in Taíno Aquí hay otro lugar de agua dulce or Here is another place of fresh water. El Nuevo Día, Chrysler, Santander Securities, Puerto Rico Telephone, wAPA-TV and Univision Puerto Rico have their main studios in Guaynabo. Iberias San Juan-area offices are in Guaynabo, the Conquistadores de Guaynabo, or Guaynabo Conquistadores, are the Guaynabo Mets replacement and still play in the Mario Morales Coliseum. The Mets de Guaynabo are the womens volleyball team that play in the LVSF. They have not won any championships yet and they also play in the Mario Morales Coliseum. Guaynabo Fluminense FC is Guaynabos professional soccer team plays in the Puerto Rico Soccer League. The league started in 2008 and Guaynabos current position in the league is 4th place and it was at the same year that the Puerto Rico Soccer League was starting to take place. In the 2009 season, Guaynabo Fluminense FC moved to the Sixto Escobar Stadium, the Federal Bureau of Prisons operates the Metropolitan Detention Center, Guaynabo in Guaynabo. Some regions of the city belong to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district I while others belong to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district II, both of the Districts are represented by two Senators. Professional Hospital Guaynabo located on Felisa Rincón Avenue, is the newest hospital infrastructure built in Puerto Rico, Guaynabo is the only city in Puerto Rico to have a hospital specialized in advanced vascular surgery. Some of the first and newest procedures performed in Puerto Rico during 2009 were done in Professional Hospital Guaynabo, the Japanese Language School of Puerto Rico, a weekend Japanese school, previously held its classes in Guaynabo
8.
Spanish language
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Spanish —also called Castilian —is a Romance language that originated in the Castile region of Spain, with hundreds of millions of native speakers around the world. It is usually considered the worlds second-most spoken native language after Mandarin Chinese and it is one of the few languages to use inverted question and exclamation marks. Spanish is a part of the Ibero-Romance group of languages, which evolved from several dialects of Vulgar Latin in Iberia after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century. Beginning in the early 16th century, Spanish was taken to the colonies of the Spanish Empire, most notably to the Americas, as well as territories in Africa, Oceania, around 75% of modern Spanish is derived from Latin. Greek has also contributed substantially to Spanish vocabulary, especially through Latin, Spanish vocabulary has been in contact from an early date with Arabic, having developed during the Al-Andalus era in the Iberian Peninsula. With around 8% of its vocabulary being Arabic in origin, this language is the second most important influence after Latin and it has also been influenced by Basque as well as by neighboring Ibero-Romance languages. It also adopted words from languages such as Gothic language from the Visigoths in which many Spanish names and surnames have a Visigothic origin. Spanish is one of the six languages of the United Nations. It is the language in the world by the number of people who speak it as a mother tongue, after Mandarin Chinese. It is estimated more than 437 million people speak Spanish as a native language. Spanish is the official or national language in Spain, Equatorial Guinea, speakers in the Americas total some 418 million. In the European Union, Spanish is the tongue of 8% of the population. Spanish is the most popular second language learned in the United States, in 2011 it was estimated by the American Community Survey that of the 55 million Hispanic United States residents who are five years of age and over,38 million speak Spanish at home. The Spanish Constitution of 1978 uses the term castellano to define the language of the whole Spanish State in contrast to las demás lenguas españolas. Article III reads as follows, El castellano es la lengua española oficial del Estado, las demás lenguas españolas serán también oficiales en las respectivas Comunidades Autónomas. Castilian is the official Spanish language of the State, the other Spanish languages as well shall be official in their respective Autonomous Communities. The Spanish Royal Academy, on the hand, currently uses the term español in its publications. Two etymologies for español have been suggested, the Spanish Royal Academy Dictionary derives the term from the Provençal word espaignol, and that in turn from the Medieval Latin word Hispaniolus, from—or pertaining to—Hispania
9.
Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico
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Aguas Buenas is spread over 9 wards and Aguas Buenas pueblo. It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area, Aguas Buenas was originally a sector of Caguas known as Aguabuena. In 1798, a group of residents started establishing their houses near some of the rivers in the area and started calling the sector Aguas Claras. A resident, Julian López, offered part of his estate to be used for the construction of a square, a church, the city hall. The town was founded on May 25,1838 and the name was changed to Aguas Buenas. Francisco de Salas Torres was declared the first mayor, initially, the economy of the town relied on coffee plantations and commerce. At the end of the 19th century, the population was close to 7,000. In 1906, mayor Don José E. Morales bought nearly six acres of terrain from Don Guillermo Díaz Delgado, in these lands, the sectors of La Pajilla, El Pueblito and El Guanábano were established, expanding the towns area. The terrain is moderately mountainous located in the Cayey mountain range, the highest peaks are La Peña, Santa Bárbara, La Tisa, and La Marquesa. Several rivers flow through Aguas Buenas, some of them are the Bayamón River, and several small rivers that are part of the Río Grande de Loíza, like Bairoa, Caguitas, and Cañas. The Aguas Buenas Caves are also an important landmark, as well as the Palito, Aguas Buenas has an amateur baseball team called the Tigers. Several festivals and annual events are held in Aguas Buenas, the Salsa, Bomba & Plena Festival is held in the late summer, while the Fiestas Patronales are held in September 8. Theres also an Agricultural Fest held in May and the Festival Folklórico de Campo y Pueblo in January, the annual Carnival is also held in March. After its foundation, the economy of Aguas Buenas relied mostly on coffee plantations, currently, Aguas Buenas is home to an important egg producer of the island called Del Campo. The company has over 180,000 laying hens putting out a production of 144,000 eggs. There are also several industries of ladies apparel and construction located in the town, as of 2010, Aguas Buenas has a population of 28,659. Although that represents a decrease of 373 when compared to 2000 and that year, Aguas Buenas registered a population of 12,885. According to the 2010 Census,72. 5% of the population identifies themselves as White, also, according to the census, the population is equally divided by gender
10.
Aibonito, Puerto Rico
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Aibonito is a small mountain municipality in Puerto Rico located in the Mountain range of Cayey, north of Salinas, south of Barranquitas and Comerio, east of Coamo, and west of Cidra, and Cayey. Aibonito is spread over 8 wards and Aibonito Pueblo and it is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area. Aibonito is located on a high elevation, which makes its climate cooler than most of Puerto Ricos towns. Before the Spanish colonization of the Americas, it is believed there were Taíno settlements in the region that belonged to Cacique Orocobix domain. After the Spanish arrived, it is believed that a ranch was established in the region by Pedro Zorascoechea in 1630, which led the development of a hamlet. However, it wasnt until 1822 when Don Manuel Veléz presented himself before the government, representing the inhabitants of the area and this was authorized on March 13,1824 by Governor Don Miguel de la Torre. The first Catholic church in Aibonito was built in 1825, the building was replaced by the current church, which was started in 1887 and completed in 1897. After the town was constituted, wards started developing in the area. On the Spanish–American War of 1898, around 800 Spanish and Puerto Rican soldiers were able to defeat the invading American troops due to their placement in the Asomante mountain. This scrimmage came to an end when the Spanish government surrendered on August 12,1898, there are several stories regarding the name of the town. Some people say that it is derived from the Taíno word Jatibonicu and this name was also used to refer to a river in the area and was also the name used by the tribe of Orocobix, Taíno chief of the area. Finally, theres a legend tells of a Spanish soldier called Diego Alvarez who on May 17,1615 reached one of the highest peaks in the area and upon watching the view, exclaimed Ay. Which eventually was turned into the name of the region, Aibonito is located in the Cayey mountain range, part of the Cordillera Central in Puerto Rico. Aibonito is the town with the highest elevation in Puerto Rico, some of its mountains are La Sierra, Asomante and Buena Vista. Some of the rivers flow through Aibonito are the Río de Aibonito, Río Cuyón, Río de la Plata. Aibonito holds the record for the lowest temperature in Puerto Rico and that is 40 °F on March 9,1911. The highest temperature record is 98 °F recorded on September 29,1920, Aibonito is among Puerto Ricos coolest towns. Aibonito had a BSN basketball franchise called the Polluelos de Aibonito, in 1986 they beat the defending champions, Atleticos de San German, in seven games to win their only championship
11.
Arecibo, Puerto Rico
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Arecibo is a municipality on the northern coast of Puerto Rico, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, located north of Utuado and Ciales, east of Hatillo, and west of Barceloneta and Florida. It is about 50 miles west of San Juan, the capital city, Arecibo is the largest municipality in Puerto Rico by area, and is part of the San Juan, Caguas and Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is spread over 18 wards and Arecibo Pueblo and its population in 2010 was 96,440. Arecibo is also known as El Diamante Del Norte and La Ribera del Arecibo, the Arecibo Observatory, until July 2016 the worlds largest radio telescope, is located here. Arecibo is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arecibo, when the Spanish arrived, they found the area occupied by the indigenous Taíno, led by Xamaica Arasibo, Cacique of the yucayeque then named Abacoa. Spanish colonists settled Arecibo in 1556, which named for the cacique. It was their third settlement on the island, after Caparra and it is named after the cacique. This gave the city its nickname La Villa del Capitan Correa, for some time the island was competed for by other European powers. On August 5,1702, Captain Antonio de los Reyes Correa, commanding two British Navy ships and 40 men, Whetstone tried to take control of the city. Correa ambushed his forces, killing 22 British seamen and driving them off, the Spanish defenders suffered only one death and three wounded soldiers. In 1778, Arecibo, by decree, was awarded the Villa status. In 1850 it was awarded the Muy Leal, over time, large part of its territory became separate municipalities. These include Manati, Barceloneta, Florida, Utuado, Jayuya, Hatillo, Camuy, Quebradillas, in 1982, it was promoted to city status, though it continued to be affectionately by its previous nickname. Arecibo is located in the Northern Coastal Plain region of Puerto Rico and it lies south of the Atlantic Ocean, north of Utuado, east of Hatillo, and west of Barceloneta and Florida. The city occupies an area of 127 square miles, of which,45.23 sq mi, is water, the Rio Grande de Arecibo is the main river in the municipality, running through the middle of it. South of the municipality, in the karst region, it forms the Dos Bocas Lake, several rivers feed the Rio Grande, including the Tanama River. East of the river, lies Caño Tiburones, an important marshland area that provides habitat for many kinds of birds, cambalache State Forest is located along the Barceloneta city limits, while Rio Abajo State Forest is located between Arecibo and Utuado. Caves include Cueva Ventana, which overlooks a valley formed by the Rio Grande de Arecibo, and La Cueva del Indio, where paintings made by prehistoric indigenous peoples have been seen
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Barceloneta, Puerto Rico
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Barceloneta is a municipality in Puerto Rico and is located in the north region, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, north of Florida, east of Arecibo and west of Manati. Barceloneta is spread over 3 wards and Barceloneta Pueblo and it is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area. Barceloneta was founded on July 1,1881 by Don Bonocio Llenza Feliú, the name of Barceloneta is derived from the Spanish city. Barceloneta was one of the last municipalities created by the Spanish Government in Puerto Rico, about a decade after its foundation, the town had a significant economic development led by agriculture and industry. By 1894, there were three sugarcane estates,93 sugar mills, and 100 of other fruits, in 1899, Barceloneta requested to be annexed to the town of Manatí. An election was scheduled for August 14,1899 to decide the matter, however, on August 8, the island suffered the effects of Hurricane San Ciriaco, which prevented the elections from being held. The following year, Governor George Whitefield Davis ordered the annexation of Barceloneta into Manatí, the annexation was short-lived, though,11 years later, the government reinstated Barceloneta as a municipality. After sugarcane mill Central Plazuela closed in 1963, Barceloneta started reinforcing its agricultural economy towards pineapples, efforts to revive the economy werent that successful, until pharmaceutical industries started establishing themselves in the town during the 70s. Don Bonocios son was the owner of a ship that made those routes. The Municipality of Barceloneta sits on the northern karst region of Puerto Rico and it is bordered by the municipalities of Arecibo, Florida, and Manatí. In terms of features, the municipality occupies a roughly rectangular area in the northern coast of the island. It has an area of 36.4 square miles. Since it is located in the karst region, it features hills, ponors, near the coast, the terrain is occupied by the Tiburones cienaga. The Río Grande de Manatí travels across the municipalities of Manatí and Barceloneta, Barceloneta also features the Caño Tiburones, the largest swamp on the island. Also features a collection of artifacts and Taino pieces. Barceloneta has the biggest pharmaceutical complex in the world and it is known that these companies have chosen Barceloneta to establish their facilities for its underground water reservoirs. The water in Barceloneta is so pure that it very little treatment for use in the manufacture of pharmaceutical products. The employments created by these companies along with a plan for urban growth have allowed Barceloneta to be more than simply a town where people go work
13.
Barranquitas, Puerto Rico
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Barranquitas is spread over 6 wards and Barranquitas Pueblo. It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area, Barranquitas is about one hour by winding roads from San Juan, the capital. It is nestled amid hills and mountains, and nearby, between Barranquitas and Aibonito, is located the cañón de San Cristóbal, one of the deepest canyons in the Indies. For years, the overlook was used as a municipal garbage, in the last decade, the refuse was removed, barranquitass local Taino Indian Cacique was called Orocobix and his yucayeque or tribe was known as the Jatibonicu Taino. The town was founded in 1803 by Antonio Aponte Ramos, early in the 20th century, Barranquitas residents, known as Barranquiteños, had a short but legendary territory war with residents of the city of Comerío. The Municipality of Barranquitas sits on the middle of the Cordillera Central of Puerto Rico and it is bordered by the municipalities of Corozal, Naranjito, Coamo, Aibonito, Orocovis, and Comerío. Barranquitas has an area of 34 square miles. Some of the found in the municipality are La Torrecilla. Barranquitas is also the site of the San Cristóbal Canyon, the following rivers pass through Barranquitas, Río de Barranquitas, Río Grande de Manatí, Piñonas, Río Hondo, and Río Usabón. The municipality of Barranquitas is divided into eight barrios, Barranquitas is the burial place of two prominent Puerto Rican politicians, Luis Muñoz Rivera and his son, Governor Luis Muñoz Marín. This has made Barranquitas a popular tourist attraction among Puerto Ricans, the birthplace of Muñoz Rivera has been turned into a museum. The mausoleum of the Muñoz Rivera family is another place of interest, among those buried are Muñoz Rivera and his son and daughter-in-law, Luis Muñoz Marín, and his second wife Inés Mendoza de Munoz. Other known places of interest in Barranquitas are the San Cristóbal Canyon, el Cortijo Castle is an old, historical structure, which is currently a museum. Also, Camp Morton is a spot for activities and retirements. Among the annual festivities celebrated in Barranquitas are, The Festival del Apio held in April, the apio is a plant considered in the family of the celery. The Festival de la Vega, held in May, another one is the festivity in honor of Saint Anthony of Padua, the towns patron saint, are held in June. The most famous festival is the annual Artisans Fair, the oldest one in the island, with over 50 years, Barranquitas has no professional sports teams, but there are some amateur sports teams based in the city. The most popular sport is baseball
14.
Camuy, Puerto Rico
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Camuy is a municipality of Puerto Rico, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, north of Lares, east of Quebradillas, and west of Hatillo. Camuy is spread over 12 wards and Camuy Pueblo, the town celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2007. Camuy is part of the Porta Atlántico Tourist Area, the name Camuy is known to be derived from the Taíno language, although a number of legends give differing explanations for the origin of the name. The sun legend is reflected in the coat of arms for the municipality, in its beginnings Camuy was integrated into the Partition of San Antonio de la Tuna. The partitions were great expanses of land that divided Puerto Rico and this region today is known as Isabela, Puerto Rico. At the time the partition covered the areas between Aguadilla and Arecibo, what is today as the municipalities of Camuy, Hatillo, Quebradillas, Isabela, Utuado. The population of Camuy was 35,159 at the 2010 census, the municipality is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo metropolitan area and is a popular suburb. It was named in 2015 by the U. S, conference of Mayors as one of the most livable cities in the United States. Camuy belongs to the designated as the plateau of the northwest where the terrain is level. Towards the interior of the municipality, the topography becomes very irregular near Cibao and this strip of land, a zone of wooded hills and depressions, divides Camuy completely into two strips, north and south. The northern strip is known as Lomas de los Puertos, the Cibao River is also part of the system. Camuy is known for its Parque de las Cavernas del Río Camuy, the cave system was first documented in the 1973 book Discovery At The Rio Camuy by Russell and Jeanne Gurnee. The park built around the system features tours of some of the caves. The caverns were created by the Río Camuy, the third longest underground river in the world, in recognition of this, the Camuy coat of arms includes a symbol for the underground river. The other famous church is the Methodist church named Iglesia de Piedra because of its design, the whole church is made completely out of stone. The town has many sports but most notably are their baseball teams, many of them are part of the little league and the intermediate system but at the top the two professional Class A and Double AA baseball teams called Los Arenosos. His day is celebrated on March 1, the patron saint festivities are celebrated every year around the last 2 weeks of the month of March, the month of Saint Joseph. His official liturgical day is March 1, theres an active manufacturing industry in the city, including companies such as Alaska based Cazador Apparel, Seamless Textiles, Hanes, Best Quality Coop and Camuy Furniture Warehouse
15.
Carolina, Puerto Rico
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Carolina is a municipality located on the northeast coast of Puerto Rico. It lies immediately east of the capital San Juan and Trujillo Alto, north of Gurabo and Juncos, Carolina is spread over 12 wards plus Villa Carolina. It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area, and home to Puerto Ricos main airport, the town was founded by Spanish colonists in 1816 as Trujillo Bajo, along with its counterpart Trujillo Alto after Trujillo, Spain. In 1857 it was renamed to San Fernando de la Carolina, later shortened to Carolina, Carolina was also home to Jesús T. Piñero, the first Puerto Rican to be appointed as governor by the United States government. The City is also known as El Pueblo de los Tumba Brazos, during the late 1800s, the towns major export was sugar cane. Sugar cane workers solved their issues by fighting with their machetes, Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, the countrys main airport, is located in Isla Verde. Also located in Carolina are a group of hotels, which sit by Carolinas large beach area. There are several hotels on the coast of Carolina, including the El San Juan Resort and Casino, InterContinental San Juan Hotel and the Ritz-Carlton San Juan Hotel, Spa. Executive Airlines, a ground handling company and subsidiary of American Airlines, is headquartered on the grounds of Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Carolina. The Gigantes de Carolina professional baseball use the Roberto Clemente Stadium as their home field. There is also team with the same name, the Giants de Carolina. That team also uses the Roberto Clemente Stadium as its home field, professional horse jockey Emanuel Jose Sanchez was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico. Riding the mare Mark Me Special he captured the 7th race at Colonial Downs on June 19,2005, all municipalities in Puerto Rico are administered by a mayor, elected every four years. The current mayor of Carolina is José Aponte Dalmau, of the Popular Democratic Party and he was elected in 2007, after a special election, succeeding his late father, José Aponte de la Torre. Aponte de la Torre was elected mayor in 1984 and served for 23 years, the city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district VIII, which is represented by two Senators. In 2012, Pedro A. Rodríguez and Luis Daniel Rivera were elected as District Senators, the Carolina Police Department, with most of its precincts in the northern half of the city due to the density of the population, handle law enforcement responsibilities. Puerto Rico Police Department also has jurisdiction in Carolina, especially for narcotics enforcement, Carolina created the first municipal fire department in Puerto Rico. The Carolina Fire Department in collaboration with the Carolina Municipal Emergency Management use two engine trucks, one track and one special hazard engine truck
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Cayey, Puerto Rico
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Cayey is spread over 21 wards plus Cayey Pueblo, the downtown area and the administrative center of the city. It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area, Cayey is notable for its surrounding mountains. The city has been growing since the 1990s, evidenced by its designation as a Metropolitan Area by the U. S. Census Bureau. It has experienced significant growth in commerce, and many major retailers, industries in Cayey include sugar, tobacco and poultry. For tobacco there is a well known company called Consolidated Cigar Corp, a new coliseum and hospital facilities have also been built. Coca-Cola is a corporation that has a manufacturing facility in the town. Cayey is also host to one of the campuses of the University of Puerto Rico, Cayey was founded on August 17,1773, by Juan Mata Vázquez, who became its first mayor. It is said that Cayey derives its name from the Taino Indian word for a place of waters and its original name was Cayey de Muesas in honor of Miguel de Muesas, the then governor of Puerto Rico. The town is located in a valley nestled between Puerto Ricos Cordillera Central mountain range and the Sierra de Cayey at roughly the midpoint of routes PR-1, the routes lead to a road that provides a panoramic view of the island. Cayeys economy has and remains based on tobacco, sugar cane. Unfortunately, its economy that evolved starting in the 1950s has diminished considerably to date. Most of its products are imported from other islands in the Caribbean or mainland United States. During the first half of the 20th century, Cayey was basically an area of small farmers. In the 1950s and 1960s some manufacturing concerns established plants in Cayey taking advantage of tax incentives offered by Operation Bootstrap, an industrial base, in 1947 Cayey saw the beginning of industrial entrepreneurship. There were three factories in town, the Caribe Flower Co. in the Palo Seco neighborhood, a Baseball Factory in the Toita neighborhood, by 1950 the men that worked agriculture became excess population and began migrating to the United States or join the military. In 1950 with the approval of Fomento Industrial and Operation Bootstrap there was a boom of light factories in Cayey, an education base began in the early to mid-1950s when the Inter-American University opened a branch in Cayey providing teacher training through a night class scheme. There are three private schools, Radians School, the long established Colegio de Nuestra Senora de la Merced. Cayeys health care base expanded in the mid-1960s with the Mennoite Medical Center and a Municipal Hospital along with laboratories, and urgent care centers that cater to the poor and the elderly
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Ciales, Puerto Rico
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Ciales is a municipality of Puerto Rico, located on the Central Mountain Range, northwest of Orocovis, south of Florida and Manatí, east of Utuado and Jayuya, and west of Morovis. Ciales is spread over eight wards and Ciales Pueblo and it is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area. Ciales was founded on June 24,1820 by Isidro Rodríguez, Toro Negro Forest Reserve Rivers are, Río Cialitos, Río Grande de Manatí, Río Toro Negro, and Río Yunes. Their middle brother, Enrique Coco Vicens, a former Puerto Rico Senator, was a track, agriculture, coffee & cattle All municipalities in Puerto Rico are administered by a mayor, elected every four years. The current mayor of Ciales is Juan José Rodríguez Pérez, of the Popular Democratic Party and he was elected at the 2012 general elections. The city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district III, which is represented by two Senators, in 2008, José Emilio González Velázquez and Angel Martínez Santiago were elected as District Senators. The flag is divided into seven unequal stripes described in sequence, yellow, red, yellow, purple, yellow, red, and yellow. The coat of arms consists of a shield with a lion standing on its rear legs. The lion also shows a red tongue, above the lion in the superior part of the shield are located three heraldic roses arranged horizontally with red petals and green leaves. A golden crown of three towers rests on the shield, the three towers are united by walls, simulating masonry blocks. The shield is surrounded by a crown of coffee tree branches with their berries, all in natural colors
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Cidra, Puerto Rico
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Cidra is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the central region of the island, north of Cayey, south of Comerío and Aguas Buenas, east of Aibonito and Barranquitas, and west of Caguas. Cidra is spread over 12 wards and Cidra Pueblo and it is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area. Cidra is known as La Ciudad de la Eterna Primavera, the region of what is now Cidra belonged to the Taíno region of Cubuy, which covered a portion of the center of Puerto Rico, towards the East coast. The region was led by cacique Caguax, there are not many records that show that the region was populated after the Spanish colonization. However, it is believed that around 1795, a Catalan named Frujols built a hermitage or shrine around which a village settled. The settlement became a ward of Cayey, until 1807 when the residents gave the power to Victoriano de Rivera to ask the Governor for permission to found an independent town. In 1809, a known as Bibiana Vázquez donated the land needed for the foundation. Victoriano de Rivera was appointed to lead the town, but he was replaced by Wenceslao Vázquez due to illness. At the time of its foundation, Cidra had 26 houses and 11 huts and it is believed that its name is derived from the citron fruit which was widely cultivated in the region. During the years following its foundation, a church and city hall were built, by 1922, there were already two public schools in town. Two years later, a road communicating the town with Caguas was opened, in 1868, the population of Cidra was more than 5,000 residents, which included European immigrants and slaves. In 1902, the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico approved a law for the consolidation of certain municipalities, as a result, Cidra was again incorporated to the town of Cayey. However, in 1905 a new law revoked the previous one, Cidra is located at the top of a hill in the eastern part of the Cordillera Central. It is bordered by the municipalities of Aguas Buenas, Caguas, Cayey, Aibonito, Cidra is a small municipality, covering only 36.1 square miles. Cidras hydrographic system consists mainly of the Lake Cidra reservoir, located in the municipality, the reservoir, which was built in 1946, provides water to several areas in the island. There are also rivers and creeks that cross the town like Arroyata, Bayamón. The town is known for being the place of the paloma sabanera. The bird, which is at risk of extinction, is found mostly in the town of Cidra
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Corozal, Puerto Rico
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Corozal is spread over 12 wards and Corozal Pueblo. It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area, the city name is derived from the palma de corozo which abounds in the central zone of the Island. Corozals local Taino Indian Cacique was named Orocobix and his tribe was known as the Jatibonicu Taino, Corozal was founded in 1795 and officially became a town in 1804. Commonly known as La Cuna del Volibol or Volleyballs Crib and it takes its name from the palma de corozo. Its population as of the 2000 census was 36,867, rivers are, Río Cibuco, Río Corozal, Río de los Negros and Río Grande de Manatí. Corozal is home to the Historical Center of Cibuco, a park and museum with relics from the Puerto Rican natives as well as objects, paintings and it also serves as a Municipal Police Outpost. El Rancho Recreation Center One of Puerto Ricos major plaintain producers, New small businesses producing eggs and hydrophonic crops are emerging. Several manufacture enterprises have reduced or moved operations in recent years, all municipalities in Puerto Rico are administered by a mayor, elected every four years. The current mayor of Corozal is Sergio Torres Torres, of the Popular Democratic Party and he was elected at the 2012 general elections. The city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district VI, which is represented by two Senators, in 2012, Miguel Pereira Castillo and Angel M. Rodríguez were elected as District Senators. Consists of three stripes of equal width, yellow the top, green the middle and blue the bottom. It is unknown whether the flag was made to coincide with the densely populated province of El Conquistador or was created by natural and neutral causes. On a gold background three Corozo Palms, with clusters in their color, planted on a green landscape. At the bottom, blue and silver water waves sprinkled with gold nuggets, the three towercrown is gold with black stones. It also has another flag the colors are red and white the white star, the Corozo Palms represent the name of the town and its river, whose margins were populated with this palms. The mountains represent the high and striking Mountains of Corozal, the waves represent the Corozal River and gold nuggets, metal that until recently was panned in its rivera. The gold background represents the labor and alludes to the gold of Corozal. The crown is a used to designate the cities and towns
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Dorado, Puerto Rico
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Dorado is spread over five barrios and Dorado Pueblo. The town is regarded as a tourist destination with golf courses, hotels, however, many locals would dispute this claim. It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area, the Dorado Airport was operated from 1942 to 1996. The airport began as a landing strip, then became a civilian airport in the 1960s with Caribair. The airport operated as a landing strip throughout the 1980s. In 1996, the airport was rezoned as residential land and redeveloped, Dorado has upscale neighborhoods and a small downtown area with a plaza, as other Puerto Rican municipalities. The towns patron saint is Anthony of Padua, and patron saint celebrations are held at the every year on June 13. During the early years of the 18th Century, there were mentions of a Sitio de Dorado in some San Juan registers. Since the beginning of the Spanish colonial period and until 1831, over several years, the ward grew and established its own town center called the new pueblo to differentiate itself from Toa Baja, which became known as the old pueblo. Over several years, the wards that make up Dorado grew. The governor authorized the founding of the town pending the construction of works, including an administrative building. In 1848, the construction of the works were completed. In 1902, four years after the Spanish–American War, Dorado was again appended to Toa Baja, however, in 1905 it regained its status as a separate town. The 2nd G7 summit was held at the Dorado Beach Resort between June 27 and 28,1976, much of Dorados geology consists of alluvial and coastal/estuarine sediments of Quaternary age and limestones of Tertiary age. The limestones are mostly in the part of the municipality, in Espinosa, Maguayo. These limestones exhibit mature karst topography of great beauty and it has been subjected to extensive quarrying, which have left unsightly scars in the landscape. Some local communities have gathered efforts to minimize quarrying and improve land management to protect the remaining karst topography, Dorado is the site of some bodies of water. Some of them are, Rivers, Río Cocal, Río Lajas, Río de la Plata, mata Redonda lagoon Punta Fraile marsh Dorados climate is very hot in the summer months and cool in the winter
21.
Florida, Puerto Rico
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Florida is a municipality of Puerto Rico located north of Ciales, south of Barceloneta, east of Arecibo, and west of Manatí. Florida is spread over one ward and Florida Pueblo and it is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area. Florida was founded first as a barrio of Barceloneta in 1881 when a priest, Father Carrión, the mayor of Barceloneta and they decided to establish a new barrio and the owner of the place, Don Manuel Cintrón granted the land while he retained a piece of it. The barrio was first called Florida Adentro, during the 20th century, several efforts were made to declare Florida as a municipality. On 1960, Manuel Frías Morales presented a law that would permit the study to establish the municipality, finally, on June 14,1971, the Senate of Puerto Rico and Governor Don Luis A. Ferré approved the law that officially created the municipality of Florida. It is thus the youngest municipality established in the island, field of silver, in an abyss, a gules anchored cross, like the one in the Asturian district of Llanes. The cross is anchored between two branches of bloomed poinsettias, a green terrace represents the hilly terrain of the town, with a stripe forming waves outlined in silver which represents the underground river of Encantado. At the top, a three tower gold crown distinct in municipalities coat of arms, the shield can be surrounded, to its flanks and bottom by two crossed coffee tree branches with fruits. Florida derives its name from the abundant flowers and natural resources on its land and it is also known as La Tierra del Río Encantado due to an underground river called Encantado. Another nickname is the Pueblo de la Piña Cayenalisa due to its pineapple crops, Florida is the second smallest municipality of Puerto Rico, with an area of 10 square miles. The municipality belongs to the plains of the north of Puerto Rico. Several caves are formed in the town like Román Cave, Miró Cave, in recent years, there has been a spurt of manufacturing plants establishing in the area, some of them dedicated to plastics. Florida is one of the least populated municipalities of Puerto Rico, the population, according to the 2000 census, was 12,237 with a population density of 1,236.7 people per square mile. However, according to the 1970 census when the town wasnt founded yet, after its establishment in 1974, the population has steadily increased over the years, with only 7,232 people in the 1980 census. Statistics taken from the 2000 census shows that 86. 0% of Florideños are of White origin,4. 9% are black,0. 2% are Amerindian etc, after its initial establishment, Florida belonged to the Barceloneta region. In 1949 and 1960 there were attempts to separate the barrio from Barceloneta. However, on 1974, Governor Luis A. Ferré and the Puerto Rican Senate officially declared Florida an independent municipality and its first mayor was Jorge L. Pérez Piñeiro. The current mayor is José Gerena Polanco, of the New Progressive Party and he was elected at the 2012 general elections
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Gurabo, Puerto Rico
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Gurabo is a municipality in eastern Puerto Rico located in the central eastern region, north of San Lorenzo, south of Trujillo Alto, east of Caguas, and west of Carolina and Juncos. Gurabo is spread over 9 wards and Gurabo Pueblo and it is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area. Gurabos history dates as far back as the 17th century, when Gurabo was actually part of Caguas, then, the area was known as Burabo. By 1700, transportation, medical and economic trouble were crippling the population of the Burabo area, traveling to Caguas center for business and medical help was not easy and this led to many of Burabos citizens to seek for the area to gain autonomy. It would be long, however, before Gurabo was separated from Caguas, in 1815, Gurabo became a municipality. In 1822, the first Catholic church in town was erected, in 1903, the first Baptist church opened its doors in Gurabo town. Gurabo is also known as La Ciudad de las Escaleras, or city of the stairs, located in the town center, the stairs are about twenty two floors high, and they are painted in bright colors. They cross an important business area of Gurabo, gurabos mayor is Victor M. Ortiz Diaz. Colegio Bautista de Gurabo colegiobautistadegurabo. com Like all municipalities in Puerto Rico, the current mayor is Víctor Manuel Ortíz, from the New Progressive Party. Ortíz was elected at the 2004 general election, the city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district VII, which is represented by two Senators. In 2012, Jorge Suárez and José Luis Dalmau were elected as District Senators, with eleven stripes, six green and five yellow, alternated, the yellow with the superior edge indented forming a stairway. In a green field resides a widened gold patriarcal cross, below the bottom arm are two shields in silver. The one on the left has a fleur de lis and the one on the three lilies with stems in a natural way. Three towers in gold crown the shield, turabo University at Gurabo Puerto Rico Criminal Justice College- Gurabo campus List of Puerto Ricans History of Puerto Rico Did you know-Puerto Rico. Gurabo and its barrios, United States Census Bureau Official website
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Hatillo, Puerto Rico
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Hatillo is a municipality located on Puerto Ricos north coast, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Lares and Utuado to the south, Camuy to the west, and Arecibo to the east. According to the 2000 US Census Hatillo is spread over 9 wards and it is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area. Don Agustín Ruiz Miranda, a Canarian immigrant, founded Hatillo on approximately ten cuerdas in 1823, Miranda granted this land on the condition that public buildings be erected and wide streets be built, and that the remaining land be sold or used for homes. Today, Hatillo is the producer of milk on the island. Plaza del Norte is a mall located in the barrio of Carrizales. Las Tradicionales Hatillo Mask Festival - The Mask Festival began in 1823, and was imported by the immigrants from the Canary Islands, where the traditional festival originated. The early tradition of the festival required that the male dress as women and they would visit each residence where the owners would offer them food. Currently the festival is celebrated every year on December 28, the Masks are fashioned and based on the biblical story of King Herod. The costumes used are very elaborate and the Masks represent the soldiers which were sent by the King to kill all the innocent Christian children of Israel, the festival, however is presented in humor and said soldiers only joke around and ride on chariots. How the Puerto Rican Jibaro worked the land to support his family from sunrise to sunset, San Juan Day - June Matron Celebration - July, Its patron saint is Our lady of Mount Carmel. The patron saint festivities are held during the first 2 weeks of July, the 16th of July is the Virgin of Carmel day, and it is celebrated with great pride and devotion still today. The day of the Virgin, La Patrona, is a special day on our town with several all- day masses starting at 5 am with lots of penitents. Many people come every year for the High Mass at 3 pm and this Tradition dates back to 1823, when the town of Hatillo was founded. This Tradition came with settlers from the Canary Islands and it is a multi-dynamic and wonderful experience for everyone in Hatillo and nearby towns. This special tradition came from the Canary Islands, the place from Spain where the Hatillo, Camuy. Many of the people of Hatillo, Camuy, Arecibo. The transportation to the events was traditionally on horseback, with still a few still doing it today, however, in more modern events the Jeep and they make frequent stops at homes and stores making pranks and asking for offerings. Usually around mid-day the groups of riders head themselves to the center of the town for a parade, with the occasional friendly wrestling with opposing groups
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Humacao, Puerto Rico
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Humacao is a municipality in Puerto Rico located in the eastern coast of the island, north of Yabucoa, south of Naguabo, east of Las Piedras, and west of Vieques Passage. Humacao is spread over 10 wards and Humacao Pueblo and it is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area. The region of what is now Humacao belonged to the Taíno region of Jumaca, the region was led by cacique Jumacao. The Taíno settlement was located on the shores of what is called now the Humacao River, in the letter, Jumacao argued that their people were virtually prisoners of Spain. It is said that King Charles was so moved by the letter that he ordered the Governor to obey the terms of the treaty, during the early 16th Century, the region was populated by cattle ranchers. However, since most of them resided in San Juan. At the beginning of the 18th Century, specifically around 1721–1722, still, some settlers remained and by 1776, historian Fray Íñigo Abbad y Lasierra visited the area and wrote about the population there. By 1793, the church was recognized as parish and the settlement was recognized as town. By 1894, Humacao was recognized as a city, due to its thriving population, buildings and structures like a hospital, a theater, and a prison were built in the city. In 1899, after the United States invasion of the island as a result of the Spanish–American War and this lasted until 1914, when the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico voted on splitting both towns again. Recently, Humacao has been led by mayor Marcelo Trujillo Panisse for more than a decade, a basketball star in his early years, Trujillo has pushed for the development of infrastructure facilities for sports and the fine arts in the city. On March,2008, a new Roman Catholic diocese was established as the Fajardo-Humacao diocese and its first bishop is Monsignor Eusebio Chebito Ramos Morales, a maunabeño who was rector of the Humacaos main parish in the 1990s. Humacao is located in the southeast coast of Puerto Rico and it is bordered by the municipalities of Naguabo to the north, Yabucoa to the south, and Las Piedras to the west. The Atlantic Ocean borders the city in the east, Humacao is located in the region of the Eastern Coastal Plains, with most of its territory being flat. There are minor elevations to the southwest, like Candelero Hill, Humacaos territory covers 45 square miles. Two islands belong to Humacao, Cayo Santiago and Cayo Batata, Humacaos hydrographic system consists of many rivers and creeks like Humacao, Antón Ruíz, and Candelero. Some of its creeks are Frontera, Mariana, and Del Obispo, one of the most notable tourist mainstays is the Palmas del Mar resort, which is the islands largest resort. This megaresort is composed of over 3,000 acres of land, the resort contains over 20 tennis courts, two world-class golf courses, beaches, several restaurants and a riding center
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Juncos, Puerto Rico
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Juncos is spread over 9 wards and Juncos Pueblo. It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area, Juncos was founded on the request of Tomás Pizarro on August 2,1797, having previously been a village which evolved from a small ranch, the Hatillo de los Juncos. This ranch was part of the Hato del Valenciano, which gave its name to the Río Valenciano which bisects the city before joining the Río Gurabo to the north of the settlement. During the 17th century, large parts of the municipality were owned by the Hato Grande de los Delgado, another ranch, the Hato del Valenciano, was established and later divided into the Hatillo de los Lirios and the Hatillo de los Juncos. This second one became the village of Juncos in the 18th century and was given the status of a town on August 2,1797, reeds, which gave the city its name, feature in the center of its flag and the bottom of its Coat of Arms. On the flag of Juncos, on a field, blue waving stripes cross horizontally in the lower half. These represent the Río Valenciano which bisects the city, green reeds with red buds appear in a central point above the stripes, representing the citys name. The upper right quarter is blue with silver stars to represent the Virgin Mary. The lower right is split vertically between an image of a plant to represent the citys agriculture and a chimney to represent industrialization. Like the flag, a blue line representing the Río Valenciano crosses the shield horizontally. The shield is topped with a crown in the shape of a three-towered castle. Underneath the shield lie the red-budded green reeds which gave the city its name, the municipality of Juncos is divided into ten wards, Under the administration Of Alfredo Papo Alejandro, Juncos started a collective ferry-on-wheels transportation system. The lower left quarter of the municipal Coat of Arms pay homage to tobacco cultivation, Amgen Puerto Rico received FDA approval for bulk manufacturing facilities for Nepogen, Neulasta, Aranesp and Epogen. Amgen is also adding manufacturing capacity in Juncos to produce Denosumab, in addition to Amgen there is a Medtronic and Becton Dickinson Caribe Ltd. in Juncos. The Colgate pharmaceutical facility has closed and production shifted to Mexico, Alfredo Alejandro Carrión of the Peoples Democratic Party is the incumbent mayor of the municipality of Juncos. The city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district VII, which is represented by two Senators, in 2012, Jorge Suárez and José Luis Dalmau were elected as District Senators. Roberto Clemente Walker, later a double-World Series winner for the Pittsburgh Pirates, as is the national norm, volleyball and basketball are biggest sports in Juncos. In the year 2006-2007 the Valencianas de Juncos won the basketball and volleyball superior league national championship
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Las Piedras, Puerto Rico
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Las Piedras is spread over 7 wards and Las Piedras Pueblo. It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area, Las Piedras is located about 45 minutes from San Juan, Puerto Ricos capital and 5 minutes from Palmas del Mar, Humacao which is one of the biggest resorts in the Caribbean. Las Piedras was founded in 1801, the current mayor is Miguel López Rivera, from the New Progressive Party. López was elected at the 2008 general election, the city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district VII, which is represented by two Senators. In 2012, Jorge Suárez and José Luis Dalmau were elected as District Senators, the flag of Las Piedras has three horizontal stripes of equal width, the stripe at the top is colored white, the center stripe is colored green and the bottom stripe is colored blue. In the middle of the flag rests an image of the Taíno sun in yellow, in a silver field resides a blue monogram of the Holy Virgin, topped by a blue crown. Seven silver stones border the silver field and at the tip of the shield resides the Taíno sun in gold denominated as the Sun of Las Piedras, angel López - Singer from the acclaimed and famous worldwide group, Son By Four. Luis “El Artesano Cruz - Professional Boxer, yariel Morales Rivera - Mr. Puerto Rico 2015. Professional model and the only Mr. Puerto Rico from Las Piedras, margaro Rivera Guzmán-Scholar, attorney and prominent businessman Modesto Castro Dávila - Las Piedras Mayor. Francisco Negrón Díaz - Sport and businessman, Miguel Loíz - Teacher, Senator for Humacao district Puerto Rico. Miguel Hernández Agosto - Puerto Rico Senate President, víctor Santana Pérez - Teacher, historian, writer and planner of Monte del Retiro. Cano Diaz - Creator of the now famous Stringed Hammocs, david Wilkerson based his best selling book The Cross and the Switchblade in part in Nickys life List of Puerto Ricans History of Puerto Rico Did you know-Puerto Rico. Las Piedras and its barrios, United States Census Bureau
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Maunabo, Puerto Rico
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Maunabo is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the southeastern coast, northeast of Patillas and south of Yabucoa. Maunabo is spread over 8 wards and Maunabo Pueblo and it is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Mayor of the town is Jorge L. Márquez Pérez and this town has a population of 14,425. The Zip code of Maunabo is 00707, currently, the town is constructing the first tunnels of the island that go under the eastern side mountains connecting it with the neighboring town of Yabucoa. A Chilean construction company is in charge of the contract, the warm, unspoiled and untamed blue and green waters of the beaches of Maunabo are one of its major attractions. The three beaches are visited by the locals all year round. The beaches also attract tourists that other regions beyond San Juan. Surfers love these wild and dangerous waters, the beach is only accessible by foot through a short dusty road. The sand at Los Pinos beach shines with black carbon minerals, the minerals tend to stick to anything that is wet and thus it is rarely visited. The Los Bohios beach is the most popular beach in town, the beach has great swimming and barbecuing areas. There are fresh water facilities to wash off the salt water, for many years the Los Bohios Restaurant has been the spot of great seafood dining with spectacular views of the Caribbean Sea. Though it has never ceased working under the management of the U. S. Coast Guard. Due to Law 180 presented by Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá, the doors of the lighthouse were opened again to the public on February 2006. The lighthouse is also a permanent symbol in the coat of arms. The carnival is celebrated during the first week of September, at the peak of the summer heat, as crab is known to be an aphrodisiac, the Carnival also becomes a meeting point for many people. During those three people are allowed to drink on the streets. Lately, the festivities have been monitored by the police. Surrounded by high mountains on two sides, Maunabo is also a spot for hiking
28.
Morovis, Puerto Rico
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Morovis is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the central region of the island, north of Orocovis, south of Manatí, Vega Baja and Vega Alta, east of Ciales, and west of Corozal. Morovis is spread over 13 wards and Morovis Pueblo and it is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area. Moroviss local Taino Indian Cacique was named Orocobix and his tribe was known as the Jatibonicu Taino. In 1815, a group of residents, under the leadership of Don Juan José de la Torre, in 1822, the mayorship was constructed and in 1823, the new church was built, dedicated to Nuestra Senora del Carmen on lands donated by Don Juan Evangelista Rivera. Its first mayor was Don Juan José de la Torre, with its second mayor being Don Juan Evangelista Rivera, the phrase is believed by most Puerto Ricans to have a negative connotation against moroveños, while, in reality, it means the opposite. The immediate one to the mast is yellow and has the eagle of the Coat of Arms, the other half is divided in seven vertical stripes of equal width, four red ones alternated with three yellow ones. The five cuatros observable in the right symbolize the fact that the town of Morovis is the main center of production of such typical Puerto Rican instruments. The shield in the center represents the Order of the Carmelite Nuns, the left half is a field of yellow color in which resides a saber eagle, beak and claws in red, its head enclosed with a halo. List of Puerto Ricans History of Puerto Rico Did you know-Puerto Rico
29.
Naguabo, Puerto Rico
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Naguabo is a municipality in Puerto Rico located in the east coast of the island, north of Humacao, south of Río Grande and Ceiba, and east of Las Piedras. Naguabo is spread over 8 wards and Naguabo Pueblo and it is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area. Naguabo is said to be the birthplace of the pastelillo de chapín and it is trunkfish wrapped inside a flour dough that is deep fried. Pastelillo de chapín can be found in almost any seaside establishment on the island, Naguabo is located in the southeast region of Puerto Rico. The northern part is within the Luquillo Mountain Range, which contain the Picos of the Este and it operates from 6,00 a. m. using the Pisicorre bus. Historia de Naguabo by Carmelo Rosario Natal List of Puerto Ricans History of Puerto Rico Did you know-Puerto Rico
30.
Naranjito, Puerto Rico
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Naranjito is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the central region of the island, south of Toa Alta, north of Barranquitas and Comerío, east of Corozal, and west of Bayamón. Naranjito is spread over 15 wards and Naranjito Pueblo and it is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area. The struggle to form the Naranjito town began in 1810, after a series of major incidents with powerful political interests of the time, on December 3,1824, Don Braulio Morales successfully founded the town of Naranjito. The town was founded in the neighborhood of the name, on a land donated by Doña Manuela Rivera. Morales was named Captain Settler and at the time was appointed mayor of the town in development. The name Naranjito is derived from an orange tree that served as a reference point for travelers looking for in the shortest way to the town of Toa Alta. At the time of its foundation, Naranjito consisted of five wards/districts, Lomas, Guadiana, Achiote, Nuevo, Cedro was divided in 1853 in Cedro Arriba and Cedro Abajo, also having the urban zone composed by San Miguel, San Antonio and San Cristobal districts. In recent years have borne fruits such as bananas, oranges, papayas, Naranjito has many factories, most of these factories make garments. The team is one of the most successful franchises in Puerto Rico. All municipalities in Puerto Rico are administered by a mayor, elected four years. On November 4,2008, Orlando Ortíz Chevres, won the elections, the city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district VI, which is represented by two Senators. In 2012, Miguel Pereira Castillo and Angel M. Rodríguez were elected as District Senators, naranjitos flag consists of an orange flag crossed by two narrow green stripes close to the superior and inferior edges. The orange color in the flag symbolizes the town of Naranjito, the coat of arms is a red cross, the symbol of San Miguel de Arcángel, Patron of Naranjito. The globe with the cross symbolizes the power and sovereignty of God, the gold and red stripes that appear in the second and third quarters, constitute the primitive baton of the Guadiana lineage. The lily twigs are a tribute of San Antonio de Padua, the orange tree represents the small tree that gave the towns name, Naranjito. The crown is symbol of moral unit of the town, Naranjito includes several public and private schools distributed through several regions. U. Pedro Fernandez Francisco Morales Vocacional Rubén Rodríguez Figueroa Academia Santa Teresita El Chango, apuntes Historicos del Pueblo de Naranjito-1824-1998, Author, Silvestre J. Morales 1999 List of Puerto Ricans History of Puerto Rico Did you know-Puerto Rico. Manual informativo del Gobierno Municipal de Naranjito, Puerto Rico
31.
Orocovis, Puerto Rico
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Orocovis is spread over 17 wards and Orocovis Pueblo. It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area, since before the Spanish colonization in the 16th century, Taíno Indians were already established in the Orocovis region. They were led by the cacique Orocobix and his group of Taino was known as the Jatibonicu, after Spaniards settled in the island, the region was called Barros and designated as a barrio of Barranquitas. However, due to the distance from bodies of water, the settlement was moved to another place, on November 10,1825, Governor Miguel de la Torre granted permission to found the new municipality of Barros. In 1838, the parish of San Juan Bautista de Barros was created and was blessed and inaugurated on October 29 of the same year, however, on 1875, a fire destroyed the church, the Kings House, the priests house and several homes. In 1928, the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico approved a resolution to change the name of Barros to Orocovis, to honor the Taíno cacique of the same name, who lived in that region. These stripes are divided by two white stripes, representing the territories granted by Barranquitas and Morovis to form the municipality in 1825. Over the blue portion theres an oval with a sun, the sun has seventeen rays that represent the different regions of the town. The sun, being the center of our system, represents Orocovis as the center of the island of Puerto Rico. The oval is symbol of the letter O, initial of the name of the town, in each quadrant appear representative elements of the town. In the left superior quadrant a Taíno Indian bust, symbol of the great Chief Orocobix, in the inferior right quadrant, a plantain plant is observed representing the agriculture, silhouetted in gold on a silver-plated background. A bridge also silhouetted in gold on a background, above the river appears in the left inferior quadrant. Most of Orocovis nicknames stem from its location in the center of the island, some of them are, Corazón de Puerto Rico and Centro Geográfico de Puerto Rico. The center of the island of Puerto Rico is in a ward called Pellejas, on Road 566, former sayings about the center of the Island being in front of the Catholic church was determined to be false by engineers from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus. Most of the Orocovis terrain runs through the Cordillera Central of the island, most of the high peaks are in the southern region of the town within the limits of the municipality with Villalba and Coamo. The highest peak of the town is Cerro Mogote, the rivers Toro Negro, Sana Muertos, Orocovis, Matrullas, and Bauta, and the creeks Doña Juana, Palmar and Cacaos are among the water bodies in the town. There are two lakes, El Guineo, formed within de Toro Negro River, and the Matrullas Lake formed by the Bauta River, El Guineo is Puerto Ricos highest lake. Christ Corchado, and the Colón-Zayas family of musicians, which includes Emma, bosque Estatal de Toro Negro Las Picinas del Area Recreativa Jesús M. Cattle, coffee, fruits, tobacco, and wheat
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Quebradillas, Puerto Rico
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Quebradillas is a municipality of the island of Puerto Rico, located in the north-western shore bordering the Atlantic Ocean, north of San Sebastián, east of Isabela, and west of Camuy. Quebradillas is spread over seven wards and Quebradillas Pueblo and it is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area. Quebradillas is called La Guarida del Pirata, a well known beach in the area, Puerto Hermina, is home to an old structure known to have been a hiding place for pirates and their contraband. The town was founded in 1823 by Felipe Ruiz and this town derives its name from the large amount of streams flowing through it. The name literally means small streams, Quebradillas is home to one of the 20 designated forest preserves in Puerto Rico, the Guajataca Forest. The forest serves as a example of an unusual topography known as karst country. Karst is characterized by dissolved limestone formations such as sinkholes and haystack-shaped hills known as mogotes and it is also home to the beautiful man-made reservoir, Guajataca Lake, where you can fish for largemouth bass, peacock bass, tilapia and bluegill. You can also go hiking or camping, the Boy Scouts of America maintain a campground on the lake known as Camp Guajataca. The name Guajataca comes from the name of a Taíno Indian chief who lived in this area and this Indian chief also gives his name to Guajataca Beach to the north where Río Guajataca flowing from Guajataca Lake meets the Atlantic Ocean. Guajataca Beach is popular with surfers and is known for its white sands and this beach is ideal for sunning and collecting seashells. The general climate of the town is subtropical and this decline of the industry of the needle occurred similarly in the bordering cities like Isabela and Camuy, generating a regional economic decline as the locals greatly depended on these jobs. Ironically, the town possesses one tunnel that at the beginning of the 20th century was utilized by steam trains that traveled throughout the Island. Today, its absence only aggravates the problem of mass transit, the economy, entering into the 21st century, is based on the sale of retail. Many small businesses are located along the two main thoroughfares that cross Quebradillas and these consist mainly of light hardware, bakeries, pharmacies, seafood restaurants, American fast food chains such as near the center of town and workshops of automobile service. It also contains branches of banks including Banco Popular and local savings. The red stands for struggle, effort and sacrifice, the other two quarters have each five green and white stripes, similar to those that appear in the shield. The three waved stripes represent the quebradillas, over the background of the vegetation. The fish and the stick, are insignias of San Rafael Arcángel
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San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico
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San Lorenzo is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the eastern central region, north of Patillas and Yabucoa, south of Gurabo, east of Caguas and Cayey, and west of Juncos and Las Piedras. San Lorenzo is spread over twelve wards and San Lorenzo Pueblo and it is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area. San Lorenzo is called El Pueblo de los Samaritanos or La Tierra de Leyendas, the patron of the municipality is Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes. The surrounding areas produce tobacco and sugar cane, San Lorenzo was founded in 1737 and the church was erected in 1811, the original name San Miguel de Hato Grande was changed to San Lorenzo. According to tradition it was because the saint appeared to several neighbors in the river valley. This young girl named Julia Vazquez Torres, according to sources, had a supernatural power that repeatedly gave healing to people in need. As time passed, she became an adult, but her reputation for integrity, coffee and fruits are also cultivated in the municipality. Timber production, which was rich, had declined by the uncontrolled exploitation of forests. Agustin Reyes Half Marathon Like all municipalities in Puerto Rico, San Lorenzo is administered by a mayor, the current mayor is José Román Abreu, from the Popular Democratic Party. Román was elected at the 2000 general election, the city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district VII, which is represented by two Senators. In 2012, Jorge Suárez and José Luis Dalmau were elected as District Senators, the flag of San Lorenzo is divided in four rectangles of equal size, two rectangles are yellow and the other two are striped with red and yellow stripes. Coat of arms The grill is the symbol of San Lorenzo, deacon and martyr, patron of the town, because in a grill he underwent the martyrdom. The hill or mountain represent the Gregorio Hill, which dominates the San Lorenzo panorama, the cross is one of the heraldic attributes of San Miguel Arcángel. Marc H. Rosa, - Former Teacher, School Administrator, San Lorenzo and its barrios, United States Census Bureau
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Toa Alta, Puerto Rico
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Toa Alta is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the northern coast of the island, north of Naranjito, south of Dorado and Toa Baja, east of Vega Alta and Corozal, and west of Bayamón. Toa Alta is spread over eight wards and Toa Alta Pueblo and it is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area. Toa Alta located west of the city of San Juan. The construction of the San Fernando Rey church in the square began in 1752. The name Toa Alta comes from the Taino word for valley, over the years, agriculture became an important economic force in the area. At the peak of the economy, the town was also known as the Granja de los Reyes Católicos. The town is also called Ciudad del Josco, Toa Alta Northern Coastal Plain and to the karst zone. The current mayor is Clemente Agosto, from the Popular Democratic Party, Agosto was elected at the 2012 general election. The city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district II, which is represented by two Senators, migdalia Padilla and Carmelo Ríos Santiago have served as District Senators since 2005. Horizontally divided in three, the bottom and top red stripes double the size of the yellow stripe. In the upper left corner a yellow eight point star, the original design was elaborated by professor Herman E. Motto, Non Deserit Alta. Public education is handled by the Puerto Rico Department of Education, alejandro Junior Cruz Heraclio Rivera Colón José De Diego José María Del Valle Luis Muñoz Rivera Manuel Velilla María C. Toa Alta and its barrios, United States Census Bureau
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Toa Baja, Puerto Rico
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Toa Baja is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the northern coast, north of Toa Alta and Bayamón, east of Dorado, and west of Cataño. Toa Baja is spread over 5 wards, including Toa Baja Pueblo and it is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area. Toa Baja considered to be a part of the Metropolitan Area and it shares its metropolitan area status with San Juan, Bayamón, Guaynabo, Cataño, Carolina and Trujillo Alto. Toa Baja is located fifteen minutes by car from San Juan, the region of what is now Toa Baja belonged to the Taíno region of Toa and Bayamón, which was located on the north coast of Puerto Rico. The regions were led by cacique Aramana and Majagua respectively, during the Spanish colonization, a farm was settled in the region around 1511 where Spanish settlers tried to learn from the Taínos how to grow fruits and vegetables. Some of the families settled in the region were the Marrero, Salgado, and Martínez. In 1745, the town was organized, with the parish being built in 1749. It was dedicated to Nuestra Señora de la Concepción and it is said that in 1776 there were six cattle ranches and 12 sugar cane estates in the region. However, rises in the flow of rivers were problematic for the population. Because of this, in 1841 a group of residents requested the settlement to be transferred to what is now Dorado, the town of Dorado was officially founded the next year. In 1902, after the U. S. invasion, the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico approved the consolidation of several municipalities, however, in 1905 the law was annulled, and Toa Baja regained its status as an independent town. In 2010, Toa Baja was among the top ten municipalities in Puerto Rico, in terms of population, the town of Toa Baja is located in the Northern Coastal Plains of the island, in the karst zone. It has an area of 62.4 km2, the terrain consists mostly of alluvial deposits and clay-like surface as a result of the surrounding waters. The elevations range from 60 to 150 meters above sea level, the rest of the area is mostly plain. The northern part of Toa Baja is characterized for its mangroves and marshes, there are three main rivers in Toa Baja, Río la Plata, Río Cocal, and Río Hondo. La Plata is the longest river in the island and crosses Toa Baja in the east, Cocal is the natural boundary between Toa Baja and Dorado. Toa Baja is divided into six barrios, villas del Sol consists of homes built illegally on flood-prone State land. The Federal Emergency Management Agency bought these homes from the Puerto Rican Government in order to them from being used further
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Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico
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Trujillo Alto is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Northern Coastal Plain and in the karst zone, north of Caguas, and Gurabo, southeast of San Juan, and west of Carolina. Trujillo Alto is part of the San Juan Metropolitan Area, which includes the municipalities of Bayamón, Guaynabo, Cataño, the city is spread over 6 wards and Trujillo Alto Pueblo. It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area, Trujillo Alto was officially founded in 1801, but gained more importance during the 20th Century. Due to its proximity to the capital, San Juan, the city has become a suburb of the metropolitan area, the population of Trujillo Alto has increased through the last century from 9,576 to 74,482. According to the 2010 Census, it is Puerto Ricos tenth most populated municipality, in 1953-54, the Carraízo hydroelectric dam was constructed in Trujillo Alto by the Sumner Sollitt Construction Company of Chicago, under contract by the Puerto Rico Water Resources Authority. The dam forms the Loíza Lake, a reservoir which serves as the source of the water supply for San Juan. The region of what is now Trujillo Alto belonged to the Taíno region of Cayniabón, the region was led by cacique Canobaná. Archeological findings have identified two sites within the municipality of Trujillo Alto with archeological significance, Las Cuevas, which was studied by Irving Rouse, after the Spanish colonization, families started settling at both sides of the Río Grande de Loíza. During the 17th Century, Spanish crown granted Alonso Pizarro Hermona, from Trujillo in Spain, residents began using his family name to refer to the location. Eventually, the inhabitants went to the Governor and asked for permit to build a chapel, despite some opposition, Trujillo Alto was founded on January 8,1801 under the name of Santa Cruz de Trujillo. Around 1820, the name of Trujillo Alto was more used to differentiate the town from that of Trujillo Bajo, in 1826, communication to and from the town improved with the construction of two bridges, one into Río Piedras, and the other into Río Grande. In 1844, Trujillo Alto was composed of five wards. A few years later, the first school was built, during that time, population decreased notably due to an epidemic of cholera. In 1902, the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico approved a law for the consolidation of certain municipalities, as a result, Trujillo Alto was incorporated to the town of Carolina. However, in 1905 a new law revoked the previous one, the proximity of the city to the capital, San Juan, has sparked a significant growth and development in the region. During the 20th Century, the population of Trujillo Alto has increased dramatically, as of 2010, the city is the tenth most populous city of Puerto Rico. Mayor José Luis Cruz Cruz, who has been serving since 2009, has labeled the city as The New Metropolis, Trujillo Alto sits on the Northern Coastal Plain region of Puerto Rico. It is bordered by the municipalities of San Juan, Carolina, Gurabo, Trujillo Alto is a small municipality, covering only 21.47 square miles
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Vega Alta, Puerto Rico
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Vega Alta is a municipality of Puerto Rico. Vega Alta is located on the northern coast of the island, north of Morovis and Corozal, east of Vega Baja, Vega Alta is spread over seven wards and Vega Alta Pueblo. It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area, Vega Alta is west of San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico. Vega Alta is known for the beach at Cerro Gordo, other points of interest include the towns Catholic church, known as Inmaculada Concepción, founded in 1813, and the Vega Alta Forest. During the first week of December, Vega Alta celebrates its patron, Vega Alta was founded in 1775 by Francisco de los Olivos. It was first named La Vega de Espinosa and known as el pueblo de los Ñangotaos, before this it was part of a group of towns known as Las Vegas. It was then that one area was named Vega Baja and the other Vega Alta, on October 12,1898 the citys mayor, Francisco Vega, received U. S. troops as part of the Spanish–American War. On that same day, for the first time in Vega Altas history, from 1902 to 1905, Vega Alta became once more part of the neighbor city of Vega Baja. In 1905, the government of Puerto Rico passed a law, rivers, Río Cibuco, Río Mavilla and Río Unibón. Records, The highest recorded temperature was 98 °F in July 2007, the lowest recorded temperature was 40 °F in January 1945. Source, http, //www. weather. com/outlook/travel/vacationplanner/vacationclimatology/monthly/00692. from=vac_guide_dom Banana, fruits, grains, dairy and meat cattle, pigs, and poultry. Manufacture of chemicals, electrical and electronic machinery, furniture, food, logistics Center Vega Alta Maceteros Vega Alta is known for having amateur ball players as well as professional. Basketball is played in local communities, other sports practiced include tennis, volleyball, handball, cock fighting, and amateur surfing among others. Vega Alta is also known for having famous Major League Baseball players such as The Molina Brothers which consist of Yadier Molina, Bengie Molina, other famous sport personalities include former New York Yankees center fielder Bernie Williams and professional boxer Ángel Chacón. A well known musician from Vega Alta was Ladislao Martinez a. k. a, El Maestro Ladi, a master cuatro musician. He became the first Puerto Rican to play a solo on the radio. Fiel a la Vega, a rock en español band, was formed in 1994, band members Tito Auger and Ricky Laureano are from Vega Alta, while brothers Pedro Arraiza and Jorge Arraiza come from next-door Vega Baja. Their first album spawned hits like Salimos de Aquí and El Wanabí, the Puerto Rican musician and playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda is from a family with roots in Vega Alta and has made frequent visits
38.
Vega Baja, Puerto Rico
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Vega Baja is a municipality in north central Puerto Rico located in the northern coast, north of Morovis, east of Manatí, and west of Vega Alta. Vega Baja is spread over 13 wards and Vega Baja Pueblo and it is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area. The name Vega Baja in Spanish means low plains Geographically, the North of Puerto Rico goes down lower or slighly higher than the level of the Atlantic Ocean and Vega Baja is a coastal town. Other historians believed that as Vega Baja comes from La Vega and Vega is a last name of one of the families that were originally in the foundation of Vega Baja and it is also believed that the name comes from the region of Spain La Vega Baja del Segura. Orange comes from its previous name based in the fruit that was cultivated in the place, Cibuco, name of one of the rivers that carve its fertile lands, is a variation of the name Sebuco, a chief or Cacique Taíno Indian of the region. These cells of Taíno Indians were known to settle in the vicinity of the rivers, although the Cibuco river is prone to floods due to heavy seasonal rains even to this day, the benefits provided to the land by the river are numerous. Taino carvings have found on some of the exposed reefs in the vicinity of the Cibuco river. Among these carvings, one depicting a face and others shaped as fish and they are an indication that these reefs were frequented for spear fishing and perhaps other day-to-day activities. Other places like Carmelita, Maisabel, Cueva Maldita and Paso del Indio are known as sites where the aborigins established their communities. In 1990, over a million dollars in cash was found buried in plastic barrels, the sudden wealth of a few residents attracted attention and prompted an investigation by FBI and local police. In addition, Vega Baja counts with one of the most visited beaches in the northern coastline and this beach attracts thousands of beach goers annually, making it a center for local tourism, especially during the hot summer months. It boasts a natural formation of enormous proportions both in height and length colloquially named La Peña. This rock feature shelters the beach portion from the open seas just behind it, in decades past, the land portion situated between the neighborhood of Monte Carlo and the neighborhood of Los Naranjos, was the site for cultivation of sugar cane. Clothing, leather articles, electrical and electronic equipment, machinery Medical, the educator Marcos Cruz Molina is the mayor since 2013 and Ebrahim Narváez is the President of the Municipal Legislature. The city also belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district III, in 2012, José Joito Pérez and Ángel Chayanne Martínez were elected as District Senators. Rafael Hernández is the Eleventh District Representative and Hector Torres the Twelve District Representative at the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico, Vega Bajas flag consists of a yellow cloth, crossed by a green band. The band relates to the valley and the river. The Vega Baja Coat of Arms has a green band, with overlapping roses in silver
39.
Yabucoa, Puerto Rico
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Yabucoa is a municipality in Puerto Rico, located in the southeastern region, north of Maunabo, south of San Lorenzo, Las Piedras and Humacao, and east of Patillas. Yabucoa is spread over 9 wards and Yabucoa Pueblo and it is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area. The region of what is now Yabucoa belonged to the Taíno region of Guayaney, the region was led by cacique Güaraca. After the Spanish colonization, the region of Yabucoa belonged to Humacao, Yabucoa, as a town, was founded in October 3,1793 when Don Manuel Colón de Bonilla and his wife, Catalina Morales Pacheco, donated the lands to the people. The Municipality of Yabucoa is located in the south-eastern coast of Puerto Rico, the valley of Yabucoa is surrounded by the hills of the San Lorenzo Batholith, on three sides and by the Caribbean Sea on the fourth. The San Lorenzo Batholith is a body that is composed of gabbro, diorite, tonalite, granodiorite. The Cuchillas de Panduras, a fork of the Cordillera Central runs through its south, santa Elena is one of its most prominent peaks with an altitude of 570 meters. Santa Elena is located in Juan Martin ward, pandura peak rises 516 meters above sea level. Pandura is located in the Calabazas ward, the altitude of the hills surrounding the valley of Yabucoa reaches a maximum of about 650 m at the head of the Río Guayanes basin. The land surface in the Yabucoa valley slopes gently from an altitude of about 30 m above sea level, at the western edge of the valley. Yabucoa is divided into ten barrios or wards, Yabucoa is known for its agricultural prowess because of the surrounding fertile valley that produces most of the islands plantain and bananas. Like all municipalities in Puerto Rico, Yabucoa is administered by a mayor, the current mayor is Rafael Surillo, from the Popular Democratic Party. Surillo was elected at the 2012 general election, the city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district VII, which is represented by two Senators. In 2012, Jorge Suárez and José Luis Dalmau were elected as District Senators, a native of Yabucoa Ramón Luis Cruz-Burgos was elected to represent the city in those elections. The design of the flag of Yabucoa is abstract, inspired by the colors of the shield, green, white. In the shield appear two angels the Santos Angeles Custodios, patron saints of Yabucoa, the color purple field of the shield represents the highest dignity of the angels. The walking sticks are attributes of the traveller, and refer to the office of the Angels as guides. The canes are adorned with flowers, representing the wealth of the sugar cane
40.
Fajardo, Puerto Rico
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Fajardo is a small city and municipality in Puerto Rico located in the east region of the island, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, north of Ceiba and east of Luquillo. Fajardo is spread over 7 wards and Downtown Fajardo, which serves as the center of the city. It is both a city of the Fajardo Metropolitan Statistical Area and the San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo Combined Statistical Area. Fajardo is the hub of the majority of recreational boating in Puerto Rico and a popular launching port to Culebra, Vieques, and it is also the home to the largest Marina in the Caribbean, called Puerto del Rey. The town contains various hotels and inns, off shore, near Fajardo, a few islets can be found. These are Icacos, Palominos, Palominito, and Diablo, among other uninhabited coral islands, Fajardo was founded in 1760,1773 or 1774 as Santiago de Fajardo. It was one of the used by the Americans to invade Puerto Rico. Rodgers ordered some of his men ashore, which included Puerto Rican volunteers, thomas, Isla Nena Air and Vieques Air Link. Fajardos beaches are bounded by calm, clear water ideal for snorkeling, seven Seas Beach offers plentiful water sports facilities, offshore points for sailing, snorkeling and plenty of scuba diving. Fajardo is also home to one of the few Bioluminescent Lagoons in the world, nightly trips are offered by kayak by local companies who give educational tours. Las Cabezas de San Juan Light House - One of the oldest lighthouses in Puerto Rico, only one used for nautical reasons in the entire island. Laguna Grande - One of the few Bioluminescent bays in the world, Puerto del Rey Marina - Biggest marina in the Caribbean. U. S. Customs House - Constructed in 1930 still in use by the U. S. Customs & Border Protection, seven Seas Beach - One of the most beautiful beaches on the island. Classified Blue Flag for its sanitary health guarantees, las Cabezas de San Juan Reserve - Home to mangroves and to the lighthouse. Fajardo Port - Used by locals and tourists to visit the island municipalities of Vieques, town Square - One of the most charming, antique styled, town squares of Puerto Rico. Fajardo is also home to pharmaceutical and bio-sciences companies, due to its rich ports and closeness to smaller islands, Fajardo is also known for its fishing industries. George Torres, Mario Morales and Mario Butler were three of the most famous players to play for that franchise, in 2007, the team returned once again to the BSN. The team known as the Titanes de Morovis was moved to Fajardo, unlike the NBA and other sports leagues in the United States, Puerto Rican franchises rarely leave the original name of the franchise when they move to a different city
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United States metropolitan area
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The United States Office of Management and Budget has defined 382 Metropolitan Statistical Areas for the United States and seven for Puerto Rico. S
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United States micropolitan area
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The micropolitan area designation was created in 2003. Like the better-known Metropolitan Statistical Areas, an area is a geographic entity used for statistical purposes based on counties. The OMB has identified 576 micropolitan areas in the United States, the term micropolitan gained currency in the 1990s to describe growing population centers in the United States that are removed from larger cities, in some cases by 100 miles or more. Because the designation is based on the core urban clusters population and not on that of the whole area, for example, the Ottawa–Peru, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area had a 2010 census population of 154,908. That would put its total population ahead of roughly 100 individual locations classified as a Metropolitan Statistical Area in 2010. The largest of the areas, centered on Torrington, Connecticut, had a population in excess of 180,000 in 2000, mcCarthy, Michael J. Main Street America Gets a New Moniker. Archived from the original on Jul 27,2005, dreamtowns that offer refuge from big cities and congested suburbs
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Fajardo metropolitan area
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The Fajardo Metropolitan Statistical Area is a United States Census Bureau defined Metropolitan Statistical Area in northeastern Puerto Rico. A July 1,2009 Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 80,707, Fajardo is the smallest metropolitan area in Puerto Rico. A total of three municipalities are included as part of the Fajardo Metropolitan Statistical Area and they are, Ceiba Fajardo--Principal City Luquillo The Fajardo Metropolitan Statistical Area is a component of the San Juan–Caguas–Fajardo Combined Statistical Area
