Guánica, Puerto Rico

Guánica is a coastal city in southwestern Puerto Rico.

72-31189

• 3.1 Mayor
• 3.2 Coat of Arms, Flag and Anthem

• 4.1 Structures
• 4.2 parks
• 4.3 Natural Monuments
• 4.4 Regular events

• 6.1 Sons and daughters of the town

Geography

Geographical Location

Guánica is located on the south coast of the island, south of Sabana Grande, east of Lajas, and west of Yauco. The distance to the capital city of San Juan is around 160 km.

Geology

The city is located on a deep sunken harbor that resembles a tropical fjord, which is about two miles long, only a quarter - mile wide, and from the mouth to the city and is bordered by rugged hills.

Expansion of the urban area

With 21,888 inhabitants ( 2000) on an area of 96 km ² gives a population density of 230.6 inhabitants per km ².

Boroughs

Guánica extends across the seven boroughs Arena, Caño, Care Nero, Cienaga, Ensenada, Baja Montalva and Susuá.

The city center consists of five roads in north-south and seven roads in the east-west direction, which is why Guánica as " el pueblo de las doce calles " (the town of the twelve streets ) is known. One of the 24 blocks is the Plaza, which includes green spaces, trails and a music stand. At the Plaza are the Catholic Church, the town hall, a school and many shops. The chain Club Med failed in their plan to build on the beaches in the east luxury resorts.

History

Juan Ponce de León reached on August 12, 1508 the port of Guánica and founded a city called Guaynía, which means something like "Here is a place with water" in the language of the indigenous Taíno. The city, as the capital of the island of Puerto Rico ( was then called Isla de San Juan Bautista ) that was destroyed by the revolt of the locals 1511 and for some years abandoned by the Europeans. During this period, San Juan developed the island's capital. The Guánica newly founded first belonged to the municipality of Yauco, before they became independent on 13 March 1914.

On July 25, 1898 ended up as part of the Spanish-American War, U.S. forces ( under the direction of General Nelson Appleton Miles and with the young poet Carl Sandburg ) in Guánica. This invasion, which led to the takeover of the United States, Puerto Rico, was relatively protected harbor and proximity to Ponce place here. In addition, the attack came here more surprising than in the hard -protected capital San Juan. Today, a controversial monument recalls on the banks of the invasion; to a wide promenade (el malecón ) are the words " 3rd Battalion in a large coral rock, 1st UPS Engineers, Sept. 1898 " engraved on it.

Policy

Mayor

The Mayor Martín Vargas Morales is a member of the Popular Democratic Party.

Coat of Arms, Flag and Anthem

The coat of arms is divided into four quarters. Top right reminds one bohio ( hut ) under a crown to the chief Agüeybaná, whose territory was located in this region. To the left is seen as a sign of Juan Ponce de León, a lion. The checkered stripes against a silver background standing in the corner at the bottom right of the shields of Don Cristóbal de Sotomayor, founder of the city Tavara, which was located at the site of today's Guánica. The striped waves symbolize the bay. The branches surrounding the shield, are a sign of the sugar cane industry, which was very important for the region.

The flag shows the blue and yellow waves from the coat of arms.

The anthem was written by José Luis Padilla.

América it jardin del mundo; Puerto Rico el jardin de América, América it jardin del mundo; Puerto Rico el jardin de América Pero mis versos going dedico a mi pueblito del alma Guanica, Guanica pueblo que it obra de Dios. Su bahía de cristal, sus verdes de valles caña; adornando cual collar, bordeando están sus montañas. Guanica, Guanica que it jardin de Puerto Rico; Guanica, Guanica pueblo que it obra de Dios. Son sus playas, tan azul, Playas del cielo gemelas; Sus mujeres sasonáz ... con sabor dulce de caña. Guanica, Guanica que it jardin de Puerto Rico; Guanica, Guanica pueblo que it obra de Dios. América it jardin del mundo; Puerto Rico el jardin de América, Guanica, Guanica it jardin de Puerto Rico. Guanica, Guanica pueblo que it obra de Dios. Guanica, Guanica

Culture and sights

Structures

The most significant buildings in Guánica, the fortress Capron, located on a 140 meter high hill to the east of the city, and the haciendas Guánica and Santa Rita, the Old Lighthouse and the sugar cane refinery.

Parks

The state forest of Guánica ( Bosque Estatal de Guánica ) also includes a small dry forest reserve, which was declared in 1981 an International Biosphere Reserve. The park is also known as el bosque seco de Guánica.

In the largely intact dry forest you will find the largest number of bird species on the island, some of which hardly exist in other places. These include the Puerto Rican Lizard Cuckoo, the Puerto Rican Woodpecker, the Puerto Rican Nightjar, and the Puerto Rican Emerald hummingbird. Other animals that were thought to be extinct, appeared in this forest. Many cactus species thrive here in contrast to the lush Caribbean National Forest, a tropical rainforest in the northeast of the island. Is responsible for the contrast of the Cordillera Central mountain range, which separates Guánica from the northeast. While there 100 inches of rainfall per year fall, there are only 30 in Guánica and in some parts of the dry forest use only six.

36 miles of hiking trails run through the 9500 acre reserve, which includes four types of forest: deciduous forest, a coastal region with tree large Asclepias and nine feet high pear-shaped cactus, a mahogany forest, and twisted balsam tree plants. The 700 plant species include acacia and guaiac wood, of which a tree is 500 to 700 years old. Frogs, and green and leatherback turtles can also be found, with their eggs, however, are threatened by the mongoose, which had once been introduced to control rats in sugar cane fields.

Natural Monuments

Guánica offers the bay of the harbor and the Ballena Bay to Cape Punta de Brea and Punta Jorobao and the beaches Azul, Manglillo, Playa Santa, Rosada and Serra.

Regular events

In April, the Fish Festival takes place. In July we celebrate the saint festival and the parade on the 25th of July. In August, Juan Ponce de León is honored with a feast.

Economy and infrastructure

Guánica is dominated by the fishing industry. In addition, salt and sugar are produced. The industry consists mainly of textile factories.

Personalities

Sons and daughters of the town

• Agrippina Seda
• Domingo Hernández Bracero
• Domingo Suarez Cruz
• Jaime Cancel
• Lolita ( Carmen Ramirez ) Vargas - Singer, actress and teacher
• Luis A Nieves Lopez
• Maria Heliodora Vargas (1908-1991) - author of the poem La Bandera de los Guaniqueňos
• Miguel A Morciglio
• Pedro Juan Vargas Mercado - journalist and historian
• Pedro Vargas Rodríguez (1888-1930) - journalist and poet
• Pedro Vinicio Vargas - musician and singer, composed songs about Puerto Rico and Guánica
• Pedro Santana
• Rose Franco ( 1932 - ), first female Chief Warrant Officer in the U.S. Marine Corps from Puerto Rico
• Víctor Ángel Sallaberry Safini
• Víctor Guillermo " Yomo " Toro Vega (1933-2012) - known for the use of the cuatro in salsa music, member of the Fania All Stars