Guaynabo Guaynabo Guaynabo ' onMouseout='HidePop("18510")' href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Cataño,_Puerto_Rico">Cataño
Cataño is a municipality located on northern coast of Puerto Rico bordering the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent to the north and east by San Juan; north of Bayamón and Guaynabo; east of Toa Baja and west of Guaynabo and is part of the San Juan Metropolitan Area. Cataño is spread over 7 wards and...
,
Toa BajaToa 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 and Toa Baja Pueblo...
and
Trujillo AltoTrujillo 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. Although Trujillo Alto has no important tourist attractions it is part of the San Juan Metropolitan Area, which...
it is considered to form part of the island's
metropolitan areaA metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence, or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central cities and their zone of influence...
.
History
The town was founded in 1816 as
Trujillo Bajo ("lower Trujillo"), along with its counterpart
Trujillo AltoTrujillo 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. Although Trujillo Alto has no important tourist attractions it is part of the San Juan Metropolitan Area, which...
after
Trujillo, SpainTrujillo is a Spanish city of 9860 inhabitants , located in the province of Cáceres, in the Extremadura region. Famous for its monuments, is a premier resort in Extremadura. It was the birthplace of Francisco Pizarro, conqueror of Peru, whose equestrian statue stands in the Plaza Mayor , and...
. In 1857 it was renamed to
San Fernando de la Carolina, later shortened to
Carolina, after
Charles II of SpainCharles II , was the last Habsburg King of Spain and the ruler of nearly all of Italy , the Spanish territories in the Southern Low Countries, and Spain's overseas Empire, stretching from Mexico to the Philippines...
.
The city is known as "Tierra de Gigantes" (Land of Giants) not only for well-known Carolina resident
Don Felipe Birriel GonzálezFelipe Birriel, also known as "El Gigante de Carolina" is considered to have been the tallest Puerto Rican, with an unconfirmed height of 2.413 meters or seven feet eleven inches ....
(who was 7'11"), but also in honor of other eminent people from Carolina such as
poetA poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
Julia de BurgosJulia de Burgos is considered by many as the greatest poet to have been born in Puerto Rico, and along with Gabriela Mistral, is considered as one of the greatest poets of Latin America...
and
baseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The goal is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot square, or diamond...
player
Roberto ClementeRoberto Clemente Walker was a professional baseball player and a Major League Baseball right fielder. He was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, the youngest of seven children. On November 14, 1964, he married Vera Zabala at San Fernando Church in Carolina. The couple had three children: Roberto Jr.,...
. Carolina was also the home of
Jesús T. PiñeroJesús Toribio Piñero Jiménez was the first native Puerto Rican to be appointed governor of Puerto Rico by the Government of the United States.-Eary years:...
, the first
Puerto Rican governorThe Governor of Puerto Rico is the Head of Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Since 1948, the Governor has been elected by the people of Puerto Rico...
to be appointed in that position by the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
government.
Flag
The flag consists of three vertical bands, the laterals white and the middle red. The laterals are seeded with black ermine tails in the heraldic way as for the coat of arms. The middle band of the flag shows a red field with the sword and crown of the coat of arms.
Coat of Arms
The crown over the sword is the main attribute for royalty and for that reason it occupies a privileged position in the Coat of Arms. The sword is not only a symbol for military service, but also one of justice, recalling the virtues of San Fernando. The Coat of Arms has a wide edge of silver, a cultivated field of small tails of ermine shown in the conventional heraldic manner. The red symbolizes the first patriotic developments made for Puerto Rico's freedom under Spanish dominion.
Barrios (Districts/Wards)
- Barrazas
- Cacao
- Cangrejo Arriba
- Canovanillas
- Carolina Pueblo
- Campo Rico
|
Carruzos
Cedro
|
Sabana Abajo
- San Antón
- Santa Cruz
- Trujillo Bajo
|
Geo/Topography
- Rivers: Río Canovanillas
-References:**USGS Hydrologic Unit Map – Caribbean Region *...
, Río Grande de Loíza
- Lagoons: La Torrecilla, Pinones
Economic
Carolina is the home of
Plaza CarolinaPlaza Carolina is an enclosed shopping mall located in Carolina, Puerto Rico. Anchored by JCPenney and Sears, it also features over 240 stores, making it the 2nd largest mall in Puerto Rico. It also has a large food court in the 2nd floor, and several offices in its 3rd floor. Since 2004, it is...
, one of
Puerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands...
's largest
shopping mallA shopping mall, shopping centre or shopping center is a building or multiple buildings consisting of a complex of shops representing leading merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a convenient parking area – a modern,...
s.
Executive AirlinesExecutive Airlines, Inc. is an airline headquartered in Carolina, Puerto Rico .Executive Airlines operates an extensive inter-island network in the Caribbean and to the Bahamas and the USA in American Eagle colors...
, a regional airline and affiliate of AMR Corporation which operates under the brand
American Eagle AirlinesAmerican Eagle Airlines is a brand name used by American Eagle Airlines, Inc. , based in Fort Worth, Texas, and Executive Airlines based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the operation of passenger air service as regional affiliates of American Airlines. All three airlines are wholly-owned subsidiaries...
, is headquartered on the grounds of
Luis Muñoz Marín International AirportLuis Muñoz Marín International Airport is a public airport located in Carolina, Puerto Rico , three miles southeast of San Juan...
in Carolina.
Tourism
Carolina, led between 1984 and 2006 by mayor José Aponte, is one of Puerto Rico's most important tourist centers.
Luis Muñoz Marín International AirportLuis Muñoz Marín International Airport is a public airport located in Carolina, Puerto Rico , three miles southeast of San Juan...
, while incorrectly thought to be in San Juan, is actually located in an area, Isla Verde, that is geographically part of Carolina. Also located in Carolina are a large group of hotels, which sit by Carolina's large beach area.
There are several well known hotels on the coast of Carolina, including the El San Juan Resort and Casino, and the
Ritz-CarltonThe Ritz-Carlton is a brand of luxury hotel and resort with 70 properties located in major cities and resorts in 23 countries worldwide.It is also has major service training operations in its Ritz-Carlton Learning Institute and Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center, created by Ritz-Carlton executive ...
San Juan Hotel, Spa, and Casino.
Landmarks and places of interest
- Buena Vista Ruins
- Carolina Beach
- Grande de Loíza River
- Isla Verde Club Gallístico
- Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport
- Jesús T. Piñero Monument
- Julia de Burgos Park
- Piñones Beach
- Roberto Clemente Ciudad Deportiva
Festivals and events
- Ladies Crafts Fair - April
- San Fernando Patron Celebrations - May
- Crafts Fair - July
- Roberto Clemente Week - August
Sports
In recent years, Carolina has seen the building of the
Ciudad Deportiva Roberto ClementeRoberto Clemente Walker was a professional baseball player and a Major League Baseball right fielder. He was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, the youngest of seven children. On November 14, 1964, he married Vera Zabala at San Fernando Church in Carolina. The couple had three children: Roberto Jr.,...
or
Roberto Clemente Sports City, a sports and recreation facility that aims to become a youth sports school, and the
Roberto Clemente StadiumRoberto Clemente Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Carolina, Puerto Rico. It is currently used mostly for baseball games and is the home of Gigantes de Carolina. The stadium holds 12,500 people and was built in 2000...
, host to many entertainment events and to the 2003 and 2007
Caribbean World SeriesThe Serie del Caribe is a baseball tournament, the brainchild of the Venezuelans Oscar "El Negro" Prieto and Pablo Morales, who devised the idea after the seeing the success of the Serie Interamericana in 1946, which featured the Sultanes de Monterrey from Mexico; the All Cubans from Cuba; the...
. It has also played host to the
Coliseo Guillermo Angulo, where the BSN's
Gigantes de CarolinaThe Gigantes de Carolina are a team in the BSN league in Puerto Rico.-History:In 2008, the Gigantes advanced to the league's "Super 6" semifinals. The team earned a lead in this phase and came close to receiving a guaranteed spot in the league's final by defeating the Cangrejeros de Santurce in...
play, as well as the Gigantes of
Puerto RicanPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands...
women's professional
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of 5 players try to score points against one another by placing a ball through a
10 foot high hoop under organized rules...
, the Gigantes of men's professional
volleyball Volleyball is an Olympic team sport in which two teams of 6 players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules...
, and the
GigantesGigantes de Carolina is the professional female volleyball team of Carolina, Puerto Rico.-Current volleyball squad:As of February 2009* Head Coach: Javier Gaspar* Assistant coach: Angel Peña
- Release or Transfer :-References:* *...
of women's professional volleyball.
The
Gigantes de CarolinaThe Gigantes de Carolina are a baseball team in the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League . Based in the city of Carolina, Puerto Rico, the Gigantes are the reigning back to back champions of the LBPPR..They play at Roberto Clemente Stadium...
professional
baseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The goal is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot square, or diamond...
team use the
Roberto Clemente StadiumRoberto Clemente Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Carolina, Puerto Rico. It is currently used mostly for baseball games and is the home of Gigantes de Carolina. The stadium holds 12,500 people and was built in 2000...
as their home field. There is also another team with the same name, the
Giants de CarolinaCarolina Giants are a association football club from Carolina, Puerto Rico. They were formed in 2008 as the football branch of the existing baseball side Gigantes de Carolina. They are founding members of the Puerto Rico Soccer League, the first nationwide football league on the island...
. They are a professional Soccer team that play in the
Puerto Rico Soccer LeagueThe Puerto Rico Soccer League or PRSL is an association football league in Puerto Rico. It is the first unified football league in the island's history, and has a total of 9 teams. Football has been growing in popularity in recent years, and this is an attempt to further develop the game on the...
. They also use the
Roberto Clemente StadiumRoberto Clemente Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Carolina, Puerto Rico. It is currently used mostly for baseball games and is the home of Gigantes de Carolina. The stadium holds 12,500 people and was built in 2000...
as their home base.
Law Enforcement
Law enforcement responsibilities are possible by both the Carolina Police Department, with most of his precints in the northern half of the city due to the density of the population. Also, Puerto Rico Police Department has also the responsibility of law enforcement of the city, specially on the drug point areas with 4 station positioned on all four points of the city.
External links
Carolina municipality general information