| Carolina, Puerto Rico | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| — Municipality — | |||
| Skyline of Isla Verde, Carolina | |||
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| Nickname(s): Tierra de Gigantes (Land of Giants) | |||
| Location of Carolina in Puerto Rico | |||
| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | United States | ||
| Territory | Puerto Rico | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Jose C. Aponte Dalmau (PPD) | ||
| • Senatorial dist. | 8 - Carolina | ||
| • Representative dist. | 38, 39, 40 | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 60.3 sq mi (156.29 km2) | ||
| • Land | 45.3 sq mi (117.4 km2) | ||
| • Water | 15 sq mi (38.89 km2) | ||
| Population (2010) | |||
| • Total | 176,762 | ||
| • Density | 2,929.2/sq mi (1,131/km2) | ||
| Demonym | Carolinenses | ||
| Time zone | AST (UTC-4) | ||
| Zip code | 00979, 00982, 00983, 00985, 00987, 00981, 00984, 00986, 00988 | ||
| Website | gmacpr.com | ||
Carolina (Spanish pronunciation: [kaɾoˈlina]) is a city located in the northern part of Puerto Rico, bordering the Atlantic Ocean; it lies north of Gurabo and Juncos; east of Trujillo Alto and San Juan; and west of Canóvanas and Loíza. Carolina is spread over 12 wards plus Carolina Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Although Carolina is not technically part of San Juan, it is a short distance from San Juan. Along with San Juan, Bayamón, Guaynabo, Cataño, Toa Baja and Trujillo Alto it is considered to form part of the island's metropolitan area.
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The town was founded in 1816 as Trujillo Bajo ("lower Trujillo"), along with its counterpart Trujillo Alto after Trujillo, Spain. In 1857 it was renamed to San Fernando de la Carolina, later shortened to Carolina, after Charles II of Spain.[1]
The city is known as "Tierra de Gigantes" (Land of Giants) not only for well-known Carolina resident Don Felipe Birriel González (who was 7'11"), but also in honor of other eminent people from Carolina such as poet Julia de Burgos and baseball player Roberto Clemente. Carolina was also the home of Jesús T. Piñero, the first Puerto Rican governor to be appointed in that position by the United States government.
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.
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.
| Race - Carolina, Puerto Rico - 2010 Census[3] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Race | Population | % of Total |
| White | 113,683 | 64.3% |
| Black/Afro-Puerto Rican | 40,310 | 22.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1,514 | 0.9% |
| Asian | 625 | 0.4% |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 13 | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 14,832 | 8.4% |
| Two or more races | 5,785 | 3.3% |
Carolina is the home of Plaza Carolina, one of Puerto Rico's largest shopping malls.
Executive Airlines, a regional airline and affiliate of AMR Corporation which operates under the brand American Eagle Airlines, is headquartered on the grounds of Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Carolina.[4]
Manufacturing (pharmaceutical, medical equipment and chemical) and commerce.
Carolina, led between 1984 and 2006 by mayor José Aponte, is one of Puerto Rico's most important tourist centers. Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, 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-Carlton San Juan Hotel, Spa, and Casino.
In recent years, Carolina has seen the building of the Ciudad Deportiva Roberto Clemente or Roberto Clemente Sports City, a sports and recreation facility that aims to become a youth sports school, and the Roberto Clemente Stadium, host to many entertainment events and to the 2003 and 2007 Caribbean World Series. It has also played host to the Coliseo Guillermo Angulo, where the BSN's Gigantes de Carolina play, as well as the Gigantes of Puerto Rican women's professional basketball, the Gigantes of men's professional volleyball, and the Gigantes of women's professional volleyball.
The Gigantes de Carolina professional baseball team use the Roberto Clemente Stadium as their home field. There is also another team with the same name, the Giants de Carolina, a professional soccer team that plays in the Puerto Rico Soccer League. 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.
The city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district VIII, which is represented by two Senators. In 2008, Héctor Martínez and Lornna Soto were elected as District Senators.[5] In 2011, Martínez had to resign, and was replaced by Roger Iglesias.[6]
Law enforcement responsibilities are possible by both the Carolina Police Department, with most of its precincts 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 four precincts positioned on all four points of the city.
The city of Carolina was the city to create 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 ladder track and one special hazard engine truck. Their headquarters are located in the tourist district of Isla Verde. Also, the Puerto Rico Fire Department have a fire station and regional office in town, located on the Roberto Clemente Avenue.