Carolina, Puerto Rico

Autonomous Municipality of
Carolina, Puerto Rico
Municipality

Buildings along Isla Verde Ave.

Flag
Nickname(s): Tierra de Gigantes (Land of Giants)

Location of Carolina in Puerto Rico
Coordinates: 18°24′22″N 65°58′2″W / 18.40611°N 65.96722°W / 18.40611; -65.96722Coordinates: 18°24′22″N 65°58′2″W / 18.40611°N 65.96722°W / 18.40611; -65.96722
Country United States
Territory Puerto Rico
Founded 1857
Government
 • Mayor Jose C. Aponte Dalmau (PPD)
 • Senatorial dist. 8 - Carolina
 • Representative dist. 38, 39, 40
Area
 • Total 60.34 sq mi (156.29 km2)
 • Land 45.3 sq mi (117.4 km2)
 • Water 15.02 sq mi (38.89 km2)
Elevation 52 ft (16 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 176,762
 • Density 2,900/sq mi (1,100/km2)
Demonym(s) Carolinenses
Time zone AST (UTC-4)
Zip code 00979, 00982, 00983, 00985, 00987, 00981, 00984, 00986, 00988
Area code +787
Website gmacpr.com
Statue of Roberto Clemente located at entrance of Ciudad Deportiva Roberto Clemente

Carolina (Spanish pronunciation: [kaɾoˈlina]) is a municipality located on the northeast coast of Puerto Rico (U.S.). It lies immediately east of the capital San Juan and Trujillo Alto; north of Gurabo and Juncos; and west of Canóvanas and Loíza. Carolina is spread over 12 wards plus Villa Carolina (the downtown area and administrative center). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area, and home to Puerto Rico's main airport, the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport.

History

The town was founded by Spanish colonists 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 people from Carolina, including poet Julia de Burgos and most notably the first Latin American player named to baseball's Hall of Fame, Roberto Clemente. 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" (The Arm Hackers Town). During the late 1800s, the town's major export was sugar cane. Sugar cane workers solved their issues by fighting with their machetes, therefore many their arms. (needs reference)

Geography

Cityscape

Isla Verde skyline in Carolina

Barrios

Tourism

Carolina is one of Puerto Rico's most important tourist centers. Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, the territory's main airport, is located in Isla Verde. 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 (Isla Verde area), including the El San Juan Resort and Casino, InterContinental San Juan Hotel and the Ritz-Carlton San Juan Hotel, Spa, and Casino.

Landmarks and places of interest

Aerial view of the city

Economy

Carolina is the home of Plaza Carolina, one of Puerto Rico's largest shopping malls.

Executive Airlines, an aircraft ground handling company and subsidiary of American Airlines, is headquartered on the grounds of Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Carolina.[3]

Industrial

Manufacturing (pharmaceutical, medical equipment and chemical) and commerce.

Culture

Festivals and events

Sports

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.

Demographics

Race - Carolina, Puerto Rico - 2010 Census[4]
Race Population % of Total
White113,68364.3%
Black/Afro-Puerto Rican40,31022.8%
American Indian and Alaska Native1,5140.9%
Asian6250.4%
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander130.0%
Some other race14,8328.4%
Two or more races5,7853.3%

Government and infrastructure

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 (PPD). 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.[5]

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, with four precincts positioned on all four points of the city.

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 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.

Symbols

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.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Adrian Room (2006). "Carolina". Placenames of the World. McFarland & Co. p. 79. ISBN 0-7864-2248-3.
  2. ↑ http://welcome.topuertorico.org/maps/carolina.pdf
  3. ↑ "Regional3.pdf." Aviation Week. Retrieved on September 28, 2009.
  4. ↑ Ethnicity 2010 census
  5. ↑ Elecciones Generales 2012: Escrutinio General Archived 2013-01-23 at the Wayback Machine. on CEEPUR

Books

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