Carolina, Puerto Rico
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Nickname: "Ciudad de Gigantes" | ||||||
| Gentilic: "Carolinenses" | ||||||
| Location | ||||||
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Image:Map of Puerto Rico highlighting Carolina.svg | ||||||
| Government | ||||||
| Founded | ||||||
| Mayor | José E. Aponte de la Torre | |||||
| Political party | PPD | |||||
| Senatorial district | 8 - Carolina | |||||
| Representative district | 38, 39, 40 | |||||
| Geographical characteristics | ||||||
| Area | ||||||
| Total | 156.29 km² | |||||
| Land | 117.4 km² | |||||
| Water | 38.89 km² | |||||
| Population | ||||||
| Total (2000) | 186,076 | |||||
| Density | 1,585.0 persons/km² | |||||
| Time zone | AST (UTC-4) | |||||
| Official website: None | ||||||
Carolina (kah-ro-LEE-nah) is a city located in the northern part of Puerto Rico, bordering the Atlantic Ocean; south of Gurabo and Juncos; east of Trujillo Alto and San Juan; and west of Canóvanas and Loíza. Carolina is spread over 12 wards and Carolina Pueblo (The downtown area and the administrative center of the city).
Carolina is a short distance from San Juan. Along with San Juan, Bayamón, Guaynabo, Cataño, Toa Baja and Trujillo Alto it is considered to be a part of the island's metropolitan area.
Carolina is home to many large housing projects
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[edit] History
Don Gaspar Martínez donated the land where the municipality of Carolina was originally founded. He named the land "San Fernando de la Carolina" in honor of his daughter, Carolina. The name has since been shortened to Carolina.
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.
[edit] 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 does the coat of arms. The middle band of the flag shows a red field with the sword and crown of the coat of arms.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Demographics
[edit] Barrios (Districts/Wards)
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[edit] Geo/Topography
- Rivers: Canovanillas , Grande de Loíza
- Lagoons La Torrecilla , Pifiones and San José
[edit] Economic
Carolina is home Plaza Carolina, one of Puerto Rico's largest shopping malls.
[edit] Industrial
Manufacture (pharmaceutical, medical equipment and chemical) and commerce.
[edit] Tourism
Carolina, led since the 1980s by mayor José Aponte, is one of Puerto Rico's most important touristic 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 a 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.
[edit] Landmarks and places of interest
- Buena Vista Ruins
- Carolina Beach
- Grande de Loíza River
- Isla Verde Club Gallístico
- Luis Muñiz Marín International Airport
- Jesús T. Piñero Monument
- Julia de Burgos Park
- Piñones Beach
- Roberto Clemente Ciudad Deportiva
[edit] Festivals and events
- Ladies Crafts Fair - April
- San Fernando Patron Celebrations - May
- Crafts Fair - July
- Roberto Clemente Week - August
[edit] 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 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 professional baseball team use the Clemente Walker stadium as their home field.
[edit] Notable "Carolinenses"
- Alfredo Escalera- former world boxing champions
- Ángel Rivero Méndez
- Esteban De Jesus - former world boxing champions
- Felipe Birriel - "El Gigante de Carolina" (The Carolina Giant), the man after whom all the sports teams in Carolina are named: who is believed to have been over 7 feet tall, the tallest Puerto Rican in history. A statue dedicated to him in Carolina.
- Jesús T. Piñero
- Jesús María Sanromá
- Jose Aponte - Mayor
- Julia de Burgos - Poet
- Ramón Mellado Parsons
- Roberto Clemente
- Wilfredo Benitez - former world boxing champion , his father and trainer Goyo Benitez, his mother Clara Benitez,
