Carolina, Puerto Rico

Carolina (/ˌkæroʊˈliːnə/; Spanish pronunciation: [kaɾoˈlina]) is a city and municipality located on the northeast coast of Puerto Rico. 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 barrios plus Carolina Pueblo (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.

Carolina
Municipio Autónomo de Carolina
City and Municipality
Buildings along Isla Verde Ave. in Carolina
Buildings along Isla Verde Ave. in Carolina
Flag of Carolina
Flag
Coat of arms of Carolina
Coat of arms
Nicknames: 
"Tierra de Gigantes"
Spanish for "Land of Giants"
"El Pueblo de los Tumba Brazos"
Spanish for "Arm Hackers Town"
Map of Puerto Rico highlighting Carolina Municipality
Map of Puerto Rico highlighting Carolina Municipality
Coordinates: 18°24′22″N 65°58′2″W
Commonwealth Puerto Rico
Founded1857
Barrios
13 barrios
Government
 • MayorJose C. Aponte Dalmau (PPD)
 • Senatorial dist.8 - Carolina
 • Representative dist.38, 39, 40
Area
 • Total60.34 sq mi (156.29 km2)
 • Land45.3 sq mi (117.4 km2)
 • Water15.02 sq mi (38.89 km2)
Elevation
52 ft (16 m)
Population
 (2020)[1]
 • Total154,815
 • Rank3rd in Puerto Rico
 • Density2,600/sq mi (990/km2)
DemonymCarolinenses
Time zoneUTC−4 (AST)
ZIP Codes
00979, 00982, 00983, 00985, 00987, 00981, 00984, 00986, 00988
Area code787/939
Major routes

Websitewww.municipiocarolina.com

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.[2]

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 sugarcane.

Puerto Rico was ceded by Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish–American War under the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1898 and became a territory of the United States. In 1899, the United States Department of War conducted a census of Puerto Rico finding that the population of Carolina was 11,965.[3]

Flooding in Carolina after Hurricane Maria on September 20, 2017.

Hurricane Maria on September 20, 2017 caused flooding in Carolina.[4][5] The Río Grande de Loíza floods left around 500 homes uninhabitable. The Roberto Clemente stadium lost its roof and many other structures, bridges and roads were damaged to a toll of $87 million. Given the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport is in Carolina, the destruction in Carolina created a challenge and the airport remained closed for three days.[6][7] Two weeks after, the airport was attempting to operate a more regular schedule,[8] but electricity was inconsistent and on October 10, nearly a month after the hurricane the airport was running on generators again.[9]

By August 2023, there had been three mass shootings in Carolina.[10]

Geography

Carolina municipality has a number of rivers such as the Río Canovanillas, Río Grande de Loíza, La Torrecilla, Piñones Lagoons.[11]

Barrios
Subdivisions of Carolina.

Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Carolina is subdivided into barrios. The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a small barrio referred to as "el pueblo", near the center of the municipality.[12][13][14]

  1. Barrazas
  2. Buena Vista
  3. Cacao
  4. Cangrejo Arriba
  5. Canovanillas
  6. Carolina barrio-pueblo[15]
  7. Carruzos
  8. Cedro
  9. Martín González
  10. Sabana Abajo
  11. San Antón
  12. Santa Cruz
  13. Trujillo Bajo

Sectors

Barrios (which are, in contemporary times, roughly comparable to minor civil divisions)[15] and subbarrios,[16][17][18] in turn, are further subdivided into smaller local populated place areas/units called sectores (sectors in English). The types of sectores may vary, from normally sector to urbanización to reparto to barriada to residencial, among others.[19][20][21]

Special Communities
See also: Puerto Rico Office for Socioeconomic and Community Development

Comunidades Especiales de Puerto Rico (Special Communities of Puerto Rico) are marginalized communities whose citizens are experiencing a certain amount of social exclusion. A map shows these communities occur in nearly every municipality of the commonwealth. Of the 742 places that were on the list in 2014, the following barrios, communities, sectors, or neighborhoods were in Carolina: Colo, Martín González, Buena Vista, Buenaventura, Canovanillas (Estancias del Parque), Cuesta Quiles, Eduardo J. Saldaña - La Cerámica, La Villas (Justicia y Esperanza), Sabana Abajo Norte, Sabana Abajo Sur, Saint Just, San Antón, and Villa Caridad.[22][23]

Tourism
Ritz-Carlton in Carolina

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 of Isla Verde.

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. Isla Verde has an Orthodox Jewish synagogue, Chabad of Puerto Rico,[24] the only Orthodox Jewish synagogue in Puerto Rico, which serves the island's Jewish residents and visiting tourists.

Landmarks and places of interest

There are 4 beaches in Carolina, including Balneario de Isla Verde.[25]

  • Buena Vista Ruins
  • Carolina Beach
  • Loíza's Big River
  • Isla Verde Club Gallístico
  • Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport
  • Jesús T. Piñero Monument
  • Julia de Burgos Park
  • Piñones Beach
  • Roberto Clemente Ciudad Deportiva

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.[26]

Industrial

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

Culture

Festivals and events

Carolina celebrates its patron saint festival in late May / early June. The Fiestas Patronales de San Fernando is a religious and cultural celebration that generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment.[11][27] The festival has featured live performances by well-known artists such as Ismael Miranda, Sonora Ponceña, Andrés Jiménez, "el Jíbaro", Bobby Valentín, and Grupo Manía.[28]

Other festivals and events celebrated in Carolina include:

  • Jazz Night – third Friday of the month
  • Bohemia Night – second Thursday of the month
  • Youth Night – first Friday every two months
  • Artisans' Market – one Sunday a month
  • Roberto Clemente Week – August

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. Riding the mare Mark Me Special he captured the 7th race at Colonial Downs on June 19, 2005.

Demographics

Puerto Rico was ceded by Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish–American War under the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1898 and became a territory of the United States. In 1899, the United States conducted its first census of Puerto Rico finding that the population of Carolina was 11,965.

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
190011,965—
191015,32728.1%
192015,5631.5%
193018,75120.5%
194024,04628.2%
195029,22421.5%
196040,92340.0%
1970107,643163.0%
1980165,95454.2%
1990177,8067.1%
2000186,0764.7%
2010176,762−5.0%
2020154,815−12.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[29]
1899 (shown as 1900)[30] 1910-1930[31]
1930-1950[32] 1960-2000[33] 2010[13]
Race - Carolina, Puerto Rico - 2020 Census[34]
Race Population  % of Total
White21,99814.2%
Black/Afro-Puerto Rican42,29927.3%
American Indian/Alaska Native4,0062.6%
Asian5930.4%
Two or more races/Some other race85,91955.5%

Government
See also: List of mayors of Carolina, Puerto Rico and Mayoralty in Puerto Rico

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.[35]

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.

Transportation

There are 72 bridges in Carolina.[36] The Teodoro Moscoso Bridge connects Carolina to San Juan.[37] Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport is located in Carolina.

Symbols

The municipio has an official flag and coat of arms.[38]

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.[39]

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.[39]

  • Beach in Carolina
    Beach in Carolina
  • Isla Verde skyline in Carolina
    Isla Verde skyline in Carolina
  • Courtyard by Marriott in Isla Verde Beach Resort
    Courtyard by Marriott in Isla Verde Beach Resort
  • Statue of Roberto Clemente located at entrance of Ciudad Deportiva Roberto Clemente
    Statue of Roberto Clemente located at entrance of Ciudad Deportiva Roberto Clemente
  • Aerial view of the city
    Aerial view of the city

See also

References
  1. Bureau, US Census. "PUERTO RICO: 2020 Census". The United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on December 1, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  2. Adrian Room (2006). "Carolina". Placenames of the World. McFarland & Co. p. 79. ISBN 0-7864-2248-3.
  3. Joseph Prentiss Sanger; Henry Gannett; Walter Francis Willcox (1900). Informe sobre el censo de Puerto Rico, 1899, United States. War Dept. Porto Rico Census Office. Imprenta del gobierno. p. 159. Archived from the original on November 15, 2012. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  4. "Preliminary Locations of Landslide Impacts from Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico". USGS Landslide Hazards Program. USGS. Archived from the original on March 3, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  5. "Preliminary Locations of Landslide Impacts from Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico" (PDF). USGS Landslide Hazards Program. USGS. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 3, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  6. "María, un nombre que no vamos a olvidar. Carolina, sacudida por la violencia del huracán María" [Maria, a name we will never forget. Carolina, shaken by Hurricane Marías' violence.]. El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). June 13, 2019. Archived from the original on September 20, 2021. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  7. Leposa, Adam (September 22, 2017). "After Hurricane Maria, First Commercial Flight Returns to San Juan". Travel Agent Central. Archived from the original on September 20, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  8. Tellado Domenech, Rut N. (October 4, 2017). "El aeropuerto internacional vuelve a operar las 24 horas". El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). Archived from the original on September 20, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  9. "El aeropuerto Luis Muñoz Marín vuelve a quedarse sin electricidad". El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). October 10, 2017. Archived from the original on September 20, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  10. Rivera Puig, Miguel (July 25, 2023). "VÍDEO: Se registra en Carolina la tercera masacre del año". El Vocero de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). Archived from the original on August 4, 2023. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  11. "Carolina Municipality". enciclopediapr.org. Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades (FPH). Archived from the original on May 2, 2019. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
  12. Gwillim Law (May 20, 2015). Administrative Subdivisions of Countries: A Comprehensive World Reference, 1900 through 1998. McFarland. p. 300. ISBN 978-1-4766-0447-3. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
  13. Puerto Rico:2010:population and housing unit counts.pdf (PDF). U.S. Dept. of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration U.S. Census Bureau. 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 20, 2017. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  14. "Map of Carolina" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 8, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2007.
  15. "US Census Barrio-Pueblo definition". factfinder.com. US Census. Archived from the original on May 13, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  16. "P.L. 94-171 VTD/SLD Reference Map 000 (2010 Census): Carolina Municipio, PR" (PDF). www2.census.gov. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Economics and Statistics Administration U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 23, 2020. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  17. "P.L. 94-171 VTD/SLD Reference Map 001 (2010 Census): Carolina Municipio, PR" (PDF). www2.census.gov. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Economics and Statistics Administration U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 23, 2020. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  18. "P.L. 94-171 VTD/SLD Reference Map 002 (2010 Census): Carolina Municipio, PR" (PDF). www2.census.gov. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Economics and Statistics Administration U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 23, 2020. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  19. "Agencia: Oficina del Coordinador General para el Financiamiento Socioeconómico y la Autogestión (Proposed 2016 Budget)". Puerto Rico Budgets (in Spanish). Archived from the original on June 28, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  20. Rivera Quintero, Marcia (2014), El vuelo de la esperanza: Proyecto de las Comunidades Especiales Puerto Rico, 1997-2004 (first ed.), San Juan, Puerto Rico Fundación Sila M. Calderón, ISBN 978-0-9820806-1-0
  21. "Leyes del 2001". Lex Juris Puerto Rico (in Spanish). Archived from the original on September 14, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  22. Rivera Quintero, Marcia (2014), El vuelo de la esperanza: Proyecto de las Comunidades Especiales Puerto Rico, 1997-2004 (1st ed.), San Juan, Puerto Rico Fundación Sila M. Calderón, p. 273, ISBN 978-0-9820806-1-0
  23. "Comunidades Especiales de Puerto Rico" (in Spanish). August 8, 2011. Archived from the original on June 24, 2019. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
  24. "Chabad Jewish Center of Puerto Rico". Archived from the original on June 28, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  25. "Las 1,200 playas de Puerto Rico [The 1200 beaches of Puerto Rico]". Primera Hora (in Spanish). April 14, 2017. Archived from the original on December 12, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  26. "Regional3.pdf ." Aviation Week. Retrieved on September 28, 2009.
  27. "Puerto Rico Festivales, Eventos y Actividades en Puerto Rico". Puerto Rico Hoteles y Paradores (in Spanish). Archived from the original on February 26, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  28. "Fiestas Patronales en Honor a San Fernando de la Carolina". sondeaquiprnet. El Gobierno Municipal de Carolina. Archived from the original on July 9, 2014. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  29. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  30. "Report of the Census of Porto Rico 1899". War Department Office Director Census of Porto Rico. Archived from the original on July 16, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  31. "Table 3-Population of Municipalities: 1930 1920 and 1910" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 17, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  32. "Table 4-Area and Population of Municipalities Urban and Rural: 1930 to 1950" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 30, 2015. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  33. "Table 2 Population and Housing Units: 1960 to 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 24, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  34. "Ethnicity 2010 census". Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  35. Elecciones Generales 2012: Escrutinio General Archived 2013-01-23 at the Wayback Machine on CEEPUR
  36. "Carolina Bridges". National Bridge Inventory Data. US Dept. of Transportation. Archived from the original on February 21, 2019. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  37. "La Policía encuentra el cuerpo de una mujer en la laguna San José". El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). May 1, 2021. Archived from the original on May 1, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  38. "Ley Núm. 70 de 2006 -Ley para disponer la oficialidad de la bandera y el escudo de los setenta y ocho (78) municipios". LexJuris de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  39. "CAROLINA". LexJuris (Leyes y Jurisprudencia) de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). February 19, 2020. Archived from the original on February 19, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.

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