Carolina Municipio Autónomo de Carolina | |
|---|---|
City andMunicipality | |
| San Fernando de la Carolina | |
 Parque Escorial suburbs inSan Antón  Isla Verde district | |
 Flag  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 | |
 Interactive map of Carolina | |
| Coordinates:18°24′22″N65°58′2″W / 18.40611°N 65.96722°W /18.40611; -65.96722 | |
| Sovereign state |  United States |
| Commonwealth |  Puerto Rico |
| Settled | late 17th century |
| Founded | January 31, 1857 |
| Founded by | Santiago Veve y Vidal |
| Named after | Charles II of Spain |
| Barrios | |
| 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 (2020)[1] | |
• Total | 154,815 |
| • Rank | 3rd in Puerto Rico |
| • Density | 3,415/sq mi (1,319/km2) |
| Demonym | Carolinense (neutral) |
| Time zone | UTC−4 (AST) |
| ZIP Codes | 00979, 00982, 00983, 00985, 00987, 00981, 00984, 00986, 00988 |
| Area code | 787/939 |
| Major routes |          |
| Website | www |
Carolina (/ˌkæroʊˈliːnə/;Spanish pronunciation:[kaɾoˈlina]) is acity andmunicipality on the northeasterncoastal plain ofPuerto Rico, immediately east ofSan Juan andTrujillo Alto, north ofGurabo andJuncos, and west ofCanóvanas andLoíza. Part of theSan Juan metropolitan area, Carolina is spread over 12 barrios and the downtown area and administrative center ofCarolina Pueblo. In the coastal region of the municipality lies the resort and residential district ofIsla Verde, where the main international airport of Puerto Rico, theLuis Muñoz Marín International Airport, is located. Carolina is the third most populated municipality in thearchipelago and island.
The town was founded bySpanish colonists in 1816 asTrujillo Bajo ("lower Trujillo"), along with its counterpartTrujillo Alto afterTrujillo, Spain. In 1857 it was renamed toSan Fernando de la Carolina, later shortened toCarolina, afterCharles II of Spain.[2]
The city is known as"Tierra de Gigantes" (Land of Giants), not only for well-known Carolina residentDon Felipe Birriel González (who was 7'11"), but also in honor of other people from Carolina, includingpoetJulia de Burgos and most notably the firstLatin American player named tobaseball'sHall of Fame,Roberto Clemente. Carolina was also home toJesús T. Piñero, the first Puerto Rican to be appointed asgovernor by theUnited 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 wassugarcane.
Puerto Rico was ceded bySpain in the aftermath of theSpanish–American War under the terms of theTreaty of Paris of 1898 and became a territory of theUnited States. In 1899, theUnited States Department of War conducted acensus of Puerto Rico finding that the population of Carolina was 11,965.[3]
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]
Carolina municipality has a number of rivers such as theRío Canovanillas,Río Grande de Loíza, La Torrecilla,Piñones Lagoons.[10]
Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Carolina is subdivided intobarrios. 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.[11][12][13]
Barrios (which are, in contemporary times, roughly comparable tominor civil divisions)[14] and subbarrios,[15][16][17] are further subdivided into smaller areas calledsectores (sectors in English). The types ofsectores may vary, from normallysector tourbanización toreparto tobarriada toresidencial, among others.[18][19][20]
Comunidades Especiales de Puerto Rico (Special Communities of Puerto Rico) are marginalized communities whose citizens are experiencing a certain amount ofsocial 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.[21][22]
Carolina is one of Puerto Rico's most important tourist centers.Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, the territory's main airport, is located inIsla Verde. Also located in Carolina are a large group of hotels, which sit by Carolina's large beach area ofIsla Verde.
There are several well-known hotels on the coast of Carolina (Isla Verde area), including theFairmont El San Juan Hotel,InterContinental San Juan Hotel andThe Ritz-Carlton, San Juan Hotel, Spa, and Casino. Isla Verde has anOrthodox Jewish synagogue,Chabad of Puerto Rico,[23] the only Orthodox Jewish synagogue in Puerto Rico, which serves the island's Jewish residents and visiting tourists.[citation needed]
To stimulate local tourism, thePuerto Rico Tourism Company launched theVoy Turistiendo ("I'm Touring") campaign, with a passport book and website. The Carolina page listsHacienda Campo Rico,El Museo del Niño, andBalneario de Carolina, as places of interest.[24]
There are 4 beaches in Carolina, includingBalneario de Isla Verde.[25]
Carolina is the home ofPlaza Carolina, one ofPuerto Rico's largestshopping malls.
Executive Airlines, anaircraft ground handling company and subsidiary ofAmerican Airlines, is headquartered on the grounds ofLuis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Carolina.[26]
Manufacturing (pharmaceutical, medical equipment and chemical) and commerce.
Carolina celebrates itspatron saint festival in late May / early June. TheFiestas Patronales de San Fernando is a religious and cultural celebration that generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment.[10][27] The festival has featured live performances by well-known artists such asIsmael Miranda,Sonora Ponceña,Andrés Jiménez, "el Jíbaro",Bobby Valentín, andGrupo Manía.[28]
Other festivals and events celebrated in Carolina include:
In recent years, Carolina has seen the building of theCiudad DeportivaRoberto Clemente orRoberto Clemente Sports City, a sports and recreation facility that aims to become a youth sports school, and theRoberto Clemente Stadium, host to many entertainment events and to the 2003 and 2007Caribbean World Series. It has also played host to theColiseo Guillermo Angulo, where theBSN'sGigantes de Carolina play, as well as the Gigantes ofPuerto Rican women's professionalbasketball, the Gigantes of men's professionalvolleyball, and theGigantes of women's professionalvolleyball.
TheGigantes de Carolina professionalbaseball team use theRoberto Clemente Stadium as their home field. There is also another team with the same name, theGiants de Carolina, a professionalsoccer team that plays in thePuerto Rico Soccer League. That team also uses theRoberto Clemente Stadium as its home field.
Professional horsejockeyEmanuel Jose Sanchez was born in Carolina. Riding the mare Mark Me Special he captured the 7th race atColonial Downs on June 19, 2005.
Puerto Rico was ceded bySpain in the aftermath of theSpanish–American War under the terms of theTreaty of Paris of 1898 and became a territory of theUnited States. In 1899, the United States conducted its firstcensus of Puerto Rico finding that the population of Carolina was 11,965.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 11,965 | — | |
| 1910 | 15,327 | 28.1% | |
| 1920 | 15,563 | 1.5% | |
| 1930 | 18,751 | 20.5% | |
| 1940 | 24,046 | 28.2% | |
| 1950 | 29,224 | 21.5% | |
| 1960 | 40,923 | 40.0% | |
| 1970 | 107,643 | 163.0% | |
| 1980 | 165,954 | 54.2% | |
| 1990 | 177,806 | 7.1% | |
| 2000 | 186,076 | 4.7% | |
| 2010 | 176,762 | −5.0% | |
| 2020 | 154,815 | −12.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[29] 1899 (shown as 1900)[30] 1910-1930[31] 1930-1950[32] 1960-2000[33] 2010[12] | |||
| Race - Carolina, Puerto Rico - 2020 Census[35] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Race | Population | % of Total |
| White | 21,998 | 14.2% |
| Black/Afro-Puerto Rican | 42,299 | 27.3% |
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 4,006 | 2.6% |
| Asian | 593 | 0.4% |
| Two or more races/Some other race | 85,919 | 55.5% |
All municipalities in Puerto Rico are administered by amayor, elected every four years. The current mayor of Carolina isJosé Aponte Dalmau, of thePopular 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 thePuerto Rico Senatorial district VIII, which is represented by two Senators. In 2024,Marissa Jiménez andHéctor Joaquín Sánchez Álvarez were elected as District Senators.[36]
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 fornarcotics 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, thePuerto Rico Fire Department have a fire station and regional office in town, located on the Roberto Clemente Avenue.
There are 72 bridges in Carolina.[37] TheTeodoro Moscoso Bridge connects Carolina toSan Juan.[38]Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport is located in Carolina.
Themunicipio has an official flag and coat of arms.[39]
The flag consists of three vertical bands, the laterals white and the middle red. The laterals are seeded with black ermine tails in theheraldic way as for thecoat of arms. The middle band of the flag shows a red field with the sword and crown of the coat of arms.[40]
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 ofSan 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.[40]
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Places adjacent to Carolina, Puerto Rico | |
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Travel guides from Wikivoyage
Data from Wikidata| International | |
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