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60-553: Mayagüez ( Spanish pronunciation: [maʝaˈɣwes] , locally [maʝaˈweʔ] ) is the ninth-largest municipality in Puerto Rico . It was founded as Pueblo de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria de Mayagüez (Township of Our Lady of Candelaria ), and is also known as La Sultana del Oeste (The Sultaness of the West), Ciudad de las Aguas Puras (City of Pure Waters), or Ciudad del Mangó (Mango City). On April 6, 1894,

120-692: A Spanish possession until 1898, the system of local government in Puerto Rico bears more resemblance to that of the Hispanophone nations of the Americas than to local government in the United States . Thus, there are no literal first-order administrative divisions akin to counties , as defined by the U.S. Federal Government . Instead, Puerto Rico has 78 municipalities as the secondary unit of administration. For U.S. Census purposes,

180-684: A municipal legislature as the form of government. Each legislature must be unicameral , with the number of members related to adequate representation of the total population of the municipality. In contrast to other jurisdictions, both the mayors and the municipal legislators are elected on the same date and for the same term of four years in office. From a political and ekistic perspective, several differences and similarities exist between municipalities of differing population sizes. For instance, municipalities with 50,000 inhabitants or more are considered incorporated cities , while those with fewer than 50,000 are considered incorporated towns . Size affects

240-793: 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 Mayagüez: Balboa, Barrio Salud, Buena Vista, Central Igualdad, Dulces Labios, El Maní, El Quemado, Felices Días, La Chorra, La Quinta, Leguízamo, Mayagüez Arriba, Parcelas Rolón, Polvorín, Quebrada Grande, Río Cañas, Río Hondo, Rosario, and Trastalleres. According to 2009 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, there were 92,156 people (down from 98,434 in 2000) in 38,469 housing units residing in Mayagüez. The population density

300-406: A long-time resident and now "adopted son" of the city. Until this song's adoption, the plena " A Mayagüez ", written by César Concepción , was used by many as an unofficial city song. Quiñones' composition was the winner of a contest sponsored by the city's municipality in 2003. Municipalities of Puerto Rico The municipalities of Puerto Rico ( Spanish : municipios de Puerto Rico ) are

360-548: A mayor and the municipal assembly for four-year terms. The municipal government is housed in Mayagüez City Hall or Casa Alcaldia , which faces the south side of the Plaza de Colon. A popularly elected mayor heads the executive branch, currently deputy mayor Jorge Ramos serves in the position as Interim Mayor after the suspension of José Guillermo Rodríguez from the post pending a investigation. In addition to running

420-421: A popular soft drink in Puerto Rico between the late 1940s and early 1960s. Mayagüez was a major rum producing city in Puerto Rico between the 1930s and 1970s . Several brands were produced by the city's three rum distillers. The most successful rum producing operation at the time was José González Clemente y Co., the bottlers of Ron Superior Puerto Rico, an award-winning dark rum that was bottled between 1909 and

480-758: A region noted for its record of colonial resistance (i.e., Urayoán and Legend of Diego Salcedo ). The Tainos constituted the majority of the island's inhabitants at the time of contact with Europeans in 1493 and called it Borikén or Borinquen . Today, this appellation and its variations continue to designate the Island of Puerto Rico and its people. The Taínos came from South American branches of Arawakan speakers , more specifically from modern-day Venezuela , and lived in small villages, organized their society in clans and named their chiefs Cacique . They were farmers who domesticated crops as pineapples , cassava , and sweet potatoes supplemented by fish and seafood. Mayagüez

540-578: A wide-extending township in New England—like Plymouth, Massachusetts, or Barnstable, on Cape Cod comprising a central town or city with perhaps several outlying districts or barrios, usually rural in character, and occasionally having sizeable concentrated populations in villages, the municipality bearing the name of the central urban portion and all under one local government. Recent Civic Architecture in Porto Rico, 1920 Having been

600-445: Is San Juan , with 342,259, while Culebra is the smallest, with around 1,792. Arecibo is the largest in terms of geography, with around 125 mi , and Cataño the smallest, with around 4.8 mi . All municipalities have a barrio called pueblo proper, officially called barrio-pueblo (literally "district-town"), which typically is the site of the historic Spanish colonial settlement, administrative center and urban core of

660-409: Is composed of barrios , except for Florida , which has only one barrio. The municipality of Ponce has the largest number of barrios, 31. Every municipality, except San Juan, also has an urban area made up of one or more barrios. When the urban area is made up of only one barrio, it is called " Barrio Pueblo ". Some urban areas are made up of multiple barrios: Ponce's urban area, for example,

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720-407: Is made up of 12 barrios. All of San Juan's barrios are urban barrios, and the municipality of San Juan is composed of urban barrios only - thus, the entire municipality of San Juan consists of one large urban zone. For a list of municipal demonyms Puerto Rico is administratively divided into the following 78 municipalities (alphabetically ordered): The following is an alphabetical list of

780-817: Is the joint responsibility of the Mayagüez Municipal Police Department and the Puerto Rico Police Department . The first fire fighters corps in the city was created in 1876. The city has three Puerto Rico Police (State Police) facilities and one Municipal Police station, it also has the regional office of the State Emergency Management Bureau(NMEAD) as well as the offices of the Puerto Rico Seismic Network(Red Sismica de Puerto Rico) and

840-416: Is usually very hot and humid, with temperatures reaching 95 °F or 35 °C, with heat index of up to 115 °F or 46.1 °C. From May to October, most evenings experience strong thunderstorms, due to heat, humidity and the topography of the area. The municipio has an estimated population of just over 100,000 spread over 21 barrios ( barrios ) including Mayagüez Pueblo (The downtown area and

900-558: The Liga Atlética Interuniversitaria de Puerto Rico , were held in Mayagüez in 2010 in preparation for the Central American and Caribbean Games . Also they were held in 2016 and they are to be held in 2017. There are 13 beaches in Mayagüez. As one of Puerto Rico's 78 municipalities , Mayagüez's government has two executive and legislative branches. Those citizens eligible to vote, directly elect

960-674: The Mona Passage ; and the Río Guanajibo , which flows through several neighborhoods in the southern portion of the municipality until it empties in the Mona Passage . The Desecheo National Wildlife Refuge on Desecheo Island is a protected area. To the north of the El Maní community in Mayagüez is the Boquilla Creek Wildlife Reserve ( Reserva Natural del Caño de la Boquilla ), a protected area and

1020-513: The New World by Christopher Columbus , who signed his documents with the phrase and the motto Christ Ferens , which means: "He who has Christ." The blue and white waves between the third and fourth quarters recall the coat of arms granted to Columbus by kings Ferdinand and Isabella . The waves represent the ocean (and particularly the Mona Passage ) through which he sailed to bring the gospel to these new lands. The blue and white waves symbolize

1080-741: The Spanish Crown granted it the formal title of Excelente Ciudad de Mayagüez (Excellent City of Mayagüez). Mayagüez is located in the center of the western coast on the island of Puerto Rico. It has a population of 73,077, and it is the principal city of the Mayagüez Metropolitan Statistical Area (pop. 213,831) and the Mayagüez–Aguadilla, PR Combined Statistical Area (pop. 467,599). The Mayagüez Metro Area (and part of Añasco ) lies today on two former Taíno Cacicazgos (chiefdoms) : Yaguex and Yagüeca,

1140-499: The University of Puerto Rico- Mayagüez Campus of about 15,000–20,000 which contributes considerably to its economy. In 2005 Winston-Salem Industries for The Blind was the first industry to move into the city's industrial park in many years. In July 2007 Honeywell opened a customer support service center for its aerospace and information technology divisions in the city. As of 2022, Bureau of Labor Statistics data revealed that

1200-552: The Yagüez River and evokes the nickname City of Pure Waters . The red and white flames on the flag symbolize the traditional bonfires of Day of Our Lady of Candelaria ("Día de La Candelaria"), ignited in honor of the city's patron saint (a tradition started for Spanish settlers from the Canary Islands ). The flag was officially adopted with the signing of City Ordinance 38, signed December 3, 1996. According to

1260-474: The church , post office , municipal theater and city hall were severely damaged. With fear because of the aftershocks, many people camped out in the hills for weeks. Some of the buildings of the recently founded University of Puerto Rico campus were also damaged or destroyed. The Edificio José de Diego suffered structural damages and the Degetau Hall was destroyed with its main entrance portico being

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1320-519: The lighthouse ), and 5.2 m (17 ft) at Point Jiguero. Several coastal villages were destroyed, and it has been estimated that 40 people drowned (32 in Aguadilla alone) as a direct result of the tsunami. The earthquake and consequent tsunami destroyed most historic vernacular residences in downtown Aguadilla with only a few, such as the Amparo Roldán residence , surviving. Many of

1380-559: The main town church of Vega Baja also collapsed. The Corregimiento Plaza Theater , the cathedral and the city hall in Arecibo also sustained damages. As a result of the earthquake, a tsunami lashed the west coast of the island, probably 4–7 minutes after the main shock. The highest waves were estimated at 6.0 m (19.7 ft) in Point Agujereada, 4.5 m (15 ft) at Punta Borinquen (where it destroyed

1440-591: The 1918 San Fermín earthquake was located in the Mona Passage off the northwestern coast of the island. The strongest ground shaking has been estimated at intensity IX on the Mercalli intensity scale . The resulting tsunami affected primarily the west coast towns of the island (primarily Mayaguez). Numerous structures in the west coast suffered irreparable damage. Factories and production facilities were virtually destroyed, while bridges and roads were severely damaged. The earthquake caused several mudslides in areas where

1500-661: The Caribbean Tsunami Warning Program who share facilities in the University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez Campus. It has numerous private ambulance service organizations which covered wide parts of the western coast of Puerto Rico and choose Mayagüez for its central location to the region. There are small volunteer organizations dedicated to aiding police and emergency services as requested by such. The municipio has an official flag and coat of arms. The wide cross represents Christianity brought to

1560-580: The Mayagüez metropolitan area had the worst-paid lawyers in the United States, with an annual average salary of only $ 53,850. Mayagüez's contributions to Puerto Rican gastronomy have been many, and a few of these are known outside Puerto Rico. Besides being host to one of the largest concentrations of mango trees in the island, the city has been a host to various food enterprises whose products are popular in Puerto Rico (and elsewhere): A defunct cola bottling operation in town produced "Vita Cola",

1620-671: The Puerto Rican historian Federico Cedó Alzamora, the original version of the coat of arms of Mayagüez was given to the city December 19, 1894, by the Queen Regent of Spain Maria Christina of Austria . The upper half of the coat of arms shows the columbine coat of arms recalls and commemorates the discovery of the Island of Borinquén (Puerto Rico) by Columbus in his second trip to the New World in 1493. The lower half of

1680-429: The Puerto Rico legislature, under pressure from the U.S.-appointed governor of Puerto Rico, passed a law consolidating the then-76 municipalities of Puerto Rico into 46. The law was repealed three years later. In October 2009, a Puerto Rican legislator proposed a bill that would reduce the current 78 municipalities of Puerto Rico down to 20. The bill called for a referendum to take place on June 13, 2010, which would let

1740-478: The United States were packed in Mayagüez (the biggest employer, StarKist , had 11,000 employees working three daily shifts in the local plant's heyday). Mayagüez was also a major textile industry hub; almost a quarter of all drill uniforms used by the United States Army were sewn in the city. Today, Mayagüez is the fifth-largest city in Puerto Rico and is considered one of the most important cities in

1800-1036: The administrative center of the city). One of the barrios is Isla de Mona e Islote Monito , which consists of the offshore islands of Mona Island and Monito Island . This is the largest ward by land area and at the same time the only one without any permanent population. Also, uninhabited Desecheo Island belongs to the municipality as part of Sabanetas barrio . Mayagüez Pueblo is further subdivided into these barrios: Barrios (which are, in contemporary times, roughly comparable to minor civil divisions ) are further subdivided into smaller areas called sectores ( sectors in English). The types of sectores may vary, from normally sector to urbanización to reparto to barriada to residencial , among others. The sectors that comprise Mayagüez City are: Other notable neighborhoods or sectors: Comunidades Especiales de Puerto Rico (Special Communities of Puerto Rico) are marginalized communities whose citizens are experiencing

1860-425: The age of 18 living in them. Of all households 27.8% were made up of individuals, and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.41. In Mayagüez, the population was spread out, with 26.9% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

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1920-428: The autonomy exercised by the jurisdiction: cities provide and manage their own services, while towns typically depend on nearby cities for certain services. Demographically, municipalities in Puerto Rico are equivalent to counties in the United States, and Puerto Rican municipalities are registered as county subdivisions in the United States census . Statistically, the municipality with the largest number of inhabitants

1980-419: The city during the 1990s, and because of this, Mayagüez became the jurisdiction of the United States with the second most industrial job losses during the time, second only to Flint, Michigan . Once the third city in population and importance in Puerto Rico, population numbers for it have been relatively stagnant, and it has lost population. Mayagüez has a floating population due to its universities, principally

2040-531: The city's Indian heritage. Its baseball winter league team ( LBPPR ), the Indios de Mayagüez , honor their Indian heritage and the home town's Cervecería India brewery. The professional soccer club Puerto Rico Sol , plays locally at local Mayagüez Athletics Stadium . The professional volleyball team Indias de Mayagüez from Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino , plays locally at local Palacio de Recreación y Deportes . The "Justas" or inter-university games of

2100-582: The city's day-to-day operations and supervising associated departments, the mayor is also responsible for appointing a secretary-auditor and a treasurer. Mayagüez's Municipal Assembly comprises sixteen elected officials, as defined in the Puerto Rico Law of Autonomous Municipalities of 1991. The city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial District IV , which is represented by two Senators. Law enforcement in Mayagüez

2160-553: The coat of arms shows a stylized version of Columbus's landing on Puerto Rico. The explorer's crew disembarked at the western coast of the island, where several rivers spill their waters in the Mona Passage, among them the Yagüez, from which the name of Mayagüez is derived. The present version was reinterpreted by heraldist Roberto Biascochea Lota. The city's anthem was written by pianist and former music teacher Luciano Quiñones ,

2220-592: The deluge. Mayagüez is located near the geographical center of the west coast of Puerto Rico about two to three hours by automobile from San Juan . Its land area is 77.6 square miles (201.06 km). The city's terrain includes; coast plains, river valleys, marshland, hills and mountains. Of its multiple rivers and streams, the two most important are the Río Yagüez , which flows from the Central Mountain Range through downtown until it empties into

2280-459: The form of counties but he resigned prior to anything coming of his proposal. 1918 San Ferm%C3%ADn earthquake The earthquake triggered a tsunami that swept the west coast of the island. The combined effects of the earthquake and tsunami made it one of the worst natural disasters that have struck the island. The losses resulting from the disaster were approximately 76–118 casualties and $ 4–29 million in property damage. The epicenter of

2340-509: The habitat of endangered species . Mayagüez has a tropical savanna climate ( Köppen climate classification Aw ). The city has the most extreme weather of the island. The high frequency of severe storms in the summer can produce strong winds, floods , waterspouts , and sometimes hail and even tornadoes . The average annual temperature is 75 °F or 23.9 °C. Winter is usually quite dry and warm, with temperatures between 82 °F or 27.8 °C and 55 °F or 12.8 °C. Summer

2400-409: The historic tombs and mausolea of the historic cemetery were also badly damaged by the waves. Several aftershocks were reported immediately after the main earthquake. On October 24 and November 12, two strong aftershocks were reported on the island. However, no damage was reported as a result. The response from the United States was to exempt the municipalities most affected from paying taxes for

2460-459: The intensity exceeded Level VII, but none caused numerous deaths. Also, the river currents were affected, which, in many cases affected the foundations of many bridges, resulting in their collapse. Telegraph cables under the ocean were damaged, cutting off the island from outside communication for a time. The reported casualties of the earthquake have been estimated somewhere between 76 and 116 deaths. Approximately 40 of these deaths were caused by

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2520-785: The island. The city is centered on the impressive Spanish-style main square Plaza Colón , a tribute to Christopher Columbus , whose statue stands in the middle of the square, surrounded by 16 bronze statues. Mayagüez has become a major college town with the establishment of the UPRM , the now closed Eugenio María de Hostos Law School and the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico . On September 20, 2017 Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico. In Mayagüez, losses were described as "catastrophic". The storm triggered numerous landslides in Mayagüez. In some areas of Mayagüez, there were over 25 landslides per square mile due to

2580-434: The late-1970s. Mayagüez celebrates its patron saint festival in late January / early February. The Fiestas Patronales Virgen de la Candelaria is a religious and cultural celebration that generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment. Other festivals and events celebrated in Mayagüez include: Mayagüez hosted the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games for which

2640-441: The local and commonwealth governments have provided an investment of $ 250 million for, among other things, building two new stadiums (the first a re-built Isidoro García Baseball Stadium the second next to it a track and field and soccer stadium . Mayagüez also hosted the 2011 Caribbean Series . Mayagüez's National Superior Basketball League ( BSN ) professional basketball team, the Indios de Mayagüez , are named in honor of

2700-530: The municipalities and their population together with a breakdown of their racial composition. The municipalities elect a mayor and a municipal legislature in the general elections every four years. In 2012, 36 of the 78 municipalities (46%) were experiencing a budget deficit . In total, the combined debt carried by the municipalities stands at about US$ 590 million. Multiple times, politicians have discussed and proposed consolidating Puerto Rico's municipalities but so far no proposals has been adopted. In 1902

2760-494: The municipalities are considered county equivalents . The municipalities are grouped into eight electoral districts , but these do not possess administrative functions. In 1991, the Autonomous Municipalities Act was passed, which slightly modified the rights and responsibilities of Puerto Rican municipalities with the aim of decentralizing control and improving government services. Every municipality

2820-569: The municipality. However, municipalities with large populations may have an urban core that consist of several barrios. In Recent Civic Architecture in Porto Rico by Adrian C. Finlayson, architect for the Insular Department of the Interior Architecture, writing for the publication Architectural Record in 1920, the Puerto Rican municipality is accurately described as: Not merely a city, but something similar to

2880-414: The only standing structure left intact. These ruins were later preserved, and its portico would later on become a local landmark and the official emblem of the institution today. The historic center of San Germán was also badly affected, with reported damages to notable structures such as the main town church . Cities throughout the southern coast were also affected. The United States Customs House

2940-525: The original structure forced the rebuilding to be scaled-down considerably. In 1911, the College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts was founded in Mayagüez. Today it is known as the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (UPRM)—the Caribbean 's leading engineering institution. Between 1962 and 1998 Mayagüez was a major tuna canning and processing center. At one time, 80% of all tuna products consumed in

3000-545: The people decide on the matter. However, the bill never made into law. With the Puerto Rican government-debt crisis that emerged in the first half of 2010s, a new plan to consolidate municipalities was again circulated in the legislature in 2017 as a way to alleviate the government debt crisis. In March 2019, then Governor Ricardo Rosselló created an initiative that would preserve the existing municipalities but create regional consolidation by sharing service overhead in

3060-574: The second-level administrative divisions in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico . There are 78 such administrative divisions covering all 78 incorporated towns and cities . Each municipality is led by a mayor and divided into barrios , third-level administrative divisions, though the latter are not vested with any political authority. Every municipality is governed as stated by the Autonomous Municipalities Act of 1991 , which establishes that every municipality must have an elected strong mayor with

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3120-685: 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 Mayagüez was 35,700, making it one of the largest towns in Puerto Rico at the time. The city's main Roman Catholic church, Our Lady of the Candelaria , was built in a plot consecrated on August 21, 1760. Its first masonry building

3180-545: The tsunami which swept shore communities. Damage to property was estimated to be between $ 4 and 29 million. In Aguadilla , the closest town to the earthquake epicenter, the parish church and most of the stone and concrete buildings were either destroyed or partially damaged. The nearby Spanish-built Punta Higuero lighthouse of Rincón also was severely damaged. In Mayagüez , the largest city to be directly affected, 700 masonry buildings were damaged and 1,000 wooden houses, so many people were homeless. Major buildings like

3240-472: Was 1,187 inhabitants per square mile (458/km). The city has a considerable "college population" adding approximately 10,000 people to the year round population of Mayagüez. People of Hispanic or Latino origin, who may be of any race, composed 98.9% of the population. Of the 31,877 households in 2007 in Mayagüez, 38.6% were married couples living together, 22.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 33.3% had children under

3300-472: Was 33 years. Mayagüez had more women, with 88.4 males for every 100 females. As of 2000, speakers of English as a first language accounted for 15.14% of the population. The city has had several natural disasters. It faced a major economic downturn due to the closure of its textile factories and tuna industry, which were the principal industries of the city for the greater part of the 20th century. Over 11,000 permanent jobs in these two industries were lost in

3360-700: Was destroyed while the Ponce city hall for example was damaged, prompting the mayoral office to temporarily relocated to the Parque de Bombas until 1920. Other damaged buildings in Ponce were the Tricoche Hospital and the Armstrong-Poventud House . There were damages reported further afield throughout Puerto Rico, for example the original bell towers of the cathedral of Humacao and

3420-408: Was erected in 1780. The current church was built in 1836, and was rebuilt in 1922. The redesign by architect Luis Perocier sought to restore the building to its original splendor. The 1918 San Fermín earthquake had destroyed the temple's ceiling, and a lightning bolt struck and tore down a wedge-shaped corner of one of its two bell towers. However, lack of proper funding and the extent of the damage of

3480-404: Was founded on September 18, 1760, by a group led by brothers Faustino and Lorenzo Martínez de Matos, Juan de Silva and Juan de Aponte, at a hill located about one kilometer inland from Mayagüez Bay and the outlet of the Yagüez River . The Spanish Crown granted the founders the right to self-government in 1763, formally separating the town from the larger Partido de San Germán . The settlement

3540-541: Was named Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria de Mayagüez ( Our Lady of Candelaria of Mayagüez ) to evoke an apparition of the Virgin Mary on the island of Tenerife , one of the Canary Islands . Most of the town's settlers, including its founders , migrated from the archipelago, whose patron saint is the Virgin of Candelaria . On May 7, 1836, the settlement was elevated to the royal status of villa , and Rafael Mangual

3600-525: Was named its first mayor. At the time, the villa's principal economic activity was agriculture. The famous patriot, educator, sociologist, philosopher, essayist and novelist Eugenio María de Hostos was born in Mayagüez in 1839. On July 10, 1877, the villa received its city charter from the Royal Crown of Spain. Puerto Rico was ceded by Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish–American War under

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