YABUCOA, PUERTO RICO

'Yabucoa' is a small town in the south eastern tip of Puerto Rico located in the southeastern region, north of Maunabo; south of San Lorenzo, Las Piedras and Humacao; and east of Patillas and about one hour from San Juan. Yabucoa is spread over 9 wards and Yabucoa Pueblo (The downtown area and the administrative center of the city).
Its name is derived from the Taíno word meaning land of water, most likely due to the large number of rivers that water the region. Yabucoa is also known as "La Ciudad del Azúcar" (The City of Sugar).

Contents

History

Flag

Coat of Arms

Demographics

'Barrios' (Districts/Wards)

Geo/Topography

Anthem

Economic

Agriculture

Business

Industrial

Tourism

Landmarks and places of interest

Festivals and events

Transportation

Education

Sports

Notable "Yabucoeños"

References

Photo gallery

External links

History

Yabucoa was founded in 1793.

Flag

The design of the flag of Yabucoa is abstract, inspired by the colors of the municipal shield; green, white and violet.

Coat of Arms

In the shield appear two angels representing the immense multitude of them. The color purple (violet) field of the shield represents the highest dignity of the angels. The walking sticks are attributes of the traveller, and refer to the holy office of the Angels as guides and companions in man's journey in his earthly life. The canes are adorned with guajana flowers, representing the wealth of the sugar cane. The green land where the angels stand symbolizes the fertile valley in which Yabucoa is located.

Demographics

'Barrios' (Districts/Wards)

★ Aguacate ★ Calabazas ★ Camino Nuevo ★ Guayabota ★ Jácana

★ Juan Martín ★ Limones ★ Playa ★ Tejas

Geo/Topography

The Municipality of Yabucoa is located in the south-eastern coast of Puerto Rico. The valley of Yabucoa is surrounded by the hills of the San Lorenzo Batholith on three sides and by the Caribbean Sea on the fourth. The hills surrounding the Yabucoa valley as well as the bedrock underlying the alluvium in the valley are composed of the San Lorenzo Batholith, a large, igneous intrusive body emplaced during the Late Cretaceous (Rogers, 1977; Rogers and others, 1979). The San Lorenzo Batholith is a composite body that is composed of gabbro (Kd), diorite, tonalite, granodiorite, and quartz monzonite.
The altitude of the hills surrounding the valley of Yabucoa reaches a maximum of about 650 m at the head of the Río Guayanés basin. The land surface in the Yabucoa valley slopes gently from an altitude of about 30 m above mean sea level, at the western edge of the valley, to sea level where the valley meets the Caribbean Sea.

Anthem

By Dr. Juan A. Quiñones Soto
Yabucoa es mi Pueblo

y mi meta la unidad,

como hermanos laboremos

por Paz y Felicidad.

Fraternalmente estaremos

en pos de un Ideal,

luchar siempre con justicia

con verdad y dignidad.

Nuestro Valle nos inspira,

nuestro Monte, nuestro Mar,

dispuestos siempre estaremos

en la luchar a continuar.

Yabucoa, cuna nuestra,

que Guaracas defendió

toca ahora nuestra herencia

proteger con Fe y Amor.

Con la mente siempre al cielo

nuestra lucha ha de ser

conservarle a nuestros Hijos

esta tierra, este hogar.

Yabucoa es mi Pueblo

y mi meta la unidad,

como hermanos laboremos

por Paz y Felicidad.

Economic

Agriculture

Yabucoa is known for its agricultural prowess because of the surrounding fertile valley that produces a large amount of the island's sugar, plantain and bananas. Yabucoeños are known as the "sugar people" because most of the valley is used for sugar cane growth and because one of the most visible landmarks that can be seen when entering the municipality is the Hacienda Roig sugar mill, which is one of the few sugar mills that is still functioning in Puerto Rico today.

Business

Industrial

Tourism

Landmarks and places of interest

★ Guayanés Beach

★ Hacienda Santa Lucía Ruins

★ La Casa de la Cultura (House of Culture)

★ Roig Refinery

★ La Lucia Beach

★ El Cocal Beach

Festivals and events

★ Sugar Cane Festival - May

★ Beach Festival - May

★ Carmen Festival - July

★ Quebradillas Festival - September

★ Patron Celebrations - October

★ Festival del Campesino - October

★ Martorell Jíbaro Festival - December

Transportation

A tunnel connecting the town of Yabucoa with the town of Maunabo to the south has almost been completed. Upon its inauguration, this tunnel will be the longest on the island.

Education

Sports

Notable "Yabucoeños"

★ Antonio Ayuso Valdivieso - Lawyer, journalist, educator and politician.

★ Santiago Vidarte - Poet

★ Alfonso Lastra Charriez- Famous Lawyer and Senator

★ Félix Millán - Former MLB baseball player

★ Jose (Jabucoa) Montanez- First member of Montanez family to establish Puerto Rican business and civic interest's in the Hartford, CT circa 1966- Father of Sgt.George Montanez- U.S. Army Special Forces Soldier noted for thwarting attacks on U.S. interests in Greece circa 1991-92.

★ Angelo "El Guardia de Palito" - A man with down syndrom and meltally disadvanteged, but loved by the all the town locals because even with his disadvantages and short statute, he goes to "work" (as it's a job self-given)as a Patrol Man everyday directing traffic all over town. Dressed in "Gandules" uniform (Town Police - Not the Regular Policia de Puerto Rico) with his whistle faithfully blowing does a real good job directing traffic aliviating traffic jams, parking woes always giving a smile. He is from one of the Barrios of Yabucoa from where he travels everyday. When he is not "working" he is the sole provider and care-taker of his youger sister (with same mental state) and his Blind mother that he is seen escorting and walking hand in hand. If you're from Yabucoa, Angelo is one person you will never forget.

★ Mexicano 777 (Israel Perales Ortiz)- Rapper (Reggaeton/Hiphop): Puerto Rican/Mexican

★ Toby Love - bachata/R&B singer

★ Edward Barbosa Rodríguez - Local musician who died accidently by a stray bullet during his show against the clousure of the local sugar mill.

References

★ Yabucoa and its barrios, United States Census Bureau

Photo gallery

External links