Manatí, Puerto Rico Explained

Manatí
Native Name:Spanish; Castilian: Municipio Autónomo de Manatí
Native Name Lang:es
Settlement Type:City and municipality
Nicknames:"Ciudad Metropolitana", "La Atenas de Puerto Rico"
Anthem:"Atenas de Borinquen"
Mapsize:300px
Coordinates:18.4325°N -66.4844°W
Subdivision Type:Sovereign state
Subdivision Name: United States
Subdivision Type1:Commonwealth
Subdivision Name1: Puerto Rico
Established Title:Founded
Established Date:1738
Parts Type:Barrios
Parts:9 barrios
P1:Bajura Adentro
P2:Bajura Afuera
P3:Coto Norte
P4:Coto Sur
P5:Manatí barrio-pueblo
P6:Río Arriba Poniente
P7:Río Arriba Saliente
P8:Tierras Nuevas Poniente
P9:Tierras Nuevas Saliente
Leader Party:PNP
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:José Sánchez González
Leader Title1:Senatorial dist.
Leader Name1:3 - Arecibo
Leader Title2:Representative dist.
Leader Name2:12, 13
Area Total Km2:145.53
Area Land Km2:120
Area Water Km2:25.53
Unit Pref:Imperial
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Total:39,492
Population As Of:2020
Population Density Km2:auto
Population Demonym:Manatieños
Timezone1:AST
Utc Offset1:-4
Postal Code Type:ZIP Code
Postal Code:00674
Area Code:787/939
Blank Name Sec1:Major routes
Blank Info Sec1:

Population Rank:23rd in Puerto Rico

Manatí (pronounced as /es/) is a city and municipality of Puerto Rico on the northern coast, north of Morovis and Ciales; east of Florida and Barceloneta; and west of Vega Baja. Manatí is spread over 8 barrios and Manatí barrio-pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Manatí was founded in 1738 by Don Pedro Menendez Valdes. The Iglesia Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria church was built in the seventeenth century and is still standing in its original spot. Manati is known as La Ciudad Metropolitana (The Metropolitan City), and also as Las Atenas de Puerto Rico, (The Athens of Puerto Rico).[2] It is named after a sea mammal, the manatee (the sea cow).

During those early years, the mayor of the town was Jose Aulet. Juan Ponce de León picked the Manatí leg of the Manuatabón River as the first area to pan for gold. The Aulet family owned lands rich in pineapples, sugar cane, and green bananas. The Aulets sold the land to the government in 1985.

In 1853, the region shifted from mining to an expansion of agriculture, particularly cultivation and processing of sugar cane. The demand for and price of sugar remained high in international markets. The main commodity crop was sugar cane. Carpentry also became popular. During that year, the town consisted of 280 homes, 2 squares, 8 streets and a school with 50 pupils.

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 Manatí was 13,989.[3]

On September 20, 2017 Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico. In Manatí, the hurricane caused major destruction with around 1500 residences destroyed or damaged. Highways were covered in debris and water, leaving communities incommunicado. The breaching of the Río Grande de Manatí caused the destruction of many structures including around 70 residences.[4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

Geography

Manatí is on the northern central coast and the Northern Karst.[9]

Barrios

Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Manatí is subdivided into barrios. The municipal buildings, central square and a large Catholic church are located in the center of the municipality, in a barrio referred to as Spanish; Castilian: "el pueblo".[10] [11] [12]

  1. Bajura Adentro
  2. Bajura Afuera
  3. Coto Norte
  4. Coto Sur
  5. Manatí barrio-pueblo[13]
  6. Río Arriba Poniente
  7. Río Arriba Saliente
  8. Tierras Nuevas Poniente
  9. Tierras Nuevas Saliente

Sectors

Barrios (which are, in contemporary times, roughly comparable to minor civil divisions)[13] and subbarrios,[14] are further subdivided into smaller areas called Spanish; Castilian: sectores (sectors in English). The types of sectores may vary, from normally sector to urbanización to reparto to barriada to residencial, among others.[15] [16]

Special communities

See main article: Puerto Rico Office for Socioeconomic and Community Development. Spanish; Castilian: 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 Manatí: Cerro Gandía, Cerro Quiñones and El Horno.

Climate

Tourism

In 2014, Manati welcomed its first hotel, the Hyatt Place Hotel and Casino, located next to Casino Atlántico and a LongHorn Steakhouse, which opened in April 2014. The hotel has an outdoor swimming pool, 3 meeting rooms and a fitness center. The official name was Hyatt Place Manati & Casino. Manati is popular for its beaches and is part of the Porta Altantico tourism district.

In 2019, Manatí began offering free tours of its city, beaches, historic places and eateries.[17] [18]

Landmarks and places of interest

Some of the places of interest in Manatí include:

Economy

Agriculture

Isidoro Colón established the "Candelaria" sugar mill in the years between 1860 and 1870, located between Manatí and Barceloneta. Manatí is the pineapple center of Puerto Rico. In addition in Manatí, there is cultivation of fruits, sugar cane, and coffee. Spanish; Castilian: Los Frutos del Guacabo is a farming company in Manatí that provides local fruit and vegetables to local chefs.[23] [24]

Industry

The industry of Manatí is shoes, woodwork, and a pineapple cannery as well as pharmaceuticals:[25]

Retailers

Symbols

The Spanish; Castilian: municipio has an official flag and coat of arms.[27]

Flag

This municipality has a flag.[28]

Coat of arms

This municipality has a coat of arms.

Healthcare

Manati has two large, private hospitals, Doctor's Center Hospital, and Manati Medical Center Dr. Otero Lopez (formerly the government owned Hospital de Area). There is also the smaller Municipal Hospital.

The area surrounding PR-2 is known for having many medical offices.

Education

Manati has 3 public high schools: Petra Corretjer de O'neill High School, Fernando Callejo High School, and the Escuela Instituto Tecnologico Recinto De Manati, the latter also serving as a technical institute.

Private Schools:

Manati's only university is the American University of Puerto Rico, Manati Campus. There are several technical institutes, such as Instituto de Banca y Comercio, Atenas' College, EDC college and Dewey University.

Transportation

There are 15 bridges in Manatí.[29]

Culture

Festivals and events

Manatí celebrates its patron saint festival in February. The Spanish; Castilian: 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.[30]

Other festivals and events celebrated in Manatí include:

Radio stations

Notable natives and residents

Notable people from Manatí include:

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: PUERTO RICO: 2020 Census. 2021-08-25. The United States Census Bureau. EN-US.
  2. Rivera, Magaly. "Manati" Welcome to Puerto Rico! 7 Dec 2011. .
  3. Book: Joseph Prentiss Sanger. Henry Gannett. Walter Francis Willcox. Informe sobre el censo de Puerto Rico, 1899, United States. War Dept. Porto Rico Census Office. 1900. Imprenta del gobierno. 161. es. 2020-01-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20121115044918/https://archive.org/details/informesobreelc00joangoog. 2012-11-15. live.
  4. News: María, un nombre que no vamos a olvidar. A Manatí le tocó enfrentar viento, inundaciones y la furia del mar. Maria, a name we will never forget. Manatí faced winds, flooding and the ocean's fury. El Nuevo Día. 2019-06-13 . es . 2022-09-11.
  5. Web site: Portraits of suffering and resilience in Puerto Rico six months after Hurricane Maria. A. J.. Vicens. Eduardo . Meléndez. 2019-09-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20190928145123/https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2018/03/portraits-of-suffering-and-resilience-in-puerto-rico-six-months-after-hurricane-maria/. 2019-09-28. live.
  6. Web site: Map data showing concentration of landslides caused by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico . USGS Landslide Hazards Program . USGS . 2019-07-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190508235553/https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/59de6459e4b05fe04ccd39d8 . 2019-05-08 . live .
  7. Web site: Preliminary Locations of Landslide Impacts from Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico . USGS Landslide Hazards Program . USGS . 2019-03-03 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190303143147/https://landslides.usgs.gov/research/featured/2017/maria-pr/ . 2019-03-03 . live .
  8. Web site: Preliminary Locations of Landslide Impacts from Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico . USGS Landslide Hazards Program . USGS . 2019-03-03 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190303143147/https://landslides.usgs.gov/research/featured/2017/maria-pr/images/PR_Maria_LS_density_map.pdf . 2019-03-03 . live .
  9. Web site: Manatí Municipality. Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades (FPH). enciclopediapr.org.
  10. Book: Picó . Rafael . Buitrago de Santiago . Zayda . Berrios . Hector H. . Nueva geografía de Puerto Rico: física, económica, y social, por Rafael Picó. Con la colaboración de Zayda Buitrago de Santiago y Héctor H. Berrios. . 1969 . San Juan Editorial Universitaria, Universidad de Puerto Rico,1969 . 2018-12-31 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181226171916/https://archive.org/details/nuevageografad00pic/page/247 . 2018-12-26 . live .
  11. Book: Gwillim Law. Administrative Subdivisions of Countries: A Comprehensive World Reference, 1900 through 1998. 25 December 2018. 20 May 2015. McFarland. 978-1-4766-0447-3. 300.
  12. Web site: Map of Manatí at the Wayback Machine. https://web.archive.org/web/20180324204920/http://welcome.topuertorico.org/maps/manati.pdf . dead . 2018-03-24 . 2018-12-29 .
  13. Web site: US Census Barrio-Pueblo definition . factfinder.com . US Census . 5 January 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170513190743/https://factfinder.census.gov/help/en/barrio.htm . 13 May 2017 . dead .
  14. Web site: P.L. 94-171 VTD/SLD Reference Map (2010 Census): Manatí Municipio, PR . www2.census.gov . U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Economics and Statistics Administration U.S. Census Bureau . 22 August 2020.
  15. Web site: Agencia: Oficina del Coordinador General para el Financiamiento Socioeconómico y la Autogestión (Proposed 2016 Budget). Puerto Rico Budgets. es. 28 June 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190628234856/http://www.presupuesto.pr.gov/Presupuesto2015-2016/PresupuestosAgencias/229.htm. 28 June 2019. live.
  16. Web site: Leyes del 2001. Lex Juris Puerto Rico. es. 24 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20180914224408/http://www.lexjuris.com/lexlex/Leyes2001/lex2001001.htm. 14 September 2018. live.
  17. Web site: Discovery Manati. Discovery Manati. 2019-09-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20190928145743/http://discoverymanati.com/. 2019-09-28. dead.
  18. Web site: Conoce las playas y la naturaleza en Manatí. August 9, 2019. El Nuevo Dia. es. September 28, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190928150948/https://www.elnuevodia.com/suplementos/deviaje/nota/conocelasplayasylanaturalezaenmanati-2510798/. September 28, 2019. live.
  19. "Manatí, PR - The Athens of Puerto Rico." Eye Tour. 2011. Web. 7 Dec 2011..
  20. News: Investigan la existencia de una posible playa nudista en Manatí. Univision. es. 2019-09-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20190928151811/https://www.univision.com/local/puerto-rico-wlii/investigan-la-existencia-de-una-posible-playa-nudista-en-manati-video. 2019-09-28. live.
  21. Web site: Encaminado un proyecto para declarar reserva ecológica en Mar Chiquita. March 29, 2019. Primera Hora. es. September 28, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190928153033/https://www.primerahora.com/noticias/gobierno-politica/nota/encaminadounproyectoparadeclararreservaecologicaenmarchiquita-1334400/. September 28, 2019. live.
  22. Web site: Conoce las 11 playas más peligrosas de Puerto Rico [Know the 11 most dangerous beaches in Puerto Rico]]. El Nuevo Día . 2018-07-04 . es . 2021-05-13.
  23. News: Visiting Puerto Rico, and Finding the Up Beat. Sebastian. Modak. The New York Times . February 15, 2019. September 28, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190928145538/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/15/travel/puerto-rico-places-to-visit.html. September 28, 2019. live.
  24. Web site: Lanzan primer proyecto del Grupo Interagencial de Impacto Social. March 25, 2019. Primera Hora. es. September 28, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190928153133/https://www.primerahora.com/noticias/puerto-rico/nota/lanzanprimerproyectodelgrupointeragencialdeimpactosocial-1333708/. September 28, 2019. live.
  25. Web site: Manatí | Puerto Rico | Britannica .
  26. Web site: Burlington set to re-open 2 additional P.R. stores in Río Piedras, Manatí – News is My Business . News is my Business . November 9, 2018 . 20 August 2019.
  27. Web site: 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 . es . 2021-06-15.
  28. Web site: MANATI . LexJuris (Leyes y Jurisprudencia) de Puerto Rico . 19 February 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200219000405/http://www.lexjuris.com/pueblos/pueblos_files/MANATI.html . 19 February 2020 . live . es . 22 September 2020.
  29. Web site: Manati Bridges. National Bridge Inventory Data. US Dept. of Transportation. 19 February 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190220181332/http://bridgereports.com/pr/manati/. 20 February 2019. live.
  30. Web site: J.D. . Manatí . Link To Puerto Rico.com . 2006-05-02 . es . 2020-07-18.

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