Añasco, Puerto Rico

Coordinates: 18°18′58″N 67°08′23″W / 18.31611°N 67.13972°W / 18.31611; -67.13972
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Añasco
Municipio Autónomo de Añasco
City and municipality
Puente Salcedo de Añasco
Puente Salcedo de Añasco
Commonwealth
 Puerto Rico
FoundedOctober 18, 1733
Barrios
Government
 • 
AST)
ZIP Code
00610
Area code787/939
Major routes
Websitewww.anascopr.net

Añasco (Spanish pronunciation:

Aguadilla-Isabela-San Sebastián Metropolitan Statistical Area
.

Etymology and nicknames

Diego Salcedo
, a story which gives the municipality one of its many nicknames.

The name Añasco comes from Don Luis de Añasco, former owner of the land where the town and municipality were founded. This family name is of Spanish origin from the province of Extremadura.[2]

Some of the municipality's nicknames include: La ciudad donde los dioses mueren ("The city where gods die") and Los nativos ("the natives") are a reference to the

hojaldre, a type of puff pastry the municipality is famous for.[3]

History

The town was founded on October 18, 1733, and named after Don Luis de Añasco, a colonist from the

Taínos called it.[4][5]

Carib Indians forced the population to move south inland to the present site of the present town of San Germán[citation needed
].

The Añasco River is also claimed to be the site of the popular legend of the drowning of the Spaniard

Taínos, proving the Spanish soldiers were not gods and igniting a revolt. It is believed that the revolt was led by the cacique "Cacique Chayoán" (Uruyoán) and suppressed by Spanish soldiers.[6]

Many of the first settlers to the area came from the Canary Islands and the south of Spain. The 1918 San Fermín earthquake destroyed Añasco's parish church, the town hall and other buildings, almost eliminating most of the historic downtown structures.

Hurricane María on September 20, 2017, triggered numerous landslides in Añasco. In some areas of Añasco there were more than 25 landslides per square mile due to the significant amount of rainfall.[7][8] Barrio Playa was particularly affected with about 96% of the homes under water. Bridges in and around Añasco sustained extensive damage as a result of Hurricane María.[9]

Geography

Añasco is located in the Coastal Plains of the west, bordered by the Río Grande de Añasco. It is bordered in the north by Rincón, Aguada, and Moca; Mayagüez to the south; and San Sebastián and Las Marías to the east. The Mona Passage lies to the west of the town.[10] The Añasco terrain is mostly plain but features a series of hills and mountains like Canta Gallo (1,194 feet, or 364 meters), Gordo and Pichón (both at 1,115 feet, or 340 meters).[11] It is also crossed by several rivers like Icaco River, Caguabo River, La Balsa, and others.[10][12]

Barrios

Subdivisions of Añasco.

Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Añasco 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.[13][14][15][16]

Sectors

Barrios (which are like

minor civil divisions)[17] 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.[18][19][20]

Special Communities

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 Añasco: Cerro Gordo, Corcovada, Hatillo, Miraflores, and Caguabo barrios, Comunidad La Playa, Parcelas Josefa (Comunidad Espino), Parcelas Marías, Piñales (La Choza), and Zumbadora sector in Río Arriba barrio.[21]

Demographics

Like most of the people of Puerto Rico, the Añasco population originated with the Taino Indians and then by immigrants from Spain that settled the central highland, most prominently the Andalusian and Canarian Spanish migration who formed the bulk of the jibaro or white peasant stock of the island.[22] The Andalusian and Canarian Spaniards also influenced much of the Puerto Rican culture which explains the Southern Spanish dialect, and the Spanish colonial architecture.

Puerto Rico was ceded by

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 Añasco was 13,311.

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
190013,311
191014,4078.2%
192013,834−4.0%
193014,2763.2%
194015,70110.0%
195017,2359.8%
196017,200−0.2%
197019,41612.9%
198023,27419.9%
199025,2348.4%
200028,34812.3%
201029,2613.2%
202025,596−12.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[23]
1899 (shown as 1900)[24] 1910-1930[25]
1930-1950[26] 1960-2000[27] 2010[15] 2020[28]

Tourism

Landmarks and places of interest

Tres Hermanos Beach, Añasco

There are 18 beaches in Añasco.[29] Tres Hermanos Beach is a well-known Añasco beach[30] which remained closed for more than two years after Hurricane Maria destroyed it in September 2017. It was set to reopen in 2020 after many renovations which continued into February 2020.[31]

Some other beaches and places of interest in Añasco include:

Mirador de la Bahía

To stimulate local tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic in Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company launched the Voy Turistiendo (I'm Touring) campaign in 2021. The campaign featured a passport book with a page for each municipality. The Voy Turisteando Añasco passport page lists Casco Urbano, Mirador de la Bahía, and restaurants on Puerto Rico Highway 115 as places of interest.[32]

Culture

Festivals and events

Añasco celebrates its patron saint festival in January. The Fiestas Patronales de San Antonio Abad is a religious and cultural celebration that generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment.[10][33]

Other festivals and events celebrated in Añasco include:

  • Mayuco Festival – January
  • Fine Arts Festival (Festival de Bellas Artes – January
  • Three Kings Day Festival in Ovejas and Corcovada barrios – January
  • Saint Anthony's Marathon – January
  • Antique Car Fair – January
  • Theater Festival – May
  • Youth Festival – July
  • Festival in Honor of Saint Rose of Lima – August
  • Añasco Triathlon – September
  • Chipe Festival – October

Sports

Añasco has a AA baseball team called the Fundadores de Añasco.[34] It is also known for being the hometown of some amateur boxing prospects like Samuel Figueroa.[35]

Notable people

  • Mariana Bracetti - (1825–1903) was a patriot and leader of the Puerto Rico independence movement in the 1860s. She is attributed with having knitted the flag that was intended to be used as the national emblem of Puerto Rico in its attempt to overthrow the Spanish government on the island, and to establish the island as a sovereign republic.
  • Ivy Queen - Singer
  • Aristides Gonzalez
    - boxer, Olympic bronze medalist in 1984
  • Young Miko- rapper and singer-songwriter.

Economy

In 2016 the municipal government reported a budget surplus of $1.3 million nonetheless the government also indicated that the municipal debt was $13 million.[36]

Agriculture

sugar mill ("ingenios") operator around the Añasco area was Tomás de Castellón in 1523. Añasco has also been a place for fruits and coffee cultivation.[10]

Government

All municipalities in Puerto Rico are administered by a

2020 general elections and is currently serving his first term after defeating the incumbent mayor Jorge Estévez Martínez
.

The city belongs to the

Puerto Rico Senatorial district IV
, which is represented by two Senators. In 2020, Ada García Montes and Migdalia González were elected as District Senators.

Transportation

There are 22 bridges in Añasco,[37] and many sustained damages on September 20, 2017, when Hurricane María hit Puerto Rico.[9]

Education

The

Sergio Ramirez de Arellano-Hostos Regional Bilingual Secondary School, the first public bilingual schools on the island. There are also private bilingual schools in the municipality, such as Colegio de la Salle and MAS Integrated School
.

Symbols

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

Flag

The flag colors, design and symbolism are taken from the Añasco's coat of arms, with the only exception the silver parts on the coat of arms are white on the flag.[4][39]

Coat of arms

The green field of the shield contains a saber cross massed in black, outlined in silver, and has a gold scallop shell in each quadrant formed by a cross fleury. A gold mural crown of three towers crests the shield.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ Bureau, US Census. "PUERTO RICO: 2020 Census". The United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  2. ^ "Añasco familia heráldica genealogía escudo Añasco". Heraldrys Institute of Rome (in Spanish). Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  3. ^ "Añasco, Puerto Rico – Where The Gods Die". BoricuaOnline.com. November 28, 2016. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c "Añasco Municipality Founding History and Symbols". enciclopediapr.org. Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades (FPH). Archived from the original on February 14, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
  5. ^ "Boquilla Creek Wildlife Reserve informational Brochure" (PDF). July 18, 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 18, 2011. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
  6. . Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  7. ^ "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.
  8. ^ "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.
  9. ^ a b "María, un nombre que no vamos a olvidar - Añasco" [Maria, a name we will never forget - Añasco]. El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). June 13, 2019. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  10. ^ a b c d "Añasco Municipality General Info (Location, Square Miles, Economy and Geography)". enciclopediapr.org. Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades (FPH). Archived from the original on February 14, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
  11. ^ Cerro Canta Gallo, Puerto Rico Archived 2012-04-05 at the Wayback Machine on Lat-Long
  12. ^ Municipios: Añasco Archived 2010-11-23 at the Wayback Machine on Enciclopedia de Puerto Rico
  13. ^ Picó, Rafael; Buitrago de Santiago, Zayda; Berrios, Hector H. (1969). Nueva geografía de Puerto Rico: física, económica, y social, por Rafael Picó. Con la colaboración de Zayda Buitrago de Santiago y Héctor H. Berrios. San Juan Editorial Universitaria, Universidad de Puerto Rico,1969. Archived from the original on December 26, 2018. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  14. . Retrieved December 25, 2018.
  15. ^ a b 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 30, 2018.
  16. ^ "Map of Añasco at the Wayback Machine" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 17, 2015. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  17. ^ a b "US Census Barrio-Pueblo definition". factfinder.com. US Census. Archived from the original on May 13, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  18. ^ "Agencia: Oficina del Coordinador General para el Financiamiento Socioeconómico y la Autogestión (Proposed 2016 Budget)". Puerto Rico Budgets (in Spanish). Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  19. ^ "Leyes del 2001". Lex Juris Puerto Rico (in Spanish). Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  20. from the original on April 18, 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  21. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  22. ^ "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.
  23. ^ "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.
  24. ^ "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.
  25. ^ "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.
  26. ^ Bureau, US Census. "PUERTO RICO: 2020 Census". The United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  27. ^ "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.
  28. ^ "Tres Hermanos, Añasco - Ruta Marina | EnciclopediaPR". Archived from the original on July 15, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  29. ^ "Reabrirán Balneario Tres Hermanos de Añasco tras destrucción de María". WIPR. February 18, 2020.
  30. ^ Pasaporte: Voy Turisteando (in Spanish). Compañia de Turismo de Puerto Rico. 2021.
  31. ^ "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.
  32. ^ "San Sebastián avanza por primera vez desde 2013 al Carnaval de Campeones" (in Spanish). June 23, 2019.
  33. ^ "Please login".
  34. ^ "Radiografía municipal: Añasco". El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  35. ^ "Anasco Bridges". National Bridge Inventory Data. US Dept. of Transportation. Archived from the original on February 20, 2019. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  36. ^ "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). Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  37. ^ "AÑASCO". LexJuris (Leyes y Jurisprudencia) de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). February 19, 2020. Archived from the original on February 19, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.

External links