Corozal, Puerto Rico

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Corozal (Template:IPA) is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the central-eastern region, north of Orocovis and Barranquitas; south of Vega Alta; southwest of Toa Alta; east of Morovis and Orocovis; and west of Naranjito. Corozal is spread over 12 barrios and Corozal Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The city name is derived from the "palma de corozo" (grugru palm, Acrocomia media) which abounds in the Cordillera Central zone of the Island.

History

Corozal's local Taino Indian Cacique (Chief) was named Orocobix and his tribe was known as the Jatibonicu Taino.<ref>Cayetano Coll y Toste. Prehistoria de Puerto Rico. San Juan, Puerto Rico: Tipografía Boletín Mercantil. 1907. p.298. (Reprinted by Editorial El Nuevo Mundo. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 2011. Template:ISBN. Also reprinted by the United States Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, in 1948, in the Handbook of South American Indians: The Circum-Caribbean Tribes, Julian H. Steward, ed., volume 4, for the Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of American Ethnology, for their Bulletin 143.)</ref>

Corozal was founded in 1795 and officially became a town in 1804. Commonly known as La Cuna del Volibol or Volleyball's Cradle. It takes its name from the Acrocomia media, in Puerto Rican Template:Langx.

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 Corozal was 11,508.<ref name="OfficeSanger1900">Template:Cite book</ref>

From 1902 to 1905 Corozal became one with Toa Alta, an adjoining municipality.<ref name="Corozal 1955">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2000 census the population of Corozal was 36,867, and it had a land area of Template:Convert.

Intense wind and rainfall from Hurricane Maria on September 20, 2017 triggered numerous landslides in Corozal,<ref name="USGS_Maria_Landslides">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="USGS_Maria_Landslides map">Template:Cite web</ref> and bridges and homes were destroyed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Some residents of Corozal had to resort to collecting spring water as access to potable water was limited after the devastation caused by the hurricane.<ref name="Baez_Reuters">Template:Cite news</ref> During the event, the police station in Corozal suddenly became flooded by the Cibuco River while there were nineteen officers inside. The officers climbed up and standing on the rooftop, made a human chain so as not to be swept away by the hurricane winds. Seeing them, several young people began a rescue operation by cutting tree limbs and debris to allow the river to subside just enough. With a firehose in hand, they waded in waters up to their necks and were able to help the officers get to dry land.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Geography

File:Jack Delano - Corozal, Puerto Rico.jpg
Mountain view in Corozal. Photograph by Jack Delano (Circa1941).

Corozal is located in the mountainous region near the center of the island. Quebrada Jacinta is a valley in Corozal.<ref name="PR_Ency">Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref>

Updated flood zone maps (as of 2019) show that Corozal is extremely vulnerable to flooding, along with Humacao, Rincón, Barceloneta, and Toa Baja. Due to its large number of rivers and streams, Corozal is regarded as being extremely vulnerable to damage from major hurricanes.<ref name="León_END_Flood_Zones">Template:Cite web</ref>

Hydrography

Rivers and streams of Corozal include Río Cibuco, Río Corozal, Río Dos Bocas, Río Grande de Manatí, Río Mavilla, Río Orocovis, and Río Unibón.<ref name="GNIS Corozal">Template:Cite web</ref>

Barrios

File:Corozal, Puerto Rico locator map.png
Subdivisions of Corozal.

Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Corozal is subdivided into barrios. The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a barrio referred to as Template:Lang<ref name="Pico_1969">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Law2015">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="US2010Census" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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  1. Abras
  2. Cibuco
  3. Corozal barrio-pueblo
  4. Cuchillas
  5. Dos Bocas
  6. Magueyes
  7. Maná
  8. Negros
  9. Padilla
  10. Palmarejo
  11. Palmarito
  12. Palos Blancos
  13. Pueblo

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Sectors

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Barrios (which are like minor civil divisions)<ref name="Barrio-Pueblo">Template:Cite web</ref> are further subdivided into smaller areas called Template:Lang (sectors in English). The types of sectores may vary, from normally sector to urbanización to reparto to barriada to residencial, among others.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Citation</ref><ref name="Law 1-2001">Template:Cite web</ref>

Special Communities

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Template:Lang (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 Corozal: Aldea Vázquez, Comunidad Los Indios, Cuba Libre-EI Idilio, El Guarico, La Escalera, La Mina, and Parcelas Medina.<ref>Template:Citation</ref><ref name="wordpress.com">Template:Cite web</ref>

Climate

Corozal experiences a tropical climate.

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Tourism

To stimulate local tourism, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company launched the Voy Turisteando ("I'm Touring") campaign, with a passport book and website. The Corozal page lists Template:Lang, Template:Lang, and Template:Lang, as places of interest.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Corozal is home to the Historical Center of Cibuco, a park and museum with relics from the Puerto Rico's (Taínos) as well as objects, paintings and artifacts of the town's history.

El Balalaika is a cafeteria which opened its doors around 1962.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

A waterfall in Barrio Magueyes, Puerto Rico
Salto Grande in Barrio Magueyes (PR-568)

Landmarks and places of interest

  • El Rancho Recreation Center
  • El Jíbaro Centro Recreativo
  • Cine-Teatro San Rafael de Corozal, a movie theatre which reopened in 2017 after being closed for 28 years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Mavilla Bridge

Economy

File:DelanoFSAPR.jpg
"Corozal, Puerto Rico (vicinity). In the home of a FSA (Farm Security Administration) borrower who raises some tobacco and a little sugar cane on his small farm between Corozal and Orocovis."- photo credit: Jack Delano, 1941.

Agriculture

One of Puerto Rico's major plaintain producers. New small businesses producing eggs and hydroponic crops (lettuce, recao) are emerging.

Business

Crafts, services. Several manufacture enterprises have reduced or moved operations in recent years.

Culture

Festivals and events

File:Corozal, 00783, Puerto Rico - panoramio (1).jpg
Catholic church in downtown Corozal

Corozal celebrates its patron saint festival in January. The Template:Lang is a religious and cultural celebration in honor of the Holy Family and generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment.<ref name="PR_Ency" /><ref name="J.D. 2006">Template:Cite web</ref>

Other festivals and events celebrated in Corozal include:

Sports

Volleyball

Swimming

The Gold Fish Swim Team for kids and youth and a new Master's Swim Team created in 2008 under the direction of Arlene Ortiz.

Demographics

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Government

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All municipalities in Puerto Rico are administered by a mayor, elected every four years. The current mayor of Corozal is Luis “Luiggi” García, of the New Progressive Party (PNP). He was first elected at the 2020 general elections.

The city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district VI, which is represented by two Senators. In 2024, Rafael Santos Ortiz and Wilmer Reyes Berríos were elected as District Senators.<ref>Elecciones Generales 2024: Escrutinio General Template:Webarchive on CEEPUR</ref>

Transportation

There are 26 bridges in Corozal.<ref name="bridge">Template:Cite web</ref> Mavilla Bridge in Corozal is listed on the US National Register of Historic Places:<ref name="NRHP">Template:Cite web</ref>

Symbols

The Template:Lang has an official flag and coat of arms.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Flag

Consists of three horizontal stripes of equal width, yellow the top, green the middle and blue the bottom, and in some instances the middle stripe could have embroidered or printed the coat of arms.<ref name="LexJuris (Leyes y Jurisprudencia) de Puerto Rico 2020">Template:Cite web</ref>

The flag is very similar to the provincial flag of Islas del Caró (I.D.C.) except that the yellow stripe is half the size as the green and blue stripes much like the flag of Colombia except that the red stripe is replaced by the green one at the bottom. It is unknown whether the flag was made to coincide with the densely populated province of El Conquistador or was created by natural and neutral causes.<ref name="LexJuris (Leyes y Jurisprudencia) de Puerto Rico 2020" />

Coat of arms

On a gold background three corozo palm trees, with clusters in their original color, planted on a green landscape and in front of a mountain range. At the bottom, blue and silver water waves sprinkled with gold nuggets. The three-tower-crown is gold with black stones. The corozo palms represent the name of the town and its river, whose ends were populated with palms. The mountains represent the high striking mountains of Corozal. The waves represent the Corozal River and gold nuggets, a metal that was panned. The gold background represents the hard labor and alludes to the gold of Corozal, appreciated long ago for its purity. The crown is an emblem used to designate the cities and towns.<ref name="LexJuris (Leyes y Jurisprudencia) de Puerto Rico 2020" />

Education

Public high schools in Corozal include Escuela Superior Emilio R. Delgado and Escuela Superior Porfirio Cruz García High School in Barrio Cuchillas. The only private high school is Colegio Sagrada Familia in Barrio Pueblo.

The following songs mention Corozal:

  • Controversia navideña<ref>Controversia navideña, in "Al rescate de la Navidad". Tuna de Cayey. Tuna de Cayey, publisher. 2007. 5m 36s. Quote: "Soy el cantor del batey del pueblo de Corozal..."</ref>
  • Guineítos con corned beef<ref>Guineítos con corned beef, in "José Nogueras: 27 éxitos... y la ñapa". José Nogueras. Música Estival, publisher. 2011. 3m 27s. Quote: "Mafafos yo traigo de Corozal..."</ref>
  • Oubao Moin<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Que nunca muera nuestra tradición<ref>Que nunca muera nuestra tradición, single. Elied. Bajari Music, publisher. 2020. 3m 26s. Quote: "Vengo desde el campo, allá, en Corozal..."</ref>

Notable "Corozaleños"

See also

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References

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Further reading

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