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Aguadilla
City In Puerto Rico
Newest Version 8 | updated Wed, May 17, 2017 at 15:37:28 | X bytes - by Anonymous.
This article is for information and educational purposes only and is not
intended to give medical, legal or professional advice..
Aguadilla is a city on the north western coast of Puerto Rico, an island in the Caribbean Sea.
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Introduction
Aguadilla pronounced (ah-gwah-DEE-yah) is one of the 72 municipalities of Puerto Rico. It has a population of 54,000. It boasts of an international airport, a number of universities and several high tech engineering companies. It also has a rich cultural history, having produced several cultural icons. It is known for having some of the best beaches for surfing in the Caribbean and about one million tourists visit the area yearly. This has stimulated the restaurant industry producing a large selection of local and chain restaurants. There are several high end resorts in the area and a world class golf course in a neighboring town.
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history
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spanish period, to 1898
Aguadilla lies close to the site where Christopher Columbus is supposed to have made his first landing on the island of Puerto Rico in his second voyage to the New World. The exact location is debated but it is probably somewhere in the region between Rincon to Aguadilla.
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Historical records indicate that the town of Aguadilla was not officially recognized until late
19th century about 1860. Even in La Nueva Aguada the northwest location of Aguadilla
is not mentioned in the settlement descriptions. La Nueva Aguada dominates from
Mayaguez river upward towards Aguada present day location which is not the same as
its original plan. To understand Aguadilla we must acknowledge that it was apart of La
Nueva Aguada long stretch from the Mayaguez river to the Northwest point of
Borinquen. We must also remember the Aguada was established first and declared a
village by the King of Spain Charles II around 1526. Thus with this the upper part of the
coast was newly being explored and settle not officially but gradually over a period of a
century before it was transitioned into a strong port side. There is evidence in written
works that acknowledge Aguadilla name along with its impact as marine commercial
portside. According to the original survey plans for La Aguada Nueva from the naval
works of Admiral Torres in 1740 the original location of Aguada is not the same as
modern day map reference and Aguadilla is just apart of La Nueva Aguada long stretch
from Mayaguez to the upper northwest. These surveys come from Chief pilot Francisco
Matias Celi of Spain's Majesty Catholic royal armada and are preserved as they were
recopied by the late Thomas Jefferys around 1770-1771 and then into the book called
Description of Islands and Settlements on the Coast of the West Indies. The late T.
Jefferys works were printed in its 1774 edition and found on page 97. This book proves
Aguada is slightly more northernly located than the original layout as is Aguadilla. It had
been nearly two centuries and 30 years later that Aguadilla in 1770 was on the rise of
being increasingly populated. Around 1770 the Church of San Carlos Aguadilla was
established as a simple temple. Beginning in 1775 with the approval by Admiral Don
Luis de Córdova the foundation of Aguadilla began. Aguadilla name was taken from the
taino word Guadilla or Guadiya which means garden. More evidence is found in the
written documentation of well known gentlemen like Fray Íñigo Abbad and Lasierra who
mention in their written works the "new Town San Carlos of the Aguadilla." Dr. Agustín
Stahl in his written works of the Foundation of Aguadilla states that Aguadilla was not
officially founded until 1780. Such things are declared based on the construction of an
official church building of San Carlos church which began to come about in 1780. The
true increase of "barrios" or wards in the unofficial town of Aguadilla was due to its
great port as La Villa of Aguadiilla increased with the incoming boats of all classes.
Since the early 1500's the La Nueva Aguada was not the only port side to allow influx of
seafaring ships. Aguadilla ports allowed royal passengers, nobles, cargo and armadas
to flowed in and out of the Aguadilla ports since late 1600's . In 1831 Don Pedro Tomás
de Córdova mentions Aguadilla as being apart of Aguada but he also indicates that the
road of Aguadilla formed by Punta Borinquen and San Francisco is the anchorage for
ships that travel from Europe to Havana and Mexico. He also said that Aguadilla port is
the most frequented visited in the Island due to the proportions that it offers to refresh all
class of ship. Aguadilla's real transition of power to become a town independently was
furthered upheld by the Royal Order that transferred the judicial party from Aguada to
Aguadilla in January 1841 when the island was territorially organized into seven
departments Aguadilla being named one of them. As "barrios" were properly segregated
after being renamed the founding of the town of Aguadilla was existent but not officially
declared by the mother land Spain. Its official township was announced when the
Queen of Spain Isabela II declared and granted the town of Aguadilla the title of Loyal
City for their patriotism and services rendered to Spain during the African war. By this
declaration it was now clearly stated that Aguadilla was a town in 1860.
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Post Spanish Rule, 1889 to present
Earlier in the late 20 century Aguadilla was called La Villa del Ojo de Agua (village of the eye of
water). Aguadilla is known as El Pueblo de los Tiburones (town of the sharks), and its
present day name is El Nuevo Jardín del Atlántico (the new garden of the Atlantic).
Aguadilla presently has 16 wards called Barrios: Aguacate, Aguadilla Pueblo, Arenales, Borinquen, Caimital Alto, Caimital Bajo, Camaseyes, Ceiba Alta, Ceiba Baja, Corrales, Guerrero, Maleza Alta Maleza Baja, Montaña, Palmar, Victoria.
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Geography, Hydrology
Aguadilla is located northwest coastal end of Puerto Rico . It is 92.12 km2 or 35.57mi2
It is at a global latitude: 18°25 38 N and longitude: 67°09 14 W . Its highest elevation
above sea level is 7 m = 22 ft. The elevation is not neccesarliy true depending were one
resides and in which ward because elevatioons can reach up to 700ft plus above
shoreline. On the north it is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and Isabela; in the south by
Moca and Aguada, in the east by Isabela and Moca; and again by the Atlantic Ocean on
the west. There is an elevated ridge known as Jaicoa with its highest peak being Mount
Jiménez at 728 ft or 222 m. Including another elevation point of the Mount Viñet at 689
ft or 210 m. There are other minor elevations such as Las Animas, Herrera and El
Vigía. One main coastal feature is the old Aguadilla harbor including the points in
Borinquen and La Agujereada. Rivers in the Aguadilla area are the Culebrinas River
which empties into the Mona passage south of downtown Aguadilla. Aguadilla is also
called city of springs. There are three known offshore springs that discharge in
Northwest coast of Aguadilla one of them is the terrestrial spring, Ojo de Agua in
Aguadilla, is known to discharge near the coast at Latitude 18°26'02" Longitude
67°09'16" in the inner city coast of Aguadilla also called El Paterre according is the
USGS. The other two are submerged and resurface near the coast.
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Economy
Aguadilla's wealth and resources with its production and consumption of goods and
services rendered has proven to be slowly on the rise. Even though there is a 14%
unemployment rate the small population of 54,000 has still managed to resist the
plunge of national debt that Puerto Rico faces as a whole. The Average weekly wages
is $450 plus for full time employment.
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industries
Between 2014-2017 many new major industries have decided to
open subsidiaries in Aguadilla. Some of these are Avenger Aerospace Solutions
subsidiary in Puerto Rico a cutting-edge aerospace services company which offer aerospace
engineering services related to maintenance, repair, manufacturing and aerial
equipment operations. Suiza first plant for extended shelf-life (ESL) milk, which will
begin construction in 2017 with a $30 million private investment.
Lockheed Martin 2016 the global security and aerospace company will expand as a
new facility will generate 120 new jobs and triple the size of its workforce in Puerto Rico
over the next three years. Lufthansa Technik AG Puerto Rico (LTPR) openned operations in Feb. 2014. It specializes in the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of narrow body
aircrafts of the Airbus A320 family starting operations in July 2015. AFA Plastics Corp
is a thermoplastics custom injection molding operation for medical device manufacturers
in the island and for the USA. CaribEx Worldwide logistics service to deliver a
superior, quality driven and efficient services for ground transportation, warehouse,
distribution, including Pharma, specialized projects, temperature control and Dangerous
Goods Training. Other Companies include Hewlett Packard, Honeywell Aerospace,
Fogel Caribbean Corporation, WJ Automation Machining Manufacturer, Maximo
Solar Industries.
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education
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Public Schools
There are 23 Public Schools listed in the Aguadilla area 1 Preschool , 15 Elementary (
k-6 grade), 4 Middle School ( 7-9 grades), 4 Highschools (10-12 grade).
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Private Schools
There are also various private schools, among them Friedrich Froebel Bilingual School, Colegio San Carlos (Catholic), Liceo Aguadillano Inc. (Bilingual), Colegio Corpus Christi (Catholic), Academia Adventista del Noroeste (Seventh Day Adventist), Carib Christian Schools (Baptist, all English), Escuela Elemental y Superior Antolina Vélez (Interamerican University Academy)
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Colleges and Universitites
Interamerican University of Puerto Rico at Aguadilla
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Metropolitan University at Aguadilla
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University of Puerto Rico at Aguadilla,
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Universal Technology College of Puerto Rico
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Flag and Symbols
The Aguadilla flag has two equal horizontal stripes; the upper stripe is blue and the
lower is a golden color. The municipal coat of arms is at the center this coat of arms is a
rectangle with a base point at the lower center. The field is red and bears four quarters.
The upper left quarter bears the famous Ojo de Agua, or spring, with the Jaicoa
mountains in the background. The upper left quarter shows a ship like those of the bay
but also includes the discovery of Puerto Rico. The lower left quarter shows a tower
rising from the water the symbol of combat at the La Concepción fort against attacks by
corsairs in the 18th and 19th centuries. The lower right quarter shows a five-pointed star
alluding to illustrious figures from Aguadilla who have honored the arts, science, letters,
the military, and the legislative forum as an expression of light and clarity. The quarters
are surrounded by the title Leal Villa de San Carlos de la Aguadilla, which was granted
by Queen Elizabeth II of Spain, in 1860. The shield surrounded by green branches for
the palms carried by Our Lady of Victory. The coat of arms is crowned with a turreted
castle, whose four towers symbolize the designation of Villa, or chartered town. The red
color symbolizes valor, daring, intrepidness, and honor; the blue symbolizes the sea,
serenity, and sweetness. Green is the hope, abundance, and freedom; purple
represents the dignity of citizens. The gold color a symbol of prosperity, faith, strength,
and steadfastness; with white symbols for moderation and kindness.
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Places of Interest
• Aguadilla Ice Skating Arena
• Old sugar dock
• Aguadilla bowling alley
• City Hall
• Stone house –
• Punta Borinquen Lighthouse
• Indian Fountain
• The Fountain of Youth
• Fort La Concepción
• Church of Saint Charles Borromeo
• Lookout point
• Monument to Rafael Hernández
• Monument to Fishermen
• Aguadilla Art Museum
• Las Cascadas water park
• Colón Park
• Parterre spring
• Crash Boat Beach (Aguadilla public beach)
• La Ponderosa beach
• La Poza beach
• Rompeolas beach
• Tamarindo beach
• Wilderness beach
• Surfer Beach
• Fishermen's Plaza
• Rafael Hernández Town Square
• Punta Borinquen golf course
• Ruins of the old Spanish lighthouse
• Luis Raúl Estévez Skate and Splash park
| Restaurants/Diners | Boca Loca Restaurant | sea view Latin American food | Levain Bakery | French bakery | Mona | breakfast place | Francachela Aguadilla | sea view family restaurant | Desecheo | Puertorrican fusion cuisine | Zazones | creole cuisine restaurant | Cinco | tapas | El Meson | Breakfast and sandwiches, local chain | The Coffee Spot | casual coffee and sandwiches | One-Ten Thai | Tai food | Borinquen Burger Co. | hamburgers | Panaderia La Campana | high end local bakery | Rex Cream | ice cream | Palmas Cafe | contemporary cuisine | Arepas to Go and More | Venezuelan food truck | Coffee Masters | coffee | JetBlast Bar & Grill | bar and grill | Ramey Bakery | local bakery and sandwiches | Cuatro Lunas | Sea Food | Rompeolas Bar and Grill | bar and grill | Chris Restaurant | formal dining | Rico S Restaurant | local cuisine | The Cheesecake Shoppe | cheesecake and pizza | Pollos Chano | casual great fried chicken downtown | El Eclipse | high end sea side resort dinning | Many other restaurants in neighboring Isabela |
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Notable Citizens
María Bibiana Benítez y Constanza - considered to be the first woman poet in Puerto
Rico, a great aunt of José Gautier-Benítez. Her works include: La ninfa de Puerto
Rico (1831), Dialogo alegórico (1858), and La cruz del Morro (1862).
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Amalia Ceide – teacher, journalist and poet. She was a member of the Puerto Rico
Atheneum and the Puerto Rico Writers Association. Her literary works
include Interior (1936), Cuando el cielo sonríe (1946), Agustín Stahl (1969), among others.
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José de Diego y Martínez - public speaker, poet, jurist, political figure, attorney, and an
ardent defender of independence for Puerto Rico. He was a member of the Chamber of
Delegates from 1902 until his death in 1918. In 1907 he became president of that
legislative body until the Jones Act, he also presided the new House of Representatives
until 1918. De Diego was president of the Puerto Rico Atheneum (1915–16) and the
Association of Writers and Artists. He founded the Instituto Universitario José de Diego
(1915) and the Academia Antillana de la Lengua (1916), while advocating for Spanish
adopted as the language of instruction in the public schools. His works of poetry
include Sor Ana (1887), Cantos de rebeldía (1916), Cantos de Pitirre (1950,
posthumous) among others.
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Monserrate Deliz - educator, writer, and folklorist. Deliz wrote Cantos Infantiles.
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Esther Feliciano Mendoza – Doctor of philosophy and teacher, she was distinguished as
Woman of Puerto Rico by the Union of American Women in 1983. Among other works,
she published Nanas (1945), Arcoiris (1951) and Sinfonía de Puerto Rico (1970), the
latter receiving an award from the Instituto de Literatura Puertorriqueña.
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Jesús Figueroa – Composer and musician, Figueroa founded a music academy, which
he directed until his death. He was awarded the National Prize by the Institute of Puerto
Rican Culture. As a composer of many danzas and zarzuelas, he was renowned for
musical works such as Nueva Era, Borinquen, and A Carmen.
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Rafael Hernández - the most important Puerto Rican musician and composer of the
20th century. His early work include the songs Pobre Borinquen, El buen
borincano, Mamá, Borinquen me llama, and Campanitas de cristal. While living in New
York he formed the Trío Borinquen and traveled all over America with hit songs such
as Capullito de Alelí and Silencio. In 1934, Hernández organized a quartet by the name
of Victoria. The Lamento borincano, a deeply patriotic work, garnered worldwide fame
for Hernández.
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José de Jesús-Esteves - attorney, poet, and journalist. De Jesús collaborated with
periodicals such as Puerto Rico Ilustrado and La Democracia. His works include Besos
y plumas, Crisálidas, Ronda de ánforas, Sauce lírico, and Alma adentro.
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Carmen Gómez-Tejera - professor and essayist.
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Miguel A. García-Méndez – attorney, banker, and political figure. His very active political
career included being a member of the House of Representatives from 1928 to 1940;
first under the Alianza Puertorriqueña (1928 – 1932), and later, as president of that
body, under the Republican Union Party (1933 – 1940). In 1952, he founded the
Republican Statehood Party, which he presided until 1968. During that period he
represented his party in the Puerto Rico senate. In addition, he was a member of the
Constitutional Assembly from 1951 to 1952.
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Manuel Méndez-Ballester – writer, journalist, and political figure. Mendez was a
member of the House of Representatives from 1962 to 1968. He collaborated with
newspapers such as El Nuevo Día. His works include Isla Cerrera (1937), El clamor de
los surcos (1938), Tiempo muerto (1940), Encrucijada (1958), Bienvenido Don
Goyito (1968), and El Circo (1975), among others.
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Ana Roque de Duprey - educator, writer, and feminist. Roque founded the Liceo
Ponceño (1901). She wrote Explicaciones de gramática castellana (1889)
and Geografía universal (1894), among other works.
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Agustín Stahl – botanist, historian and physician. Stahl thoroughly studied the fauna and
flora of Puerto Rico, receiving many academic awards abroad. He also created a
museum of natural history. Stahl's published works include Informe sobre la
enfermedad de la caña de azúcar (1880), Los indios borincanos (1889), La fecundidad
de la mujer en Puerto Rico (1892) and Fundación de Aguadilla (1910).
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José Luis Vivas-Maldonado - story writer and historian
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Events
• Three Kings' Day Festival - January
• A night for love in the Atlantic garden - February
• Anniversary of José de Diego - April
• Puerto Rican Kite Festival - April
• Flower and Song for Mothers – May
• Beach Festival - May
• Song and Poetry for Fathers - June
• Placido Acevedo Music Festival – June
• Saint John's Eve – June
• Festival of Our Lady of Mount Carmel – July
• Municipal Games – October
• Christmas illumination – October
• Aguadilla Harbor Festival (patron saint's festival) – November
• Festival of the Discovery – November
• Christmas caroling – December
• Christmas parade – December
• Rafael Hernández Music Festival - December
• Homecoming on the town square – last Sunday of the month
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Keywords
aguadilla
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See Also
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References
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Bibliography
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