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| Adjuntas, Puerto Rico | |||
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| Nickname(s): La Ciudad del Gigante Dormido" (City of the Sleeping Giant), "La Suiza de Puerto Rico" (Puerto Rico's Switzerland) | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | United States | ||
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| Territory | Puerto Rico | ||
| Founded | August 11, 1815 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Hon. Jaime H. Barlucea (New Progressive Party) | ||
| - Senatorial dist. | 5 - Ponce | ||
| - Representative dist. | 22 | ||
| Population (2000) | |||
| - Total | 19,143 | ||
| - Gentilic | Adjunteños | ||
| Time zone | AST (UTC-4) | ||
| Anthem - "Adjuntas es mi amor" | |||
| Website: http://www.adjuntas.com | |||
Adjuntas /að'xun.tas/, is a small mountainside municipality in Puerto Rico located central midwest of the island on the Central Mountain range (La Cordillera Central), north of Yauco, Guayanilla and Peñuelas; southeast of Utuado; east of Lares and Yauco; and west of Ponce. Adjuntas is spread over 16 wards and Adjuntas Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). Adjuntas is about two hours by car westward from the capital, San Juan. It is the principal city of the Adjuntas Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Adjuntas is nicknamed "the Switzerland of Puerto Rico", because of its relatively chilly weather. Many Puerto Rican mountain towns have colder weather than the rest of the island; Adjuntas is no exception: the average yearly weather is 72 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool weather attracts a good number of island tourists during the summer months. The town has a small hotel named Monte Rio and a good size parador, or country inn, called Villa Sotomayor. It also has the distinction of being the postal area with the lowest numerical ZIP code in the United States Postal Service (00601).
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History
Adjuntas was founded August 11, 1815, by Diego Maldonado, gaining administrative independence from Utuado. It was one of the main cities where the Anusim, Maranos, and other Sephardi Jews settled. Many of these families were of the Torres, Perez or Peretz, and Bennazzar families among others. Bereberes and Mozarabes settled there too.
Tainos families from neighboring Utuado can also be found in this area, along with escaped cimarrones, or African slaves (maroons), who intermarried with the Taino. DNA genetic evidence shows that many Africans fled up the Camino Real into the mountains to escape the sugar plantations of Ponce. The Mandenka, Wolof & Fulani mtDNA African haplotype, L1b, is present here.[1] Taino haplogroups A & C can also be found in this area.
After the mid 1800s, Adjuntas welcomed many immigrants from the Mediterranean islands Corsica and Majorca. Some of them established coffee plantations. During the last decades of XIX century, the fine coffee produced in Adjuntas was exported to Europe, United States and even the Vatican.
It was proclaimed "villa", or a first order municipality, by the Spanish Government Monarchy in 1894.
Adjuntas was occupied by the United States Army forces during the Spanish American War of 1898 and was visited by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906.
The discovery of rich deposits of copper, gold and other minerals during the 1960s motivated some local community and environmental leaders to oppose the mining. By the 1990s, they convinced the Puerto Rican government to take a stand against the mining industry, on behalf of conservation. Today, instead of mining, with the leadership of Casa Pueblo, a community organization, Adjuntas leads the preservation of natural resources movement in Puerto Rico.
Demographics
| Racial - (self-defined) Adjuntas, Puerto Rico - 2000 Census1 |
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|---|---|---|
| Race | Population | % of Total |
| White | 18,215 | 95.2% |
| Black/African American | 230 | 1.2% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native |
31 | 0.2% |
| Asian | 2 | 0.0% |
| Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander |
0 | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 378 | 2.0% |
| Two or more races | 278 | 1.5% |
Barrios (Districts/Wards)2
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Geo/Topography
Guilarte State Forest between Adjuntas, Peñuelas and Yauco.
Climate
Adjuntas climate is subtropical high elevation with cool temperatures year round, cold nights in the winter. Winter average low temperature is 45 °F (7 °C) in the town and 40 °F (4 °C) n the forest, in the daytime high around 70 in the town in 62-69 in mountain, in winter rainy day a high only in the 50s. Summer is warm (79°-84°F) in the daytime and cool at nighttime (60°-63°F).
Economic
Agriculture
Adjuntas' main industry is the growing of tropical crops such as bananas, coffee and citron and peaches.
Tourism
Landmarks and places of interest
- Guilarte
- Hacienda Bareal Ruins
- Hacienda El Muerto
- Hacienda Arbela
- Hacienda Pietri Ruins
- Inabon Waterfalls
- Mirador de Vegas Arriba
- Poblado Castañer
- parador villas sotomayor
- Barra La Montana
Casa Pueblo is a local museum and cultural institution called founded by a group of local activists who fought against the copper mine exploitation of the area for decades. Casa Pueblo is responsible for many environmental projects like the preservation of hundred of acres of pristine woods and fresh water bodies.
Festivals and events
- March - Festival del Gigante and Festival de la Cidra
- August - San Joaquín & Santa Ana Patron Festivities
Transportation
The main road is Puerto Rico 10, that connects the cities of Ponce in the south and Arecibo in the north. In addition, there is a small airport that caters to private airplanes.
Sports
The town has a professional volleyball team called Gigantes de Adjuntas. The team won the title in 1973. They have come to be known as "Los Inmortales" (The Immortals).
Notable Adjunteños
- Major Fernando E. Rodríguez Vargas, DDS, odontologist (dentist), scientist and a Major in the U.S. Army who discovered the bacteria which causes dental caries.
- Dr. Norman Maldonado, physician and former President of the University of Puerto Rico
- Dr. Arístides Moll (1880-1965), physician, writer, poet and Secretary of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau of the Pan American Health Organization
- Rafael Bosch, lawyer, poet, writer and legal advisor of the Committee of Insular Affairs of the United States Senate
- Josefina Moll, writer
- Pelegrín López de Victoria (1850-1942), writer
- Rafael de Jesús Cordero (1897-1974), economist, professor and co-founder of the Department of Economy of the University of Puerto Rico. First Puerto Rican to hold the position of Auditor of Puerto Rico, named by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1943. First Comptroller of Puerto Rico.
- Ignacio Rivera, corporate and criminal lawyer, Federal prosecutor, intelligence agent for the Central Intelligence Agency, radio news commentator and author ("El Presidente se viste de blanco"). Made an honorary member of the local troop of the Boy Scouts of America.
- Alexis Massol, is the founder and director of Casa Pueblo of Adjuntas, Puerto Rico, a self-managed community organization that proposes and develops plans to protect the environment, affirm cultural and human values, and create sustainable economic alternatives. Goldman Prize
- Candido Berio, Reggaeton Singer, model, and member of the ToTo Family.
- María de Lourdes Santiago Negrón- Senator 2004-2008
- During the last years of his life, Tony Croatto made his residence in Adjuntas.
- Angel 'Wichel' González - Former Volleyball Player. All time leader in block in Puerto Rico Superior League.
References
Books about Adjuntas
Mi Pueblo Adjuntas, 1992, by Rafael J. Mirabal-Linares and Entre Fotos y Palabras 2005 by Rafael J. Mirabal-Linares
Additional Information
Adjuntas was featured in the March 2003 issue of National Geographic in an article about Puerto Rican lifestyles.
External links
- Adjuntas Webcam
- Portal del pueblo de Adjuntas
- Welcome to Puerto Rico Adjuntas
- Link to Puerto Rico Adjuntas
- Map of Adjuntas Puerto Rico
- USGS GNIS: Adjuntas, Puerto Rico. Retrieved on 2008-04-24.
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 30 November 2008, at 11:15.
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