Arouca is a town in the
East–West Corridor of
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...
located east of
Port of Spain
Port of Spain ( ; Trinidadian and Tobagonian English, Trinidadian English: ''Port ah Spain'' ) is the capital and chief port of Trinidad and Tobago. With a municipal population of 49,867 (2017), an urban population of 81,142 and a transient dail ...
, along the
Eastern Main Road
The Eastern Main Road is a major road in Trinidad and Tobago running from Port of Spain in the west to Manzanilla in the east. The towns of the East–West Corridor are strung along its route. Until the construction of the Churchill–Roosev ...
. It is located west of
Arima
Arima, officially The Royal Chartered Borough of Arima is the easternmost and second largest in area of the three boroughs of Trinidad and Tobago. It is geographically adjacent to Sangre Grande and Arouca at the south central foothills of the ...
, east of
Tunapuna and
Tacarigua
Tacarigua (originally San Pablo de Tacarigua) is a town in the East–West Corridor of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located east of Tunapuna, north of Trincity and west of Arouca, Trinidad and Tobago, Arouca. It is on the banks of the Tacarigua Rive ...
, south of
Lopinot, and north of
Piarco. It is governed by the
Tunapuna–Piarco Regional Corporation. Arouca may be a corruption of ''Arauca'', an
Amerindian
In the Americas, Indigenous peoples comprise the two continents' pre-Columbian inhabitants, as well as the ethnic groups that identify with them in the 15th century, as well as the ethnic groups that identify with the pre-Columbian population of ...
tribe.
During most of the Spanish rule, Arouca (then called San Agustín de Arouca) was a settlement reserved for Amerindians. However, when the French arrived in 1783 under Governor
José María Chacón's ''Cedula de Repoblación'' the Amerindians were restricted to Arima. Most of the land in Arouca was split between the Tablau and Chaumet families. Arouca steadily grew into a major agricultural center, but the extension of the railroad to
Sangre Grande
Sangre Grande () is the largest town in northeastern Trinidad and Tobago. It is located east of Arima and southwest of the village of Toco. It is the seat of the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation and capital of the region.
Overview and histo ...
in 1898 lured many people in Arouca to relocate to the more prosperous Sangre Grande valley.
Today, it mainly comprises residential housing. There are several schools located in Arouca including the Bon Air Primary School, Arouca Anglican Primary School, Arouca Girls R.C., Arouca Boys R.C., Arouca Government Primary Schools and
Bon Air High School.
Arouca is home to four prisons and one correctional facility. These include the Golden Grove Prison, Remand Prison, Women's Prison and Youth Training and Rehabilitation Centre.
Prominent people from Arouca
*
George Padmore, Writer
*
Henry Sylvester Williams, Politicians
*
Jaswick Taylor, Cricketer
*
Learie Constantine, Cricketer and Politicians
*
Emmanuel Callender
Emmanuel Earl Callender (sometimes Callander; born 10 May 1984 in Arouca, Trinidad and Tobago) is a track and field sprint athlete, who competes internationally for Trinidad and Tobago.
Callender represented Trinidad and Tobago at the 2008 Su ...
, Sprinter
Gallery
File:TnT Arouca Holy Trinity Church.jpg, Holy Trinity Church
File:TnT Arouca 1.jpg, Eastern Main Road
File:TnT Arouca 2.jpg, Arouca
File:TnT Arouca 3.jpg, Arouca
References
*{{cite book, author=Anthony, Michael, author-link=Michael Anthony (author), title=Historical Dictionary of Trinidad and Tobago, publisher=Scarecrow Press, Inc. , location=Lanham, Maryland, and London , year=2001 , isbn=0-8108-3173-2
Populated places in Trinidad and Tobago