The Lajas Valley (Spanish: ''Valle de Lajas''), or the Yauco-Boquerón Valley (''Valle de Yauco-Boquerón''), is an

anticlinal Anticlinal may refer to: *Anticline, in structural geology, an anticline is a fold that is convex up and has its oldest beds at its core. *Anticlinal, in stereochemistry, a torsion angle between 90° to 150°, and –90° to –150°; see Alkane_st ...

valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams ove ...

that runs 30 km (19 mi) long and 5 km (3 mi) wide east-to-west in southwestern

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...

, within the municipalities of Lajas, Cabo Rojo, Guánica, and Sabana Grande. It is surrounded by the Cordillera Central and the Santa Marta hills to the north, the

Sierra Bermeja Sierra Bermeja is a mountain range in southwestern Puerto Rico. It forms the southern boundary of the Lajas Valley and it is bordered by La Parguera in the Caribbean Sea coast. It extends from the municipality of Cabo Rojo in the west to Lajas i ...

(a small range in Lajas and Cabo Rojo) to the south, the Boqueron Bay in Cabo Rojo to the west, and the Guánica Bay and southern karst to the east. The climate is considered moist to dry subhumid tropical. Its large extension and fertile soil have made it a good place for agriculture. However, it is one of the driest places of Puerto Rico, making irrigation necessary. A

Tethered Aerostat Radar System The Tethered Aerostat Radar System (TARS) is an American low-level airborne ground surveillance system that uses aerostats (moored balloons) as radar platforms. Similar systems include the EL/M-2083 and JLENS. System The aerostats are large fa ...

aerostat is located at the Lajas Valley. Seismological research in 2005 determined there is an ancient fault, the

South Lajas Valley Fault South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...

(SLVF), in the vicinity.

Gallery

File:Sierra Bermeja mountain range, Lajas Valley, Puerto Rico, 1935.jpg, alt=, Lajas Valley,

in the background. 1935 File:Laguna Cartagena National Wildlife Refuge, Puerto Rico.jpg, alt=, Laguna Cartagena, west Lajas Valley. File:Plaza in Lajas barrio-pueblo, Lajas, Puerto Rico.jpg, alt=, The town of Lajas is located near the north center of the valley.

References

Geography of Puerto Rico Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico Guánica, Puerto Rico Lajas, Puerto Rico {{CaboRojoPR-geo-stub