Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico
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Santa Isabel () is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the southern coast of the island, south of Coamo; east of
Juana Díaz Juana is a Spanish female first name. It is the feminine form of Juan (English John), and thus corresponds to the English names Jane, Janet, Jean, Joan, and Joanna. Juanita is a common variant. The name Juana may refer to: People *Juana I (14 ...
; and west of Salinas. Santa Isabel is spread over 7 barrios and Santa Isabel Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center). It is the principal city of the Santa Isabel Micropolitan Statistical Area and is part of the Ponce-Yauco-Coamo Combined Statistical Area. Santa Isabel is known as ''The Capital of Agriculture'', ''La Ciudad de los Potros'' ("City of Colts") due to the number of ''potreros'' (or
racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...
stud farms) in the area.


History

Before being founded, the area where Santa Isabel is located today was part of the boundary between the '' cacicazgos'' (or Taíno regions) of
Guaynia Guaynia was the territory that stretched along the southern coast of Puerto Rico in the pre-Columbian era. The Taino ''cacique'' (tribal chief) Agüeybaná ruled the area around Guayanilla when Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus ...
and
Guayama Guayama (, ), officially the Autonomous Municipality of Guayama ( es, Municipio Autónomo de Guayama) is a city and municipality on the Caribbean coast of Puerto Rico. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 36,614. It is the c ...
. During the Spanish conquest and settlement of
Borinquen 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 ...
, the area became key to the
settlement Settlement may refer to: *Human settlement, a community where people live *Settlement (structural), the distortion or disruption of parts of a building *Closing (real estate), the final step in executing a real estate transaction *Settlement (fina ...
and agriculture of Coamo which at the time was the second town to be founded in the southern part of the island. Numerous '' estancias'' were established in the region during the time to cultivate "''frutos menores''" or small crops for local use such as rice, corn, beans and root vegetables. The area where
Central Cortada Central Cortada, also known as the Cortada Sugarcane Refinery, was a sugarcane plantation and refinery located in Descalabrado, Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico. The area where the refinery is located has been used for the growth and processing of suga ...
is located was originally called ''Estancia
Descalabrado Descalabrado is a barrio in the municipality of Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 4,138. History Central Cortada, also known as the Cortada Sugarcane Refinery, was a sugarcane plantation and refinery located in Descalabrado. T ...
,'' and was owned by
Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...
settler Juan de Quintana from 1737. The municipality of Santa Isabel was officially founded on October 5, 1842, by Antonio Vélez. Vélez led a group of residents to obtain independence from the municipality of Coamo, which Santa Isabel was originally a part of. 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 conducted its first census of Puerto Rico finding that the population of Santa Isabel was 4,858. On September 20, 2017 Hurricane Maria struck the island of Puerto Rico. In Santa Isabel, close to 500 people had to be rescued, the agriculture was leveled. The strong winds, 15 inches of rain, and rivers that crested, caused an estimated 12,000 homes to be completely or partially destroyed.


Geography

Santa Isabel is on the southern coast. *
Aguirre State Forest The Aguirre State Forest (in es, Bosque Estatal de Aguirre) is a nature reserve on the south coast of Puerto Rico and one of the commonwealth's 20 state forests. It mainly consists of mangroves and floodplain forests, and it borders the Jobos B ...
(Punta Petrona Nature Reserve) *Rivers: Cayures, Coamo,
Descalabrado Descalabrado is a barrio in the municipality of Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 4,138. History Central Cortada, also known as the Cortada Sugarcane Refinery, was a sugarcane plantation and refinery located in Descalabrado. T ...
and Jueyes.


Barrios

Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Santa Isabel is subdivided into
barrios Barrios is a Spanish surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Agustín Barrios (1885–1944), Paraguayan guitarist and composer *Ángel Barrios (1882–1964), Spanish guitarist and composer *Arturo Barrios (born 1962), Mexican athlet ...
. The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a barrio referred to as . #
Boca Velázquez Boca Velázquez is a barrio in the municipality of Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 2,705. History Puerto Rico was ceded by Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish–American War under the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1898 a ...
#
Descalabrado Descalabrado is a barrio in the municipality of Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 4,138. History Central Cortada, also known as the Cortada Sugarcane Refinery, was a sugarcane plantation and refinery located in Descalabrado. T ...
#
Felicia 1 Felicia 1 is a barrio in the municipality of Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 530. History 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 beca ...
#
Felicia 2 Felicia 2 is a barrio in the municipality of Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 3,230. History 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 be ...
#
Jauca 1 Jauca 1 is a barrio in the municipality of Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 2,177. History 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 becam ...
#
Jauca 2 Jauca 2 is a barrio in the municipality of Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 4,554. History 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 becam ...
#
Playa Playa (plural playas) may refer to: Landforms * Endorheic basin, also known as a sink, alkali flat or sabkha, a desert basin with no outlet which periodically fills with water to form a temporary lake * Dry lake, often called a ''playa'' in the so ...
# Santa Isabel barrio-pueblo


Sectors

Barrios (which are like
minor civil divisions A minor civil division (MCD) is a term used by the United States Census Bureau for primary governmental and/or administrative divisions of a county or county-equivalent, typically a municipal government such as a city, town, or civil township. MCD ...
) and subbarrios, in turn, are further subdivided into smaller local populated place areas/units called sectores (''sectors'' in English). The types of ''sectores'' may vary, from normally ''sector'' to ''urbanización'' to ''reparto'' to ''barriada'' to ''residencial'', among others.


Special Communities

(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 Santa Isabel: Playita Cortada, Sector Islote, Sector Canta Sapo, Sector Descalabrado, Sector El Río, Sector Florida, Sector la Pica, Sector Villa Pote, and Sector Villa Pulga (Villa del Mar).


Demographics

As of the 2020 United States Decennial Census, Santa Isabel had a population of 20,281 residents, a decrease from the 2010 Census when the population was of 23,274 residents. In 2020, the racial makeup of the municipality was 50.2% White, 33.3% Black, 13.4% two or more races, and 0.1% Native American. The majority of the population, 99.8%, are Hispanic or Latino of any race, and 0.2% are non-Hispanic White residents.


Tourism


Landmarks and places of interest

There are 29 beaches in Santa Isabel. Some of the main attractions of Santa Isabel are: *''El Malecón'' (boardwalk) *Indian Museum *Jauca Beach *Hacienda Alomar Ruins *
Central Cortada Central Cortada, also known as the Cortada Sugarcane Refinery, was a sugarcane plantation and refinery located in Descalabrado, Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico. The area where the refinery is located has been used for the growth and processing of suga ...
(Cortada Sugarcane Refinery) Santa Isabel has two listings in the United States National Register of Historic Places: * Dr. Martin G. Brumbaugh Graded School * Las Tres Haciendas irrigation system


Economy


Agriculture

The surrounding areas produces fruits and vegetables such as mango,
guineo Guineos (pronounced ) usually refers to an unripe banana. The term guineo is sometimes used in reference to its ripened counterpart: the yellow (ripened) banana. The word ''Guineo'' comes from Guinea, a country in West Africa, as it is one of the ...
and avocado. Campo Fresco, a Puerto Rican company, owns a plant in Santa Isabel, from where they produce Jugos Lotus juice and other drink brands.


Industry

Aerospace, electrical and electronic, metal products and nutritional products.


Culture


Festivals and Events

Santa Isabel celebrates its patron saint festival in July. The is a religious and cultural celebration that generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment. Other festivals and events celebrated in Santa Isabel include: *''Agroferia'' Santa Isabel - April *''Carnaval de Baloncesto'' Barrio Ollas - July *City Foundation Anniversary - October *''Encendido Navideño Barriada Felicia, Calle Elifaz Ostolaza'' - November


Schools


Elementary

*Escuela Martín G. Brumbaugh *Escuela John F. Kennedy *Escuela Esther Rivera *Escuela Ana L. Rosa Tricoche *Escuela Apolonia Valentín *Escuela Ana Valldejuly *Escuela Emilio Casas


Middle school

*Escuela Manuel Martín Monserrate


High school

*Escuela Elvira M. Colón


Second Units

*Escuela S.U. Pedro Meléndez (Playita Cortada)


Private Education

*Colegio Evangélico Fuente De Sabiduría (K-6) *Colegio LOGOS


Sports

Santa Isabel is known as ''Tierra de Campeones'' (Land of Champions) because of its rich sports tradition (especially in Baseball). The city is home to the Santa Isabel Potros baseball team. The Potros won the 1992 National Championship of the
Federación de Béisbol Aficionado de Puerto Rico ' ("Double-A Baseball"), governed by the ' (Puerto Rico Amateur Baseball Federation), is a Puerto Rican amateur baseball spring and summer baseball league, founded in 1940 and based in San Juan. The season normally starts in mid to late Februar ...
. The team plays its home games at Estadio Municipal Luis Guillermo Moreno. * Class A Baseball Teams (Wild Passages of Paso Seco, Marlins de Felicia and Jueueros de Jauca) * Double A Baseball Team (Ponies of Santa Isabel) * Basketball Carnival (Ollas neighborhood) - July * Interbarrio Children's Basketball League - August–November * Sporting Goods Store (BBB Sports) * Double A Youth Baseball Team (Potritos U19) * Soccer Teams (Santa Isabel Soccer Club) * Collegiate Volleyball (UAGM Santa Isabel)


Government

All municipalities in Puerto Rico are administered by a mayor, elected every four years. Enrique "Quique" Questell (of the New Progressive Party) was elected at the 2004 general election and served from 2005. Questell lost to Rafael "Billy" Burgos Santiago in the November 2020 elections. The city belongs to the
Puerto Rico Senatorial district VI Puerto Rico Senatorial District VI, also known as the Senatorial District of Guayama, is one of the eight senatorial districts of Puerto Rico. It is currently represented by Miguel Pereira Castillo and Angel M. Rodríguez (from the Popular Demo ...
, which is represented by two senators. In 2012, Miguel Pereira Castillo and
Angel M. Rodríguez In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...
were elected as district senators.


Transportation

There are 12 bridges in Santa Isabel.


Symbols

The has an official flag and coat of arms.


Flag

The flag is divided horizontally into three stripes; white at the top, yellow in the center and red at the bottom, and may be decorated with
sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with ...
stems.


Coat of arms

The crown stands for Saint-Queen Elizabeth of Hungary (''Isabel'' in Spanish), patroness of the Third Order of Saint Francis. The shells are a symbol of St. James the patron saint of the town, as well as for the many shells found in the beaches near the town.


Notable ''Santaisabelinos''

*
Adolfo L. Monserrate Anselmi Adolfo L. Monserrate Anselmi (March 29, 1909 – February 1983) was born in Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico. His brother was Humberto Monserrate Anselmi He became of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives for the Popular Democratic Party of Pue ...
- former member Puerto Rico House of Representatives * Carmelo Colón Rivera - Educator, Spanish Language Doctor, Poet. * Hiram Vega Cruz - Educator and composer. * Denny Agosto Vega - Musician, drummer, band member (Polyesnso). * César Miranda Rodríguez * Benito Santiago - Baseball player; won unanimously the 1986 the National League
Rookie of the Year Award A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year). In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...
with the San Diego Padres. * Elvira M. Colón - Teacher. * Carlos Muñoz - Student from Escuela Superior Elvira M. Colón, the first from Santa Isabel to win Premios El Nuevo Día Educador *
Melwin Cedeño Melwin Cedeño (born December 27, 1964) is a Puerto Rican actor, comedian, host, and dancer. Cedeño is better known for his comedic performance as Chevy. Early years and studies Melwin Cedeño was raised in Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico. His pa ...
- Actor, comedian, kids host, Merengue musician, and singer. *
Carlos Colón Sr. Carlos may refer to: Places ;Canada * Carlos, Alberta, a locality ;United States * Carlos, Indiana, an unincorporated community * Carlos, Maryland, a place in Allegany County * Carlos, Minnesota, a small city * Carlos, West Virginia ;Elsewhere ...
- professional wrestler known as ''El Acróbata de Puerto Rico''. Co-owner (vice-president) of the World Wrestling Council (WWC), formerly known as Capital Sports Promotions. Former WWE wrestler when he entered the 1993 WWF Royal Rumble. Inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2014. * Mario Ortiz - Accomplished trumpet player, arranger and band leader of the 60's. * Elvin F. Torres Serrant - Musical Director of Limi-T 21. Released their first album in 1990 breaking new grounds in the genre of Merengue. * Javier Bermúdez - Lead singer of Limi-T 21. * Luigi Texidor - Singer for
La Sonora Ponceña La Sonora Ponceña is a Puerto Rican salsa band, founded in 1954 by Enrique "Quique" Lucca Caraballo. Today Quique's son, Papo Lucca, directs the band. The band has stayed active for a remarkable amount of time, recording dozens of albums, inclu ...
, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican All-Stars and Fania All-Stars. * Pedro María Descartes - Legislator, mayor and leader of the Autonomist Movement during the 18th century. * Melvin Rivera Velázquez - Journalist, historian and head of Global Bible Publishing of the United Bible Societies. Editor of the Santa Isabel history blog www.santaisabelpr.com. *
Carlos Correa Carlos Javier Correa Oppenheimer Jr. (born September 22, 1994) is a Puerto Rican professional baseball shortstop who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, who selected him first overall in the ...
- Baseball player; First Overall Pick in the 2012 MLB Draft, 2015 American League Rookie Of The Year, Shortstop for the
Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...
. Formerly played for the
Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
where he won an MLB World Series championship for the team in 2017. *
José Guzmán José Alberto Guzmán Mirabal (born April 9, 1963) is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from to . Career Guzmán was signed by the Texas Rangers as an amateur free agent on February 10, . He made his majo ...
- Former professional Baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers. * Carlos Irrizarry - Painteret the Certi Hi * Mariano Civico - Salsa Singer. * Roque Delpín Reyes - Former Mayor 1993–1997. * Dr. José D. Quiles Rosas - Current president of
Federación de Béisbol Aficionado de Puerto Rico ' ("Double-A Baseball"), governed by the ' (Puerto Rico Amateur Baseball Federation), is a Puerto Rican amateur baseball spring and summer baseball league, founded in 1940 and based in San Juan. The season normally starts in mid to late Februar ...
, former Santa Isabel Potros team owner. * George Nenadich - On-air personality on Sirius XM. The only Latino on air personality on 2 channels on Sirius XM. La Jungla de Rumbon ch767 Fri 7-10pm and on Caliente ch158 with Salsa Nation Sat 10-12pm. Born and raised in Paterson NJ from Puerto Rican parents. Mother from Santa Isabel, Playita Cortada Sector PR and Father from Fajardo, PR. * Raúl Cintrón Velázquez - narrator, journalist and analyst in Puerto Rican sports.


Gallery

File:Irrigation method seen in Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico.jpg, Irrigation method in Santa Isabel File:Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico.jpg, View of Caribbean Sea from Santa Isabel File:2022generalsantaisabel1.jpg, Cattle in Jauca.


See also

* List of Puerto Ricans * History of Puerto Rico * Did you know-Puerto Rico?


References


Further reading

*


External links


Crest of the City

Evaluation of Groundwater Quality and Selected Hydrologic Conditions in the South Coast Aquifer, Santa Isabel Area, Puerto Rico, 2008-09
United States Geological Survey
History of Santa Isabel

Santa Isabel Municipality on Facebook (in Spanish)
{{Authority control Municipalities of Puerto Rico Populated coastal places in Puerto Rico Populated places established in 1842