Corozal () is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an o ...

and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

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 ...

located in the central-eastern region, north of

Orocovis Orocovis (from Taino language, Orocobix popularly thought to mean "''remembrance of the first mountain''") is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Central Mountain Range, north of Villalba and Coamo; south of Morovis and Cor ...

and

Barranquitas Barranquitas (, ) is a small mountain town and municipality located in the Cordillera Central region of Puerto Rico, south of Corozal and Naranjito; north of Coamo and Aibonito; west of Comerío and Cidra; and east of Orocovis. Barranquit ...

; south of

Vega Alta Vega Alta () is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico. Vega Alta is on the northern coast of the island, north of Morovis and Corozal; east of Vega Baja; and west of Dorado with an area of . Vega Alta is subdivided into seven barrios and Ve ...

; southwest of Toa Alta; east of Morovis and Orocovis; and west of Naranjito. Corozal is spread over 12 barrios and Corozal Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city name is derived from the "''palma de corozo''" (grugru palm, ''

Acrocomia media ''Acrocomia media'' is a species of palm which is native to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Description ''Acrocomia media'' is a pinnate Pinnation (also called pennation) is the arrangement of feather-like or multi-divided features aris ...

'') which abounds in the Cordillera Central zone of the Island.

History

Corozal's local Taino Indian Cacique (Chief) was named Orocobix and his tribe was known as the Jatibonicu Taino. Corozal was founded in 1795 and officially became a town in 1804. Commonly known as ''La Cuna del Volibol'' or ''Volleyball's Cradle''. It takes its name from the ''

'', in Puerto Rican es, palma de corozo. Puerto Rico was ceded by

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

in the aftermath of the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

under the terms of the

Treaty of Paris of 1898 The Treaty of Peace between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Spain, commonly known as the Treaty of Paris of 1898 ( fil, Kasunduan sa Paris ng 1898; es, Tratado de París de 1898), was a treaty signed by Spain and the United Stat ...

and became a territory of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. In 1899, the

United States Department of War The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army, ...

conducted a

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of Puerto Rico finding that the population of Corozal was 11,508. From 1902 to 1905 Corozal became one with Toa Alta, an adjoining municipality. In 2000 census the population of Corozal was 36,867, and it had a land area of . Intense wind and rainfall from

Hurricane Maria Hurricane Maria was a deadly Category 5 hurricane that devastated the northeastern Caribbean in September 2017, particularly Dominica, Saint Croix, and Puerto Rico. It is regarded as the worst natural disaster in recorded history to affect ...

on September 20, 2017 triggered numerous landslides in Corozal, and bridges and homes were destroyed. Some residents of Corozal had to resort to collecting spring water as access to potable water was limited after the devastation caused by the hurricane. During the event, the police station in Corozal suddenly became flooded by the

Cibuco River The Cibuco River ( es, Río Cibuco) is a river of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. Part of the river goes through Vega Alta and Corozal municipalities. It is 23.75 miles long. Cibuco River meets Indio River. The river flooded up to 15 feet during Hurr ...

while there were nineteen officers inside. The officers climbed up and standing on the rooftop, made a human chain so as not to be swept away by the hurricane winds. Seeing them, several young people began a rescue operation by cutting tree limbs and debris to allow the river to subside just enough. With a firehose in hand, they waded in waters up to their necks and were able to help the officers get to dry land. Puerto Rico National Guard (36848158523).jpg, Hurriane Maria relief work in Corozal by the Puerto Rico National Guard Landslides in Corozal, Puerto Rico caused by Hurricane Maria in September, 2017.png, Landslides caused by Hurricane Maria in Corozal Power outage in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.png, Some of Puerto Rico had power 5 days later

Geography

Corozal is located in the mountainous region near the center of the island. Quebrada Jacinta is a

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 ...

in Corozal. Updated flood zone maps (as of 2019) show that Corozal is extremely vulnerable to

flooding A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrolog ...

, along with Humacao, Rincón, Barceloneta, and Toa Baja. Due to its large number of rivers and streams, Corozal is regarded as being extremely vulnerable to damage from major hurricanes.

Hydrography

Rivers and streams of Corozal include Río Cibuco, Río Corozal, Río Dos Bocas,

Río Grande de Manatí The Manatí River (Spanish: Río Grande de Manatí) is a river in Puerto Rico, which flows through several northern municipalities of the island. The river is named after the municipality of Manatí where the river mouth is located. Description ...

, Río Mavilla, Río Orocovis, and Río Unibón.

Barrios

Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Corozal is subdivided into barrios. The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a barrio referred to as # Abras # Cibuco # Corozal barrio-pueblo # Cuchillas # Dos Bocas # Magueyes #

Maná Maná () is a Mexican pop rock band. The band is considered one of the best-selling Latin music artists and the most successful Latin American band of all time with over 40 million records sold worldwide. The group's current lineup consists o ...

Negros Negros is the fourth largest and third most populous island in the Philippines, with a total land area of . Negros is one of the many islands of the Visayas, in the central part of the country. The predominant inhabitants of the island region a ...

# Padilla # Palmarejo # Palmarito # Palos Blancos #

Pueblo In the Southwestern United States, Pueblo (capitalized) refers to the Native tribes of Puebloans having fixed-location communities with permanent buildings which also are called pueblos (lowercased). The Spanish explorers of northern New Spain ...

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 ...

) 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 Social exclusion or social marginalisation is the social disadvantage and relegation to the fringe of society. It is a term that has been used widely in Europe and was first used in France in the late 20th century. It is used across discipline ...

. 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 Corozal: Aldea Vázquez, Comunidad Los Indios, Cuba Libre-EI Idilio, El Guarico, La Escalera, La Mina, and Parcelas Medina.

Climate

Corozal experiences a

tropical climate Tropical climate is the first of the five major climate groups in the Köppen climate classification identified with the letter A. Tropical climates are defined by a monthly average temperature of 18 °C (64.4 °F) or higher in the cool ...

Tourism

Corozal is home to the Historical Center of Cibuco, a park and museum with relics from the Puerto Rican natives ( Tainos) as well as objects, paintings and artifacts from the town's history. Local interest: El Balalaika is a cafeteria / liquor store which opened its doors around 1962 and hasn't been closed since, with the exceptions of

Hurricane Hugo Hurricane Hugo was a powerful Cape Verde tropical cyclone that inflicted widespread damage across the northeastern Caribbean and the Southeastern United States in September 1989. Across its track, Hugo affected approximately 2 million peopl ...

and the occasional political elections. It also serves as a Municipal Police Outpost.

Landmarks and places of interest

* El Rancho Recreation Center * El Jíbaro Centro Recreativo * Cine-Teatro San Rafael de Corozal, a movie theatre which reopened in 2017 after being closed for 28 years. * Mavilla Bridge

Economy

Agriculture

One of Puerto Rico's major plaintain producers. New small businesses producing eggs and hydroponic crops (lettuce, recao) are emerging.

Business

Crafts, services. Several manufacture enterprises have reduced or moved operations in recent years.

Culture

Festivals and events

Corozal, 00783, Puerto Rico - panoramio (1)

Corozal celebrates its

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

festival in January. The is a religious and cultural celebration in honor of the

Holy Family The Holy Family consists of the Child Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph. The subject became popular in art from the 1490s on, but veneration of the Holy Family was formally begun in the 17th century by Saint François de Laval, the fir ...

and generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment. Other festivals and events celebrated in Corozal include: * Corozal

Carnival Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival t ...

- June * San Juan Bautista Carnival - June * Plantain Festival - September * - October

Sports

Volleyball

Plataneros de Corozal Plataneros de Corozal is a professional volleyball team based in Corozal, Puerto Rico. They play in the Puerto Rican Liga de Voleibol Superior Masculino. Season 2013-2014 Achievements National competitions * Liga de Voleibol S ...

( Liga de Voleibol Superior Masculino) - 9 time LVSM national champions; recent title win was in 2009 *

Pinkin de Corozal Pinkin de Corozal is the professional female volleyball team of Corozal, Puerto Rico Corozal () is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the central-eastern region, north of Orocovis and Barranquitas; south of Vega Alta; southwe ...

(

Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino The Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino (LVSF) is a professional volleyball league in Puerto Rico. The competitions are organized by the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation (Federación Puertorriqueña de Voleibol, FPV). Current teams League ...

) - record-setting 18 time LVSF national champions; recent title win was in 2022

Swimming

The Gold Fish Swim Team for kids and youth and a new Master's Swim Team created in 2008 under the direction of Arlene Ortiz.

Demographics

Government

All municipalities in Puerto Rico are administered by a

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

, elected every four years. The current mayor of Corozal is Luis “Luiggi” García, of the New Progressive Party (PNP). He was elected at the 2020 general 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 Miguel A. Pereira Castillo (born September 26, 1947) is a Puerto Rican politician, attorney, and public servant. Throughout his career, he has served in various government positions like Director of the Puerto Rico Ports Authority, Superintenden ...

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 26 bridges in Corozal. Mavilla Bridge in Corozal is listed on the US

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

Symbols

The has an official flag and coat of arms.

Flag

Consists of three horizontal stripes of equal width, yellow the top, green the middle and blue the bottom, and in some instances the middle stripe could have embroidered or printed the coat of arms. The flag is very similar to the provincial flag of Islas del Caró (I.D.C.) except that the yellow stripe is half the size as the green and blue stripes much like the flag of Colombia except that the red stripe is replaced by the green one at the bottom. It is unknown whether the flag was made to coincide with the densely populated province of El Conquistador or was created by natural and neutral causes.

Coat of arms

On a gold background three corozo palm trees, with clusters in their original color, planted on a green landscape and in front of a mountain range. At the bottom, blue and silver water waves sprinkled with gold nuggets. The three-tower-crown is gold with black stones. The corozo palms represent the name of the town and its river, whose ends were populated with palms. The mountains represent the high striking mountains of Corozal. The waves represent the Corozal River and

gold nuggets Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...

, a metal that was panned. The gold background represents the hard labor and alludes to the gold of Corozal, appreciated long ago for its purity. The crown is an emblem used to designate the cities and towns.

Education

Public high schools in Corozal include Escuela Superior Emilio R. Delgado and Escuela Superior Porfirio Cruz García High School in Barrio Cuchillas. The only private high school is Colegio Sagrada Familia in Barrio Pueblo.

In popular culture

The following songs mention Corozal: * Controversia navideña * Guineítos con corned beef * Oubao Moin * Que nunca muera nuestra tradición

Notable "Corozaleños"

Carmen E. Arroyo Carmen E. Arroyo (born June 2, 1933) is an American politician and a native of Puerto Rico who is the first Hispanic woman elected to the New York State Assembly. She served the 84th Assembly District, which covers the Mott Haven, Port Morris, Me ...

, first Puerto Rican woman elected to the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Ass ...

Lunay Lunay () is a commune in the Loir-et-Cher department of central France. Geography Lunay is located west of the city of Vendôme, in the northwest of the ''département'' and 180 km southwest of Paris. The river Loir flows along the east ...

, Reggaeton artist *

Maria del Carmen Arroyo Maria del Carmen Arroyo is the former Council member for the 17th district of the New York City Council. She is a Democrat. The district includes Belmont, Claremont Village, Clason Point, Concourse, Concourse Village, Crotona Park East, ...

, member of the

New York City Council The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of New York City. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The council serves as a check against the mayor in a mayor-council government model, the performance of ...

* Aned Y. Muñiz Gracia, professor and writer * Viviana Ortiz Pastrana, fashion model and

Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2011 Miss (pronounced ) is an English language honorific typically used for a girl, for an unmarried woman (when not using another title such as "Doctor" or "Dame"), or for a married woman retaining her maiden name. Originating in the 17th century, i ...

* Sixto Febus, Painter, poet, writer, teacher, philanthropist and restorer * Eddie Perez, politician served as mayor of

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since t ...

from 2001 to 2010.

Gallery

Corozal, 00783, Puerto Rico - panoramio (7).jpg, Building in Corozal barrio-pueblo Corozal, 00783, Puerto Rico - panoramio (12).jpg, Corozal, 00783, Puerto Rico - panoramio (3).jpg, Statue in downtown Corozal Corozal, 00783, Puerto Rico - panoramio (6).jpg, Town square