Corozal, Puerto Rico

Corozal (Spanish pronunciation: [koɾoˈsal]) is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the central-eastern region, north of Orocovis and Barranquitas; south of Vega Alta; 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.

Corozal
Town and Municipality
Downtown Corozal from Abras in Corozal
Flag
Coat of arms
Nicknames: 
"La Capital del Voleibol", "Los Plataneros"
Anthem: "En Dios y Corozal todos unidos"
Map of Puerto Rico highlighting Corozal Municipality
Coordinates: 18°20′30″N 66°19′1″W
Commonwealth Puerto Rico
Founded1795
Barrios
Government
 • MayorLuis “Luiggi” García (PNP)
 • Senatorial dist.6 - Guayama
 • Representative dist.28
Area
 • Total42 sq mi (109 km2)
 • Land42 sq mi (109 km2)
 • Water0 sq mi (0 km2)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total37,142
 • Density880/sq mi (340/km2)
Demonym(s)Corozaleños
Time zoneUTC−4 (AST)
ZIP Code
00783
Area code(s)787/939
Major routes

The city name is derived from the "palma de corozo" (grugru palm, Acrocomia media) which abounds in the 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 Crib. It takes its name from the Acrocomia media, in Puerto Rican Spanish: palma de corozo.

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 Corozal was 11,508.[1]

From 1902 to 1905 Corozal became one with Toa Alta, an adjoining municipality.[2]

In 2000 census the population of Corozal was 36,867, and it had a land area of 43 sq mi (111 km2).

Hurricane Maria
Hurriane Maria relief work in Corozal by the Puerto Rico National Guard

Hurricane Maria on September 20, 2017 triggered numerous landslides in Corozal with the significant amount of rainfall,[3][4] bridges and homes were destroyed,[5] and the people of Corozal had to resort to collecting spring water.[6]

Geography
Mountain view in Corozal. Photograph by Jack Delano (Circa1941).

Corozal is a mountainous region near the center of the island. Quebrada Jacinta is a valley in Corozal.[7]

Updated flood zone maps (as of 2019) show that Corozal is extremely vulnerable to flooding, along with Humacao, Rincón, Barceloneta, and Toa Baja. For its large number of rivers and streams, Corozal ends up being extremely vulnerable when hit by a major hurricane.[8]

Hydrography

Rivers and streams of Corozal include Río Cibuco, Río Corozal, Río Dos Bocas, Río Grande de Manatí, Río Mavilla, Río Orocovis, and Río Unibón.[9]

Barrios
Subdivisions of Corozal.

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 "el pueblo".[10][11][12][13]

  1. Abras
  2. Cibuco
  3. Corozal barrio-pueblo
  4. Cuchillas
  5. Dos Bocas
  6. Magueyes
  7. Maná
  8. Negros
  9. Padilla
  10. Palmarejo
  11. Palmarito
  12. Palos Blancos
  13. Pueblo

Sectors
Further information: List of barrios and sectors of Corozal, Puerto Rico

Barrios (which are like minor civil divisions)[14] 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.[15][16][17]

Special Communities
See also: Puerto Rico Office for Socioeconomic and Community Development

Comunidades Especiales de Puerto Rico (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 Corozal: Aldea Vázquez, Comunidad Los Indios, Cuba Libre-EI Idilio, El Guarico, La Escalera, La Mina, and Parcelas Medina.[18][19]

Climate

Corozal experiences a tropical climate.

Climate data for Corozal, Puerto Rico
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 88
(31)		 90
(32)		 95
(35)		 97
(36)		 98
(37)		 98
(37)		 99
(37)		 98
(37)		 98
(37)		 98
(37)		 93
(34)		 91
(33)		 99
(37)
Average high °F (°C) 78
(26)		 80
(27)		 83
(28)		 84
(29)		 87
(31)		 88
(31)		 88
(31)		 88
(31)		 88
(31)		 87
(31)		 82
(28)		 79
(26)		 84
(29)
Average low °F (°C) 60
(16)		 60
(16)		 61
(16)		 65
(18)		 68
(20)		 70
(21)		 72
(22)		 72
(22)		 72
(22)		 70
(21)		 66
(19)		 62
(17)		 67
(19)
Record low °F (°C) 43
(6)		 45
(7)		 45
(7)		 55
(13)		 58
(14)		 60
(16)		 64
(18)		 67
(19)		 64
(18)		 60
(16)		 50
(10)		 48
(9)		 43
(6)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.55
(90)		 3.11
(79)		 1.02
(26)		 4.78
(121)		 8.55
(217)		 7.20
(183)		 6.20
(157)		 5.84
(148)		 7.60
(193)		 7.71
(196)		 8.47
(215)		 5.65
(144)		 69.68
(1,769)
Source: The Weather Channel[20]

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 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.[21]

Economy
"Corozal, Puerto Rico (vicinity). In the home of a FSA (Farm Security Administration) borrower who raises some tobacco and a little sugar cane on his small farm between Corozal and Orocovis."- photo credit: Jack Delano, 1941.

Agriculture

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

Business

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

Culture

Festivals and events
Catholic church in downtown Corozal

Corozal celebrates its patron saint festival in January. The Fiestas Patronales de la Sagrada Familia is a religious and cultural celebration in honor of the Holy Family and generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment.[7][22]

Other festivals and events celebrated in Corozal include:

  • Corozal Carnival - June
  • San Juan Bautista Carnival - June
  • Plantain Festival - September
  • Festival del Corozo - October

Sports

Volleyball

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
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
190011,508—
191012,97812.8%
192014,36910.7%
193016,45414.5%
194020,45824.3%
195023,08712.9%
196023,5702.1%
197024,5454.1%
198028,22115.0%
199033,09517.3%
200036,86711.4%
201037,1420.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[26]
1899 (shown as 1900)[27] 1910-1930[28]
1930-1950[29] 1960-2000[30] 2010[12]

Government
Main article: Mayoralty in Puerto Rico

All municipalities in Puerto Rico are administered by a mayor, elected every four years. The current mayor of Corozal is Sergio Torres Torres, of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD). He was elected at the 2012 general elections.

The city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district VI, which is represented by two Senators. In 2012, Miguel Pereira Castillo and Angel M. Rodríguez were elected as District Senators.[31]

Transportation

There are 26 bridges in Corozal.[32]

Symbols

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.[33]

The flag is very similar to the provincial flag of Islas del Caró (I.D.C.) of neighbour country of El Conquistador 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.[33]

Coat of arms

On a gold background three Corozo Palms, 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, 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.[33]

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.

Notable "Corozaleños"

Books about Corozal
  • Bubu, un canino de mitos y leyendas (Un dia de Perro (titulo Mexico))" por Gollo Costra
  • Puertoriqueña en Nueva York: Mujer de Armas Tomas" por El Instituto de Cultura Puertoriqueña
  • Cuando El Rio de Corozal Cruzaba El Paralelo 38, por Gilberto Rivera
  • Building in Corozal barrio-pueblo
  • Parroquia La Sagrada Familia in downtown Corozal
  • Statue in downtown Corozal
  • Square in Corozal barrio-pueblo

See also

References
  1. Joseph Prentiss Sanger; Henry Gannett; Walter Francis Willcox (1900). Informe sobre el censo de Puerto Rico, 1899, United States. War Dept. Porto Rico Census Office (in Spanish). Imprenta del gobierno. p. 161. Archived from the original on 2012-11-15. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
  2. "Corozal Memoria Núm. 61" (PDF). University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine. Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico - Oficina del Gobernador - Junta de Planificación. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 November 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  3. "Preliminary Locations of Landslide Impacts from Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico". USGS Landslide Hazards Program. USGS. Archived from the original on 2019-03-03. Retrieved 2019-03-03.
  4. "Preliminary Locations of Landslide Impacts from Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico" (PDF). USGS Landslide Hazards Program. USGS. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-03-03. Retrieved 2019-03-03.
  5. "Photos: Scenes of devastation in Puerto Rico after Maria". WTOP. 26 September 2017. Archived from the original on 24 June 2019. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  6. Baez, Alvin (October 18, 2017). "The search for water in Puerto Rico". Reuters. Archived from the original on 15 January 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  7. "Corozal Municipality". enciclopediapr.org. Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades (FPH).
  8. Alvarado León, Gerardo E. "Sobre 250,000 estructuras están en zonas inundables" (PDF). Junta de Planificación - Gobierno de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). El Nuevo Día. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 June 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  9. "GNIS". Geonames. Archived from the original on 2018-09-13. Retrieved 2019-03-08.
  10. Picó, Rafael; Buitrago de Santiago, Zayda; Berrios, Hector H. Nueva geografía de Puerto Rico: física, económica, y social, por Rafael Picó. Con la colaboración de Zayda Buitrago de Santiago y Héctor H. Berrios. San Juan Editorial Universitaria, Universidad de Puerto Rico,1969. Archived from the original on 2018-12-26. Retrieved 2018-12-30.
  11. Gwillim Law (20 May 2015). Administrative Subdivisions of Countries: A Comprehensive World Reference, 1900 through 1998. McFarland. p. 300. ISBN 978-1-4766-0447-3. Retrieved 25 December 2018.
  12. Puerto Rico:2010:population and housing unit counts.pdf (PDF). U.S. Dept. of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration U.S. Census Bureau. 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-02-20. Retrieved 2018-12-30.
  13. "Map of Corozal at the Wayback Machine" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-03-24. Retrieved 2018-12-29.
  14. "US Census Barrio-Pueblo definition". factfinder.com. US Census. Archived from the original on 13 May 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
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  16. Rivera Quintero, Marcia (2014), El vuelo de la esperanza: Proyecto de las Comunidades Especiales Puerto Rico, 1997-2004 (first ed.), San Juan, Puerto Rico Fundación Sila M. Calderón, ISBN 978-0-9820806-1-0
  17. "Leyes del 2001". Lex Juris Puerto Rico (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 14 September 2018. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  18. Rivera Quintero, Marcia (2014), El vuelo de la esperanza: Proyecto de las Comunidades Especiales Puerto Rico, 1997-2004 (1st ed.), San Juan, Puerto Rico Fundación Sila M. Calderón, p. 273, ISBN 978-0-9820806-1-0
  19. "Comunidades Especiales de Puerto Rico" (in Spanish). 8 August 2011. Archived from the original on 24 June 2019. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  20. "Corozal, Puerto Rico Weather". The Weather Channel. Archived from the original on 2018-12-25. Retrieved 2018-12-25.
  21. "¡Corozal está de película!". Primera Hora. July 18, 2017. Archived from the original on October 22, 2019. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
  22. J.D. (2006-05-02). "Corozal". Link To Puerto Rico.com (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2009-06-15. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
  23. "La Federación Puertorriqueña de Voleibol está satisfecha con el torneo masculino 2019". El Nuevo Dia. August 31, 2019. Archived from the original on October 22, 2019. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
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  30. "Table 2 Population and Housing Units: 1960 to 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 24, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  31. Elecciones Generales 2012: Escrutinio General Archived December 3, 2012, at the Wayback Machine on CEEPUR
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  34. "District 17". Rafael Salamanca Jr.
  35. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-12-22. Retrieved 2015-03-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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