| Official name | Carolina, Puerto Rico |
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| Native name lang | es |
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| Settlement type | Municipality |
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| Nickname | Tierra de Gigantes (Land of Giants) |
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| Map caption | Location of Carolina in Puerto Rico |
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| Coordinates display | inline,title |
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| Coordinates region | US-PR |
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| Subdivision type | Country |
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| Subdivision name | United States |
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| Subdivision type1 | Territory |
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| Subdivision name1 | Puerto Rico |
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| Leader party | PPD |
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| Leader title | Mayor |
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| Leader name | Jose C. Aponte Dalmau |
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| Leader title1 | Senatorial dist. |
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| Leader name1 | 8 - Carolina |
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| Leader title2 | Representative dist. |
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| Leader name2 | 38, 39, 40 |
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| Area magnitude | 1 E9 |
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| Area total km2 | 156.29 |
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| Area land km2 | 117.4 |
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| Area water km2 | 38.89 |
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| Population total | 189377 |
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| Population as of | 2005 |
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| Population density km2 | auto |
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| Population demonym | Carolinenses |
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| Timezone1 | AST |
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| Utc offset1 | -4 |
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| Postal code type | Zip code |
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| Area code type | Area code |
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| Website | gmacpr.com |
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Carolina () is a city located in the northern part of
Puerto Rico, bordering the Atlantic Ocean; it lies north of
Gurabo and
Juncos; east of
Trujillo Alto and
San Juan; and west of
Canóvanas and
Loíza. Carolina is spread over 12 wards plus Carolina Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the
San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Although Carolina is not technically part of San Juan, it is a short distance from San Juan. Along with San Juan, Bayamón, Guaynabo, Cataño, Toa Baja and Trujillo Alto it is considered to form part of the island's metropolitan area.
History
The town was founded in 1816 as
Trujillo Bajo ("lower Trujillo"), along with its counterpart
Trujillo Alto after
Trujillo, Spain. In 1857 it was renamed to
San Fernando de la Carolina, later shortened to
Carolina, after
Charles II of Spain.
The city is known as "Tierra de Gigantes" (Land of Giants) not only for well-known Carolina resident Don Felipe Birriel González (who was 7'11"), but also in honor of other eminent people from Carolina such as poet Julia de Burgos and baseball player Roberto Clemente. Carolina was also the home of Jesús T. Piñero, the first Puerto Rican governor to be appointed in that position by the United States government.
Flag
The flag consists of three vertical bands, the laterals white and the middle red. The laterals are seeded with black ermine tails in the heraldic way as for the coat of arms. The middle band of the flag shows a red field with the sword and crown of the coat of arms.
Coat of Arms
The crown over the sword is the main attribute for royalty and for that reason it occupies a privileged position in the Coat of Arms. The sword is not only a symbol for military service, but also one of justice, recalling the virtues of San Fernando. The Coat of Arms has a wide edge of silver, a cultivated field of small tails of ermine shown in the conventional heraldic manner. The red symbolizes the first patriotic developments made for Puerto Rico's freedom under Spanish dominion.
Demographics
Barrios (Districts/Wards)
*Villa Carolina
Barrazas
Cacao
Cangrejo Arriba
Canovanillas
Carolina Pueblo
Campo Rico
Carruzos
Cedro
Hoyo Mulas
Isla Verde
Loma Alta
Martín González
Sabana Abajo
San Antón
Santa Cruz
Trujillo Bajo
Geo/Topography
Rivers: Río Canovanillas, Río Grande de Loíza
Lagoons: La Torrecilla, Pinones
Economy
Carolina is the home of
Plaza Carolina, one of
Puerto Rico's largest
shopping malls.
Executive Airlines, a regional airline and affiliate of AMR Corporation which operates under the brand American Eagle Airlines, is headquartered on the grounds of Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Carolina.
Industrial
Manufacturing (pharmaceutical, medical equipment and chemical) and commerce.
Tourism
Carolina, led between 1984 and 2006 by mayor
José Aponte, is one of Puerto Rico's most important tourist centers.
Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, while incorrectly thought to be in San Juan, is actually located in an area, Isla Verde, that is geographically part of Carolina. Also located in Carolina are a large group of hotels, which sit by Carolina's large beach area.
There are several well known hotels on the coast of Carolina, including the El San Juan Resort and Casino, and the Ritz-Carlton San Juan Hotel, Spa, and Casino.
Landmarks and places of interest
Buena Vista Ruins
Carolina Beach
Grande de Loíza River
Isla Verde Club Gallístico
Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport
Jesús T. Piñero Monument
Julia de Burgos Park
Piñones Beach
Roberto Clemente Ciudad Deportiva
Festivals and events
Ladies Crafts Fair - April
San Fernando Patron Celebrations - May
Crafts Fair - July
Roberto Clemente Week - August
Sports
In recent years, Carolina has seen the building of the
Ciudad Deportiva Roberto Clemente or
Roberto Clemente Sports City, a sports and recreation facility that aims to become a youth sports school, and the
Roberto Clemente Stadium, host to many entertainment events and to the 2003 and 2007
Caribbean World Series. It has also played host to the
Coliseo Guillermo Angulo, where the
BSN's
Gigantes de Carolina play, as well as the Gigantes of
Puerto Rican women's professional
basketball, the Gigantes of men's professional
volleyball, and the
Gigantes of women's professional
volleyball.
The Gigantes de Carolina professional baseball team use the Roberto Clemente Stadium as their home field. There is also another team with the same name, the Giants de Carolina, a professional soccer team that plays in the Puerto Rico Soccer League. That team also uses the Roberto Clemente Stadium as its home field.
Professional horse jockey Emanuel Jose Sanchez was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico. Riding the mare Mark Me Special he captured the 7th race at Colonial Downs on June 19, 2005.
Government and infrastructure
Law enforcement responsibilities are possible by both the Carolina Police Department, with most of its precincts in the northern half of the city due to the density of the population. Also,
Puerto Rico Police Department has also the responsibility of law enforcement of the city, specially on the drug point areas with four precincts positioned on all four points of the city.
The city of Carolina was the city to create the first municipal fire department in Puerto Rico. The Carolina Fire Department in collaboration with the Carolina Municipal Emergency Management use two engine trucks, one ladder track and one special hazard engine truck. Their headquarters are located in the tourist district of Isla Verde. Also, the Puerto Rico Fire Department have a fire station and regional office in town, located on the Roberto Clemente Avenue.
References
Carolina and its barrios, United States Census Bureau
External links
Carolina municipality general information
Category:Municipalities of Puerto Rico
Category:San Juan – Caguas – Guaynabo metropolitan area
