Toa Baja, Puerto Rico
 |
This article relies largely or entirely upon a single source. (July 2010) |
|
|
This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2010) |
| Toa Baja, Puerto Rico | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| — Municipality — | |||
|
|||
| Nickname(s): "Ciudad de los Valles del Toa", "Ciudad Bajo Aguas", "Los Llaneros" | |||
| Anthem: "Espléndido Toa Baja, jardín de mis amores" | |||
 |
|||
| Coordinates: 18°26′38″N 66°15′35″W / 18.44389°N 66.25972°WCoordinates: 18°26′38″N 66°15′35″W / 18.44389°N 66.25972°W | |||
| Country | United States | ||
| Territory | Puerto Rico | ||
| Founded | 1745 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Aníbal Vega Borges (PNP) | ||
| • Senatorial dist. | 2 - Bayamón | ||
| • Representative dist. | 10 | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 41.7 sq mi (108.0 km2) | ||
| • Land | 23.16 sq mi (59.99 km2) | ||
| • Water | 18.54 sq mi (48.01 km2) | ||
| Population (2010) | |||
| • Total | 89,609 | ||
| • Density | 2,100/sq mi (830/km2) | ||
| Demonym | Toabajeños | ||
| Time zone | AST (UTC-4) | ||
| Zip code | 00949, 00950, 00951, 00952 | ||
| Website | toabaja.gobierno.pr | ||
Toa Baja (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈto.a ˈβaxa]) is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the northern coast, north of Toa Alta and Bayamón; east of Dorado; and west of Cataño. Toa Baja is spread over 5 wards and Toa Baja Pueblo (The downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Toa Baja considered to be a part of the Metropolitan Area. It shares its metropolitan area status with San Juan, Bayamón, Guaynabo, Cataño, Carolina and Trujillo Alto.
Toa Baja is located fifteen minutes by car from San Juan and one hour from Ponce.
Contents |
History [edit]
Called La Ciudad Bajo Aguas, Toa Baja was founded in 1745.
Geography [edit]
- Northern Coastal Plains and in the karst zone.
- Rivers; Cocal, Hondo and Plata.
Cityscape [edit]
Barrios [edit]
- Ingenio[1]
- Candelaria
- Media Luna
- Sabana Seca
- Toa Baja Pueblo
- Palo Seco
Controversies [edit]
In 2009 an order was given by Governor Luis G. Fortuño to shut off essential services, such as water and electricity, to Villas del Sol, a village within the municipality of Toa Baja. Villas del Sol consists of homes built illegally on flood-prone State land. The Federal Emergency Management Agency bought these homes from the Puerto Rican Government in order to keep them from being used further. In January 2010 the Puerto Rican government began demolishing some of the homes. The village has a large population of Dominicans, both legal and illegal.
Tourism [edit]
Landmarks and places of interest [edit]
.jpg)
- Cañuelo Fortress
- Central Constancia (sugar mill)
- Goats Island
- Hermana Island
- Nuestra Señora del Carmen Catholic Church
- Palo Seco Thermoelectrical Power Station
- Punta Salinas Beach
- San Pedro Apostle Catholic Church
- Santa Elena Hacienda
- Coliseo Antonio R. Barceló
Economy [edit]
Agriculture [edit]
- Fruits, Sugarcane
- Dairy Cattle
Industry [edit]
Manufacturing (metal, plastic, concrete, textile, electrical and electronic machinery and rum).
Culture [edit]
Festivals and events [edit]
- Craft Festival - March
- Patron Celebrations - June
- Beach Festival - July
- Musical Band Festival - August
- Christmas Festivities - December
Sports [edit]
Llaneras de Toa Baja - female volleyball team from the Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino.
Llaneros de Levittown - PeeWee Reese Categorie baseball team from the Pro-Deportes / American Amateur Baseball Congress.
Each year, Toa Baja hosts both the Pee Wee Reese World Series (for baseball players of ages 12 and under) and the Willie Mays World Series (for baseball players of ages 10 and under).
Government [edit]
Anibal Vega Borges, a lawyer, was elected Mayor of the city in 2004 for the first time. He has been re-elected twice (2008 and 2012). Vega Borges' election wins have been for wide margins, which led a newspaper to label him as one of the "most powerful" mayors in the island.[2]
The city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district II, which is represented by two Senators. Migdalia Padilla and Carmelo Ríos Santiago have served as District Senators since 2005.[3]
Symbols [edit]
Flag [edit]
According to http://www.toabaja.com/EscudoyBandera.html, the official flag of this Municipality consist of two (2) vertical bands: the left side is green and the right side is gold. The green band represents the plains of the Toa River (Present day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_de_la_Plata_(Puerto_Rico) and the golden half represents the sun that bathes our plains. The green band has two (2) keys one in gold and the other in silver. The keys symbolizes the Saint or "Patron" of the City: San Pedro el Apostol).
Coat of Arms [edit]
The waving stripe represents the Toa River, one of the first mentioned in the history of Puerto Rico, and in whose shores Juan Ponce de León tried to settle the first population of Puerto Rico.
The keys, crossed in vane, symbolize Saint Peter, patron saint of the town. In similar form they appear in the altar of the Parochial Church San Pedro Apostle, of Toa Baja. The F and the J, represent Don Fernando II of Aragón and V of Castile, and his daughter, Doña Juana, sovereign of Castile and León.
The handfuls of yucca refer to one of the main crop of this area, and constitute a symbol of the Indians who cultivated it, and whose main food was cassava or bread of yucca. The sugar cane stems refer to the cultivation and industry, that represented the main source of wealth of Toa Baja; the wealth is represented by gold of the field of the shield.
See also [edit]
- 2009 Sabana Seca massacre, Sabana Seca area of Toa Baja
References [edit]
- ^ http://welcome.topuertorico.org/maps/toabaja.pdf
- ^ Gómez, Antonio R. (November 15, 2012). "Los alcaldes más poderosos". El Nuevo Día.
- ^ Elecciones Generales 2008: Escrutinio General on CEEPUR
Books about Toa Baja [edit]
- Los Municipios de Puerto Rico - Toa Baja. Commissioned by the Department of Education in 1992.
- Padilla Melendez, Debra E., Toa Baja: Notas para su historia.
External links [edit]
- Toa Baja and its barrios, United States Census Bureau
- City of Toa Baja
- Toa Baja site on Puerto Rico portal
