Ponce, Puerto Rico

Autonomous Municipality of Ponce Municipio Autónomo de Ponce
The City of Ponce as seen from El Vigia, with the Caribbean and Caja de Muertos in the background
Flag Seal
Nickname(s):  "La Perla del Sur", "Ciudad Señorial", "Ciudad de los Leones", "Ciudad de las Quenepas"
Location of Ponce within Puerto Rico. Location of Ponce within Puerto Rico.
Country	Puerto Rico
Non-incorporated Territory of	United States
Wards (barrios)	31
Founded	1692
Government
• Mayor	Dr. María Meléndez Altieri (NPP)
• Sen. dist.	5 - Ponce
• Rep. dist.	24, 25
Area
• City	193.61 sq mi (501.44 km2)
• Land	114.72 sq mi (297.13 km2)
• Water	78.88 sq mi (204.31 km2)
Elevation	160 ft (50 m)
Population  (2000)
• City	186,475
• Density	1,625/sq mi (627.6/km2)
• Metro	442,244
• Racial groups (2000 Census)	83.6% White 5.3% Black 0.3% American Indian/AN 0.1% Asian 0.1% Native Hawaiian/PI 5.4% Some other race 5.2% Two or more races
	Population of the City = 155,038; Population of the municipality = 186,475
Time zone	UTC-4 (AST)
ZIP codes	00715-00716, 00728, 00730-00734, 00780
Area code(s)	787, 939
Gentilic	Ponceños
Website	http://www.ponceweb.org
Anthem – "Perla del Sur"

Ponce (Template:Audio-es, Template:Pron-en, IPA: [ˈpɔnsɛ]) is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.

The city of Ponce, the second largest in Puerto Rico outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the great-grandson of Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León. Ponce is often referred to as La Perla del Sur (The Pearl of the South), La Ciudad Señorial (The Noble City), and La Ciudad de las Quenepas (Genip City). The city serves as the governmental seat of the autonomous municipality as well as the regional hub for various Government of Puerto Rico entities, such as the Judiciary of Puerto Rico. It is also the regional center for various other Commonwealth and federal government agencies.

The Municipality of Ponce, officially the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce, is located in the Southern Coastal Plain region of the island, south of Adjuntas, Utuado, and Jayuya; east of Peñuelas; west of Juana Díaz; and bordered on the south by the Caribbean. The municipality has a total of 31 barrios (wards), including 19 outside the city's urban area, plus those in the urban area of the city (12 additional barrios). The historic Ponce Pueblo district, located in the downtown area of the city, is shared by several of the downtown barrios, and is located approximately three miles inland from the shores of the Caribbean. Ponce is a principal city of both the Ponce Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Ponce-Yauco-Coamo Combined Statistical Area. The municipality of Ponce is the second largest in Puerto Rico by land area, and it was the first in Puerto Rico to obtain its autonomy on 27 October 1992 under a new law (The Autonomous Municipalities Act of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico) enacted by the Puerto Rican legislature.

History

File:Ponce town center (1900).jpg

Ponce's town center, circa 1900

Early settlers

The region of what is now Ponce belonged to the Taíno Guaynia region, which stretched along the southern coast of Puerto Rico. Agüeybana, a cacique who led the region, was among those that greeted Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León when he came to the island in 1508.

During the first years of the colonization, Spanish families started settling around the Jacaguas River, in the south of the island. For security reasons, these families moved to the banks of the Portugués River, then called Barayama. Starting around 1646 the whole area from the Rio Portugués to the Bay of Guayanilla was called Ponce. In 1670, a small chapel was raised in the middle of the small settlement and dedicated in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Among its earliest settlers were Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, and the Portuguese Don Pedro Rodríguez de Guzmán, from nearby San Germán.

On September 17, 1692, the King of Spain Carlos II issued a Cédula Real (Royal Permit) converting the chapel into a parish, and in so doing officially recognizing the small settlement as a hamlet. It is believed that Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, Juan Ponce de León's great-grandson, was instrumental in obtaining the royal permit to formalize the founding of the hamlet.

In the early 1700s Don Antonio Abad Rodriguez Berrios built a small chapel under the name of San Antonio Abad. The area would later receive the name of San Antón, a historically important part of modern Ponce.

19th century wave of immigrants

In the early 1800s, Ponce continue to be one of dozens of hamlets that dotted the Island. Its inhabitants survived by subsistence agriculture, cattle raising, and maritime contraband with foreigners. However, in the 1820s, three events took place that would dramatically changed the size of the town forever. The first of these events was the arrival of a significant number of French citizens, fleeing the Haitian Revolution of 1792-1804. The effect of this mass migration was not felt significantly until the 1820s. These French entrepreneurs were attracted to the area because of its large flatlands and came with enough capital, slaves, and commercial connections to make a significant impact in Ponce's sugar cane production. The second event was the arrival of landlords and merchants from Latin American countries (and in particular from Venezuela) resulting from the deterioration of the Spanish Empire in Central and South America when those countries gained their independence from Spain in the 1810s-1820s. The third event was the declaration of the Spanish Royal Decree of Graces of 1815, which allowed any citizen of a country politically friendly to Spain to settle in Puerto Rico as long as they converted to the Catholic faith and agreed to work in the agricultural business. With such mass migrations, not only the size of the town was changed, but the character of its population was changed as well. On July 29, 1848, and as a result of this explosive growth, the Ponce hamlet was declared a villa (village) by Queen Isabella II, and in 1877 the village obtained its city charter.

The Royal Decree of Graces of 1815, also brought a strong influx of immigrants from Europe, further strengthening its economy and assuring its progress. Immigrants came from regions like Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and other regions of eastern Spain, as well as from the United Kingdom, Germany and France. This was in addition to the wealthy Spaniards who fled from the independence revolts in Cuba, Colombia, and Venezuela.

File:Hacienda Buena Vista.jpg

Many mid 18th-century immigrants made fortunes in Ponce, like the owner of this coffee plantation (Hacienda Buena Vista) founded in 1833 and today one of many points of interest in the municipality

Some of these immigrants made considerable fortunes in coffee, corn and sugarcane harvesting, rum production, banking and finance, the importing of industrial machinery, iron foundries and other enterprises. At the time of the American invasion of the Island in 1898, Ponce was not only the largest city in Puerto Rico, but also had - since 1827 - the main financial center in the Island, the Island's first communications link to another country, the best capitalized financial institutions, and its own currency. It had consular offices for England, Germany, the Netherlands, and other nations.

While Europe was celebrating its Belle Époque (Victorian era), Ponce followed suit with its own exposition fair, the Ponce Fair. Following trends set in Europe and elsewhere, in 1877, Don Miguel Rosich conceptualized an exposition fair for Ponce. This was approved in 1880, and the exposition fair was held in the city in 1882, where several industrial and agricultural advancements were shown. "It is important to establish a relationship between the European exhibitions that I have mentioned and the Ponce Fair, as the Fair was meant as a showcase of the advancements of the day: Agriculture, Trade, Industry, and the Arts. Just as with the 1878 World's Fair in Paris, the electric grid of the city of Ponce was inaugurated on the first day of the Ponce Fair. In this occasion the Plaza Las Delicias and various other buildings, including the Merchatile Union Building, the Ponce Casino, and some of Ponce's homes were illuminated with the incandescent light bulb for the first time".

In 1899, Ponce was ravaged by an major fire. The fire threatened to destroy much of the south coast, but thanks to the firemen of Ponce (who operated from Ponce's Parque de Bombas fire station) Ponce and the south were saved. The fire station in the central plaza has since become a museum and tourist attraction. The station continued serving the Ponce community until 1990, when it was turned into a firefighting history museum.

Ponce in the 20th century

U.S. Invasion

US troopships and convoy at Playa de Ponce, in 1898, began a period of economic stagnation for Ponce

At the time of the U.S. invasion and occupation of Puerto Rico in 1898 during the Spanish–American War, Ponce was the largest city in the island. With a population of 22,000, Ponce had the best road in Puerto Rico, built by the Spaniards for military purposes and running from Ponce to San Juan. The taking of Ponce by American troops "was a critical turning point in the Puerto Rican campaign. For the first time the Americans held a major port to funnel large numbers of men and quantities of war material into the island." Ponce also had underwater telegraph cable connections with Jamaica and the West Indies, putting the US forces on the island in direct communication with Washington for the first time since the start of the campaign. Just prior to the United States occupation of the Island, Ponce was a flourishing and dynamic city with a significant number of public facilities, a large number of industries and commercial firms, and a great number of exquisite residences that reflected the high standing of its bourgeoisies.

The Americans disembarked at Playa de Ponce on July 27 via the Cincinnati, Dixie, Wasp, and Gloucester. Reinforcements arrived next day July 28, after marching from their landing at Guánica, under General Miles, and the Americans took possession of the city. There were skirmishes in the city, but no major battle was fought. On the Spanish side, three men were killed and 13 wounded, while four Americans were wounded. The American flag was raised in the town center that same day and most of the Spanish troops retreated into the surrounding mountains. The U.S. Army then established its headquarters in Ponce.

Period of stagnation

After the U.S. invasion, the Americans chose to centralize the administration of the island in San Juan, the capital, starting a period of socio-economic stagnation for Ponce. This was worsened by several factors:

• Hurricane San Ciriaco in 1899 had left the region in misery.
• The opening of sugar mills in Salinas, and Guánica, drew commercial and agricultural activity away from Ponce.
• The decadence in coffee plantations.
• The loss of the Spanish and Cuban markets.

This prompted the residents to initiate measures to attract economic activity back into the city. Also, a solid manufacturing industry surged that still remains. Examples of this are the Ponce Cement, Puerto Rico Iron Works, Vassallo Industries, and Destilería Serrallés.

Ponce massacre

Police open fire upon unarmed Nationalists in the Ponce Massacre of 1937

On March 21, 1937, a peaceful march organized by the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party to celebrate the 64th anniversary of the abolition of slavery turned into a bloody event when the Insular Police ("a force somewhat resembling the National Guard of the typical U.S. state" and which answered to U.S.-appointed governor Blanton Winship) opened fire upon what a U.S. Congressman and others reported were unarmed and defenseless cadets and bystanders, killing 19 and badly wounding over 200 more, many in their backs while running away. An ACLU report declared the event a massacre, and it has since been known as the Ponce massacre. It was the largest massacre in Puerto Rican history.

The history of this event can be viewed at the Ponce Massacre Museum on Marina Street. An open-air park in the city, the Pedro Albizu Campos Park, is dedicated to the memory of the leader of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos. Ponce has been identified as "the birthplace of Puerto Rican national identity." Ponce history in general is illustrated at the Ponce History Museum, on the block bordered by Isabel, Mayor, Cristina, and Salud streets in the historic downtown area.

Despite this tragedy, Ponce has continued to be a hub of political activity on the island, being the founding site of several major political parties. It has also been the birthplace of several important political figures of the island, including Luis A. Ferré and Rafael Hernández Colón, both former governors of Puerto Rico, as well as the childhood town of governor Roberto Sanchez Vilella.

The Mameyes landslide

The 1985 Mameyes landslide in Barrio Portugués Urbano killed over 100 people. It is the worst landslide disaster in North America

On October 7, 1985, Ponce was the scene of a major tragedy, when at least 129 people lost their lives to a mudslide in a sector of Barrio Portugués Urbano called Mameyes. International help was needed to rescue people and recover corpses. The United States and many other countries, including Mexico, France, and Venezuela, sent economic, human, and machinery relief. The Commonwealth government, subsequently, relocated hundreds of people to a new community built on stable ground. In 2005, the National Science and Technology Council's Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction of the United States reported that the Mameyes landslide held the record for having inflicted "the greatest loss of life by a single landslide" up to that year.

Recent history

Ponce has improved its economy in the last years. In recent years, Ponce has solidified its position as the second most important city of Puerto Rico based on its economic progress and increasing population. Ponce's mayor for 15 years (since 1989), Rafael Cordero Santiago, died in office on the morning of January 17, 2004, after suffering three consecutive strokes. Vice-mayor Delis Castillo Rivera de Santiago finished his term. Cordero was succeeded by Francisco Zayas Seijo. In the 2008 general elections María "Mayita" Meléndez was elected mayor of the city of Ponce.

The complete history of Ponce can be appreciated at the Museo de la Historia de Ponce, which opened in the city in 1992. It depicts the history of the city from its early settlement days until the end of the twentieth century.

Geography

The municipality of Ponce includes many acres of deep humid forests. The city of Ponce can be seen in the far background.

Ponce is a large municipality and only Arecibo is larger in land area in Puerto Rico. In terms of physical features, the municipality occupies a roughly rectangular area in south-central portion of the Island of approximately 10 miles wide (east-to-west) by 13 miles long (north-to-south). It has a surface area of 116.0 square miles. The main physiographic features of the municipality of Ponce are: (1) the mountainous interior containing the headwaters of the main river systems, (2) an upper plain, (3) a range of predominantly east-west trending limestone hills, (4) a coastal plain, and (5) a coastal flat. The northern two-thirds of the municipality consists of the mountainous interior, with the southern third divided between hills, coastal plains, and the coastal flat.

Ponce's municipal territory reaches the central mountain range to the north and the Caribbean Sea to the south. Geographically speaking, the southern area of the territory is part of the Ponce-Patillas alluvial plain subsector and the southern coastal plain, which were created by the consolidation of the valleys of the southern side of the central mountain range and the Cayey mountain range. The central area of the municipality is part of the semi-arid southern hills. These two regions are classified as being the driest on the island. The northern part of the municipality is considered to be within the rainy western mountains. The lowest elevation is sea level. The highest elevation is Cerro de Punta, at 1,338 meters (4,390 feet) over sea level. Cerro de Punta, which also happens to be the highest elevation in Puerto Rico, is located on the boundary between Ponce's Barrio Anón and Jayuya's Barrio Veguitas. Barrio Anón is home to Cerro Maravilla, a peak that at 1,245 meters is Puerto Rico's fourth highest peak.

Nineteen (19) barrios comprise the rural areas of the municipality, and the topology of their lands varies from flatlands to hills to extremely treacherous mountains. The hilly barrios of the municipality (moving clockwise around the outskirts of the city) are these seven: Quebrada Limón, Marueño, Magueyes, Tibes, Portugués, Machuelo Arriba, and Cerrillos. The barrios of Canas, Coto Laurel, Capitanejo, Sabanetas, Vayas, and Bucaná also surround the outskits of the city but these are mostly flat. The remaining six (6) other barrios are further away from the city and their topology is rugged mountain terrain. These are (clockwise): Guaraguao, San Patricio, Monte Llano, Maragüez, Anón, and Real. The ruggedness of these barrios is because through these areas of the municipality runs the Central Mountain Range of the Island.. The remaining barrios are part of the urban zone of the city. There are six barrios in the core urban zone of the municipality named Primero, Segundo, Tercero, Cuarto, Quinto, and Sexto. They are delimetered by streets, rivers, or major highways. For example, Barrio Tercero is bounded in the north by Isabel Street, in the east by the Rio Portugués, in the south by Comercio Street, and the west by Plaza Las Delicias. Barrio Tercero includes much of what is called the historic district.

There is a seismic detector that the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus, has placed in Barrio Cerrillos.

Land features

Cruzeta El Vigia marks the spot where during the 17th through 19th centuries a guard watched for merchant as well as enemy ships approaching the Ponce harbor

Elevations include Cerro de Punta at 1,338 meters (4,390 feet), the highest in Puerto Rico, located in Barrio Anón in the territory of the municipality of Ponce. Mount Jayuya, at 1,315 meters (4,314 feet) is located on the boundary between Barrio Anón and Barrio Saliente in Jayuya. Cerro Maravilla, at nearly 1,210 meters (3,970 feet) above sea level, is located to the east of Barrio Anón. There are many other mountains at lower elevations in the municipality, such as the Montes Llanos ridge and Mount Diablo, at 680 meters (2,231 feet) and Mount Marueño, at 640 meters (2,100 feet), and Pinto Peak, among others. Part of the Toro Negro Forest is located in Barrio Anón. Coastal promontories include Cuchara, Peñoncillo, Carnero, and Cabullón points. Fifty-six (56) percent of the municipality consists of slopes 10 degrees or greater.

Water features

The rivers comprising the hydrographic system of Ponce are Jacaguas, Inabón, Bucaná (Cerrillos), Portugués, Cañas, San Patricio, and Matilde (Pastillo). The Jacaguas River runs for a brief stretch on the southeast area of the municipality. The Inabón River springs from Anón ward and runs through the municipality for some 28.5 kilometers (18 miles); the tributaries of the Inabón are the Anón and Guayo rivers and the Emajagua Brook. The Bucaná River springs from Machuelo Arriba ward and runs for 29.5 kilometers (18.5 miles) into the Caribbean Sea. The tributaries of the Bucaná are the San Patricio, Bayagán, and Prieto Rivers and Ausubo brook. The Portugués River springs from the ward of that name in Adjuntas, and runs for 27.6 kilometers (17.3 miles) into the Caribbean sea at Ponce Playa ward. The Matilde River, also known as the Pastillo River, runs for 19 kilometers (12 miles); its tributaries are the Cañas River and the Limón and del Agua brooks. Lakes in Ponce include Bronce and Ponceña as well as lakes bearing numbers: Uno, Dos, Tres, and Cinco; and the Salinas lagoon, which is considered a restricted lagoon. Other water bodies are the springs at Quintana and the La Guancha and El Tuque beaches. There is also a beach at Caja de Muertos Island. Lake Cerrillos is located within the limits of the municipality.

Geographic features of the coast include Cabullón inlet, and Ratones, Cardona, Gato, and Fríos keys. Caja de Muertos Island and Morrillito islet are located at the boundary between Ponce and Juana Díaz. There is a mangrove covering an area of approximately 40 hectares at Cabullón promontory and Fríos keys. The mangrove at Salinas lagoon covers an area of about 15 hectares. The Rita cave is located in Cerrillos ward."

Climate

Ponce has winter highs averaging 87°F (30.5°C) and summer highs, 93°F (34°C). It has a record high of 100°F (38°C), which occurred on August 21, 2003, and a record low of 51 °F (10.5°C) which occurred on February 28, 2004, tieing the record low of 51 °F from January 25, 1993. The city averages about 40 inches of rain per year. The long-term mean annual rainfall in the municipality of Ponce ranges from 36 inches in the coastal plain to 100 in. at the highest elevations of the mountainous interior. The mean annual temperature in the municipality is 26 degrees Celsius (°C).

Cityscape

Architecture

The Museum of Puerto Rican Architecture, the only one in the Island, is housed in this 100-year old residence on Reina Street

During the 19th century, the city was witness to a flourishing architectural development. Architects like Francisco Valls, Manuel Víctor Domenech, Eduardo Salich, Blas Saliva Boucher, Agustín Camilo González, Alfredo Wiechers, Francisco Porrata Doria and Francisco Gardón Vega used a mixture of Art Nouveau and neoclassic styles to give the city a unique look. This can be seen in the various structures located in the center of the city like the Teatro La Perla. To showcase its rich architectural heritage, the city has opened the Museum of Puerto Rican Architecture at the Wiechers-Villaronga residence.

Many of the city's features (from house façades to street corners) are modeled on Barcelona's architecture, given the city's strong Catalonian heritage.

Barrios

The municipality of Ponce is made up of 31 barrios (wards/districts). The 2000 Census showed that Monte Llano is the least populated barrio in the municipality. The same census showed that barrio Canas was by far the most populated ward of the municipality. This, however, is not due to higher population density, but its larger area. At 68 persons per square mile, San Patricio was the least populated, while Cuarto was the most densely populated at 18,819 persons per square mile.

Ponce has nine (9) barrios that border neighboring municipalities. These are Canas, Quebrada Limon, Marueno, Guaraguao, San Patricio, Anón, Real, Coto Laurel, and Capitanejo. Canas and Capitanejo are also coastal barrios, and together with three (3) others (Playa, Bucana, and Vayas) make up the municipality's five coastal barrios. There are also five barrios within the city limits (Canas Urbano, Machuelo Abajo, Magueyes Urbano, Portugués Urbano, and San Anton) that in addition to the original six city core barrios—named Primero, Segundo, Tercero, Cuarto, Quinto, and Sexto—make up the eleven (11) urban zone barrios of the municipality. The remaining eight (8) barrios (Magueyes, Tibes, Monte Llano, Maraguez, Portugués, Machuelo Arriba, Cerrillos, Sabanetas) are located in the interior of the municipality. These last eight are outside the city limits and are neither coastal nor bordering barrios.

A summary of all the barrios of the municipality as given by the U.S. Census Bureau is as follows:

• Anón
• Bucaná
• Canas
• Canas Urbano
• Capitanejo
• Cerrillos
• Coto Laurel
• Cuarto

• Guaraguao
• Machuelo Abajo
• Machuelo Arriba
• Magueyes
• Magueyes Urbano
• Maragüez
• Marueño
• Monte Llano

• Playa
• Portugués
• Portugués Urbano
• Primero
• Quebrada Limón
• Quinto
• Real
• Sabanetas

• San Antón
• San Patricio
• Segundo
• Sexto
• Tercero
• Tibes
• Vayas

Barrios, their population, population density, and land and water areas:

No.	Barrio	Population (Census 2000)	Density mi−2	Total Area (mi²)	Land Area (mi²)	Water Area (mi²)
1	Anón	1669	129.9	12.85	12.85	0.00
2	Bucaná	3963	2957.5	2.16	1.34	0.81
3	Canas	34065	2349.3	22.82	14.50	8.32
4	Canas Urbano	21482	9299.6	2.31	2.31	0.00
5	Capitanejo	1401	355.4	4.82	3.95	0.88
6	Cerrillos	4284	1377.5	3.31	3.11	0.20
7	Coto Laurel	5285	1492.9	3.60	3.54	0.06
8	Cuarto	3011	18818.8	0.17	0.16	0.00
9	Guaraguao	1017	247.4	4.11	4.11	0.00
10	Machuelo Abajo	13302	7515.3	1.86	1.77	0.90
11	Machuelo Arriba	13727	2124.9	6.61	6.46	0.15
12	Magueyes	6134	1345.2	4.56	4.56	0.00
13	Magueyes Urbano	1332	1074.2	1.24	1.24	0.00
14	Maragüez	754	142.0	6.42	5.31	1.11
15	Marueño	1474	350.1	4.21	4.21	0.00
16	Monte Llano	462	214.9	2.15	2.15	0.00
17	Playa	16926	3864.4	14.98	4.38	10.60
18	Portugués	4882	1386.9	3.56	3.52	0.04
19	Portugués Urbano	5886	5163.2	1.14	1.14	0.00
20	Primero	3550	14200.0	0.25	0.25	0.00
21	Quebrada Limón	804	301.1	2.67	2.67	0.00
22	Quinto	724	6581.8	0.11	0.11	0.00
23	Real	3139	595.6	5.28	5.27	0.01
24	Sabanetas	6420	2351.6	2.79	2.73	0.06
25	San Antón	11271	10063.4	1.17	1.12	0.04
26	San Patricio	465	67.8	6.86	6.86	0.00
27	Segundo	11321	17416.9	0.65	0.65	0.00
28	Sexto	4745	18250.0	0.27	0.26	0.01
29	Tercero	773	9662.5	0.08	0.08	0.00
30	Tibes	866	123.5	7.01	7.01	0.00
31	Vayas	1338	187.9	10.47	7.12	3.35
	Ponce	186475	1625.5	193.6	114.7	78.9

Tourism

File:Castillo serrales2.jpg

The Serralles Castle, now open to the public, receives 100,000 visitors a year

Due to its historical importance throughout the years, Ponce features many points of interest for visiting tourists. The downtown area contains the bulk of Ponce's tourist attractions. Tourism has seen significant growth in recent years. In 2007, over 6,000 tourists visited the city via cruise ships. Passenger movement at the Mercedita Airport in FY 2008 was 278,911, an astounding 1,228% increase over fiscal year 2003 and the highest of all the regional airports for that 5-year period. Though not all of these were tourists, it represents a volume larger than the population of the city itself.

To support a growing tourist industry, around the 1970s, and starting with the Ponce Holiday Inn, several hotels have been built. Newer lodging additions include the Ponce Hilton Golf & Casino Resort, home to the new Costa Caribe Golf & Country Club, featuring a 27-hole PGA championship golf course. Many large hotel chains are also represented including Howard Johnson's, Ramada, and Quality Inn. The Melia Hotel has operated in the city continuosly since the early 1900s. Intercontinental, built in the 1940s is under refurbishment and expected to re-open atop the hill near El Vigia as the Magna Vista Resort. Other hotel projects in the works include the Ponce Plaza Hotel, Four Points by Sheraton, and Marriott Courtyard, among others.

Ponce en Marcha

In recent years an intensive $440 million revitalization project called "Ponce en Marcha" ("Ponce on the Move") has increased the city's historic area from 260 to 1,046 buildings. The Ponce en Marcha project was conceived in 1985 by then governor Rafael Hernández Colón during his second term in La Fortaleza. A significant number of buildings in Ponce are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The nonprofit Project for Public Places listed the historic downtown Ponce city center as one of the 60 of the World's Great Places, for its "graciously preserved showcase of Caribbean culture". The revitalized historic area of the city goes by various names, including "Ponce Centro" (Ponce Center), "Historic Ponce", and "Historic District."

Landmarks

The Lions Fountain in Plaza Las Delicias.

The city has been christened as Museum City for its many quality museums. All museums in Ponce are currently under municipal government administration. On September 15, 2004, the last four museums not under local control were transferred from the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture to the Ponce Municipal Government by act of the Puerto Rico Legislature. Downtown Ponce in particular features several museums and landmarks.

Plaza Las Delicias, the town's main square, features a beautiful fountain (namely, the "Lions Fountain"), the Ponce Cathedral, and Parque de Bombas. This plaza is also a usual gathering place for "ponceños". Other buildings around Ponce's main plaza include the Casa Alcaldía (Ponce City Hall), the oldest colonial building in the city, dating to the 1840s, and the Armstrong-Poventud Residence, an example of the neoclassical architectural heritage of the island.

Just north of downtown Ponce lies the Serrallés Castle and the Cruceta El Vigía, a 100-foot observation tower which overlooks the city. The Serralles castle is reported to receive nearly 100,000 visitors every year. The hill on which the Cruceta is located was originally used by scouts to scan for incoming mercantile ships as well as invading ones. The invasion of American troops in 1898 was first spotted from here.

Puerto Rico's oldest cemetery is in Ponce; in fact, it is the oldest cemetery in the Antilles. In the city outskirts, the Tibes Indigenous Ceremonial Center was discovered in 1975 after hurricane rains uncovered pottery. The center is the site of the oldest cemetery uncovered up to date in the Antilles. With some 200 skeletons unearthed from the year 300 AD it is considered the largest and the most important archaeological finding in the West Indies. Two other cemeteries in Ponce worth noting are the Panteón Nacional Román Baldorioty de Castro and the Cementerio Catolico San Vicente de Paul, both of which are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Cementerio Catolico San Vicente de Paul has the most eye-catching burial constructions of any cemetery for the wealthiest families, both local and foreign-born, of southern Puerto Rico.

La Guancha Boardwalk as seen from the Boardwalk's observation tower

Also in the city outskirts is Hacienda Buena Vista, an estate built in 1833 originally to growing fruits. It was converted into a coffee plantation and gristmill in 1845. It remained in operation until 1937, then fell into disrepair, but was restored by the government's Fideicomiso de Conservación de Puerto Rico. All the machinery works (the metal parts) are original, operated by water channeled from the 360m Vives waterfall; there is a hydraulic turbine which makes the corn mill work.

Paseo Tablado La Guancha is located in the town's sea shore. It features kiosks with food and beverages, an open-space stage for activities, and a marina called Club Náutico de Ponce. From the observation tower on the boardwalk, Cardona Island Light can be seen. A 45-minute boat ride is also available to Isla de Caja de Muertos (Coffin Island), a small beach island with an 1887 lighthouse.

The city is also building an aquarium, that will double as the "Oceanographic Studies Center of the Caribbean. It is due for completion in 2010. As of 2008, the city had also engaged in the development of a convention center with a capacity for 3,000 people. It is also to include two major hotels, apartment buildings and recreational facilities. Puerto Rico Route 143 (PR-143), known as the Panoramic Route, runs edging near the municipality's northern border.

Culture

The city is home to a long list of cultural assets including libraries, museums, galleries, and parks, hundreds of buildings of historical value including schools, residences, bridges, and estates, and frequent activities such as festivals and carnivals. The municipality invests close to half a million dollars in promoting its cultural assets. It established its first library in 1894 and, as of 2007 had a new central library with five other branches scattered throughout the municipality.

The childhood home in Ponce of Antonio Paoli, one of Puerto Rico's greatest musical performers ever

The city values its cultural traditions as evidenced by the revitalization project Ponce En Marcha. It is deeply rooted in its old cultural, artistic, and musical heritage. The love for art and architecture, for example, can be appreciated at its museums of art, music, and architecture. "Over the last century or so, the north [i.e., San Juan] willingly accepted the influence of western culture with its tendency toward large sprawling metropolises, and the displacement of old values and attitudes. Ponce, on the other hand, has been content to retain its old traditions and culture. Ponce is not concerned about losing its long standing position as the second largest city in population after San Juan. On the contrary, she prefers to maintain her current size, and stick to its old traditions and culture."

Some argue that the Ponceño culture is different from the rest of the Island: "Ponceños have always been a breed apart from other Puerto Ricans. Their insularity and haughtiness are legendary, and some Puerto Ricans claim that even the dialect in Ponce is slightly different from that spoken in the rest of the Island. They are also racially different: you'll see more people of African descent in Ponce than anywhere else in the Island except Loiza." Others claim that Ponceños exhibit considerable more civic pride than do residents of other locales. The most important statesman of the time in the Island, Luis Munoz Rivera, by the close of the 19th century referred to Ponce as "the most Puerto Rican city of Puerto Rico."

Music

The artistic development also flourished during this period. The surging of popular rhythms like Bomba and Plena took place in the south region of the island, mainly in Ponce. Barrio San Antón is known as one of the birthplaces of the rhythm. Every July, Ponce celebrates an annual festival of Bomba and Plena which includes various musicians and parades.

Immigrants from Spain, Italy, France, Germany, and England came to Ponce to develop an international city that still maintains its rich Taíno and African heritage. The African personality, belief, and music add flavor and colorful rhythm to Ponce's culture. Part of this are the influences of the Bomba and Plena rhythms. These are a combination and Caribbean and African music.

Ponce has also been the birthplace of several well-known singers and musicians. From opera singers like Antonio Paoli, who was renowned all around the world during the early 1900s, to contemporary singers like Ednita Nazario (pop) and Tempo (reggaeton). Also, countless Salsa singers like Héctor Lavoe, Cheo Feliciano, and Ismael Quintana also come from the city.

Dating back to 1858, Ponce's Carnival is the oldest in Puerto Rico, and acquired an international flavor for its 150th anniversary. It is one of the oldest carnivals celebrated in the Western Hemisphere. It features various parades with masked characters representative of good and evil.

The Museum of Puerto Rican Music, located at the Serrallés-Nevárez family residence in downtown Ponce, illustrates music history on the Island, most of which had its origin and development in Ponce.

No discussion of music in Ponce would be complete without rendering honor to the great performances of King of Tenors Antonio Paoli and danza master Juan Morel Campos, both from Ponce. Today, there is a statue of Juan Morel Campos that adorns the Plaza Las Delicias city square, and the home where Paoli was born and raised functions as the Puerto Rico Center for Folkloric Research, a research center for Puerto Rican culture.

Arts

The Museo de Arte de Ponce is a mecca for the arts in the Island

Ponce's love for the arts dates back to at least 1864 when the Teatro La Perla was built. Ponce is also the birthplace of artists like Miguel Pou, Horacio Castaing, and several others in the fields of painting, sculpture, and others. The City is one of only seven cities in the Western Hemisphere (the others being Mexico City, Havana, Valparaíso, Buenos Aires, Mar del Plata, and Rosario) in the Ruta Europea del Modernisme, an international non-profit association for the promotion and protection of Art Nouveau heritage in the world.

Today, Ponce has more museums (nine) than any other municipality in the Island. Ponce is home to the Museo de Arte de Ponce (MAP), founded in 1959 by fellow ponceño Luis A. Ferré. The museum was operated by Ferré until his death at the age of 99, and it is now under the direction of the Luis A. Ferré Foundation. Designed by Edward Durell Stone, renowned architect of Radio City Music Hall and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, MAP is the only museum of international stature on the Island, the only one accredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM), and the only one that has received a design prize of honor from the American Institute of Architects (AIA). It houses the most extensive art collection in the Caribbean.

Sports

File:LeonPonce.gif

Leones de Ponce basketball team logo

Most of Ponce's professional teams are called the Leones de Ponce (Ponce Lions, or Ponce Lionesses as the case may be) regardless of the sport. The Leones de Ponce basketball team is one of the leading teams of the island winning a total of twelve championships during their tenure. The team's venue is the Juan Pachín Vicéns Auditorium. The teams of baseball and volleyball (male and female) have also been fairly successful. The baseball team venue is the Francisco Montaner Stadium. The stadium is located next to the Juan Pachín Vicéns Auditorium.

In 2007 Ponce was host to Club Atlético River Plate Puerto Rico football team, which currently plays in the Puerto Rico Soccer League. The league plays at the Francisco Montaner Stadium and are expected to play in the United Soccer Leagues, Division 1, in 2008, becoming the second professional soccer team in Puerto Rico to join the League. Ponce was also host to the 1993 Central American and Caribbean Games.

The Francisco "Pancho" Coimbre Sports Museum, named after the baseball player of the same name, was dedicated to the honor of Puerto Rico's great sports men and women. It is located on the grounds of the Charles H. Terry Atlethic Park on Lolita Tizol Street, just north of the entrance to Historic Ponce at Puente de los Leones (Lions' Bridge) and the Ponce Tricentennial Park.

Recreation

File:Playadelaguancha2.jpg

La Guancha Beach at La Guancha, one of three salt-water beaches in Ponce

The municipality is home to several parks and beaches, including both passive and active parks. Among the most popular passive parks are the Julio Enrique Monagas Family Park on Ponce By-Pass Road (PR-2) at the location where the Portugués and Bucana rivers merge. The Parque Urbano Dora Colon Clavell, another passive park is in the downtown area. Active parks include the Charles H. Terry Athletic Field, and several municipal tennis courts. There are also many public basketball courts scattered throughout the various barrios of the municipality.

The municipality has three beaches, namely, El Tuque Beach in the El Tuque sector on highway PR-2 west of the city, La Guancha Beach at the La Guancha Sector south of the city, and Caja de Muertos Beach at Isla Caja de Muertos, offshore. A ferry must be boarded at La Guancha for transportation to Caja de Muertos Beach.

Religion

Religion had traditionally been an intrinsic part of Puerto Rican culture until the U.S. invasion in 1898, with the Roman Catholic Church the de facto state church in the Island. The Roman Catholic Ponce Cathedral, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, was built in 1839. The Royal Decree of Graces of 1815, had made it possible for non-Catholics to immigrate to Puerto Rico, but it still did require a vow of alliance to the Catholic Church for those non-Catholics agreeing to settle in the island.

With the U.S. invasion there was a significant change in the religious landscape in the City and in Puerto Rico at large. "The Protestant missionaries followed the footprints of the United States soldiers, right after the Treaty of Paris was ratified and Puerto Rico was ceded to the American government." By March 1899, eight months after the occupation, executives from the Methodists, Episcopalians, Baptists, Presbyterians, and others, had arranged for an evangelical division whereby Ponce would have Evangelical, Baptist, and Methodist "campaigns". With the passing of the Foraker Act in 1900, which established total separation between Church and State, the absolute power of the Catholic Church eroded quickly. Various churches were then established and built in Ponce that are today historic sites. Among them are the McCabe Memorial Church (Methodist) (1908), and the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church (Episcopalian) (1907).

The bells of the Episcopalian-faith Holy Trinity Church in Playa de Ponce, ran for the first time upon the arrival of the Americans on July 25, 1898. Built in 1873, the church was allowed to function by the Spanish Crown under the conditions that its bell would not be rung, its front doors would always remain closed and its services would be offered in English only.

Today, Ponce is home to a mix of religious faiths; both Protestants and Catholics, as well as Muslims, have places of worship in Ponce. Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Pentecostals, Adventists, Evangelicals, Disciples of Christ, and Congregationalists are among the Protestant faiths with a following in Ponce. Catholicism, however, is the faith that a majority of ponceños identify themselves with. The Catholic Church has 18 parishes in the municipality of Ponce, two bishops and 131 priests.

Economy

Before its merger with Banco Popular in 1991, Banco de Ponce (above) had the most extensive international network of branches of any Puerto Rican bank

Traditionally the city's economy had depended almost entirely on the sugar cane industry. Since around the 1950s, however, the town's economy has diversified and today its economy revolves around a mixed-industry manufacturing sector, retail, and tourism. The soon-to-be-completed mega port is expected to add significantly to the area's economy. Agriculture, retail, and services are also significant players in the local economy. "It is an agricultural, trade, and distribution center. Industries include tourism, the processing of agricultural products, rum distilling, canning, and diamond cutting. Manufactures include textiles, shoes, cement, paper, electrical devices, and metal products." The city, though, suffers from an unemployment rate that hovers around the 15 percent mark.

Manufacturing

The municipality is considered one of the most developed municipalities in Puerto Rico. Its manufacturing sectors include electronic and electrical equipment, communications equipment, food processing, pharmaceutical drugs, concrete plants, and scientific instruments. It also produces leather products, needlework, and fish flour to a lesser extend. Ponce is home to the Serralles rum distillery, which manufactures Don Q, Captain Morgan, and Parrot Bay rums. It is also home to Industrias Vassallo, a leader in PVC manufacturing. Another important local manufacturer is Ponce Cement.

Agriculture

Atocha Promenade is part of El Ponce Tradicional, the old historic district

In the agricultural sector, the most important products are coffee, followed by plantains, bananas, oranges, and grapefruits. A mix of public and private services, as well as finance, retail sales, and construction round up Ponce's economic rhythm. Cafe Rico, which metamorphosed from coffee-grower Cafeteros de Puerto Rico, has its headquarters in Ponce.

Retail

For many years commercial retail activity in Ponce centered around what is now Paseo Atocha. This has shifted in recent years, and most retail activity today occurs in one of Ponce's various malls, in particular Plaza del Caribe. Centro del Sur is also a significant retail area, as is Ponce Mall.

Mega port

Ponce is home to Puerto Rico's chief Caribbean port, the Port of Ponce. The port is currently under expansion to transform it into a mega port, called the Port of the Americas that will operate as an international transshipment port. When fully operational, it is expected to support 100,000 jobs.

Demographics

Population During Spanish Colonial Times

Year	Pop.	±%
1765	3,314	—
1776	5,674	+71.2%
1800	7,234	+27.5%
1824	9,878	+36.5%
1828	14,927	+51.1%
1836	16,970	+13.7%
1846	21,799	+28.5%
1857	20,205	−7.3%
1860	28,156	+39.4%
1876	33,514	+19.0%
1887	42,388	+26.5%
1897	49,000	+15.6%
1900	55,477	+13.2%
1910	63,444	+14.4%
Source:New Pheonix and Freepages

Population During U.S. Colonial Times

Year	Pop.	±%
1900	55,477	—
1910	63,444	+14.4%
1920	71,426	+12.6%
1930	87,604	+22.7%
1940	105,116	+20.0%
1950	126,810	+20.6%
1960	145,586	+14.8%
1970	158,891	+9.1%
1980	189,046	+19.0%
1990	187,749	−0.7%
2000	186,475	−0.7%
Source: "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau.

Demographic distribution

Racial distribution

Race - Ponce, Puerto Rico - 2000 Census
Race	Population	% of Total
White	155,907	83.6%
Black/African American	9,924	5.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native	566	0.3%
Asian	247	0.1%
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	145	0.1%
Some other race	10,059	5.4%
Two or more races	9,627	5.2%

Ponce has consistently ranked as one of the most populous cities in Puerto Rico. In fact, in 1899 it was the largest city in the Island. Ponce's current population, according to the 2000 census, stands at 186,475, with a population density of 116.0 persons per square mile (278.4/km²), ranking third in terms of population among Puerto Rican municipalities.

Statistics taken from the 2000 census show that 83.6% of Ponceños have Spanish or White origin, and 5.3% are black, with peoples of Amerindian, Asian, Mixed and other origins making up the rest. At 83.6% vs. 76.2% for the Island as a whole, Ponce has the highest Spanish / white population concentration of any municipality in Puerto Rico.

Thorough demographics information for Ponce can be found HERE.

Government

Ponce City Hall (above), built in the 1840s, is the oldest colonial building in the city.

Since its foundation in 1692, the city of Ponce has been led by a mayor. Its first mayor was Don Pedro Sánchez de Matos. The current mayor is Dr. María Meléndez Altieri of the New Progressive Party, becoming the first woman to be elected for the office in the city's history. Perhaps its best known mayor of recent years has been Rafael Cordero Santiago, who held office since 1989 until his sudden death on the morning of January 17, 2004, after suffering three successive brain strokes. After vice-mayor Delis Castillo finished his term, Francisco Zayas Seijo was elected mayor in 2005.

The city also has a municipal legislature that handles local legislative matters. Ponce has had a municipal council since 1812. The municipal legislature is composed of 16 civilians elected during the general elections, along with the mayor, state representatives and senators. The delegations are, until the 2012 general election, distributed as follows: 13 legislators of the New Progressive Party, 2 legislators of the Popular Democratic Party, and 1 legislator who represents the "Movimiento Autónomo Ponceño".

The Ponce City Hall has one of the most unusual histories of any city hall throughout the world. "Originally built in the 1840s as a public assembly hall, Ponce's current City Hall was a jail until the end of the 19th century. Current galleries were former cells, and executions were held in the courtyard. Four U.S. presidents spoke from the balcony - Theodore Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover, Franklin Roosevelt and George Bush." It is registered with the National Register of Historic Places.

In 2005, the municipality's budget was $152 million US dollars. From a business perspective, the Ponce municipal government is generally praised for its efficiency and speediness, thanks to its adoption of the Autonomous Municipality Law of 1991.

Symbols

The coat of arms of Ponce contains a red and black coloured shield. There is a five tower gold crown that indicates that Ponce is a city by royal decree. As an exterior frame to shield, there is a sugarcane plant on the right of the shield, and to the left a coffee tree branch.

The shield of Ponce is divided by a diagonal line that crosses straight from the superior end to the left inferior end. In this divided field is the color red (for the fire that almost destroyed the city), that covers the superior right portion and the color black (for the ashes after that fire). On that black and red background is a yellow lion with black mane, walking towards the left of the shield, facing right of the shield. The lion is on a bridge, meaning that you must cross a river to enter the city by any region. The shield is bordered by a coffee plant branch and a sugar cane plant, in which the early economy of the city was based.

Municipal services

Fire protection

Parque de Bombas - Long the iconic symbol of the city, was the first fire station in Puerto Rico

The city's fire department has a history of firsts, including being the first organized fire department in the Island. As the largest city in the island at the time, and de facto economic and social center of Puerto Rico, this in effect also created the first Puerto Rico Fire Department. The Ponce Fire Department also built the first fire station in the Island, which still stands to this day, and is now open as the Parque de Bombas museum. Also, in 1951, Ponce's Fire Chief Raúl Gándara-Cartagena, wrote a book on the firemen's service, which became a firemen's manual in several Latin American countries. In recognition of the service rendered by its fire fighters, the City of Ponce built them homes resulting in the creation of the 25 de Enero Street near the city's historic district.

Major fires

The city has withstood some nearly catasthrophic fires.

A major fire took place on February 27, 1820, that "almost destroyed the early Ponce settlement". It destroyed 106 "of the best homes in town." In 1823, then Governor of Puerto Rico, Miguel de la Torre mandated that "every male from 16 to 60 years old must be a firefighter". Those firefighters had to supply their own fire fighting equipment (essentially picks, buckets, and shovels). Unfortunately, once De la Torre left office, this first fire fighting institution started to decay.

Another huge fire occurred in La Playa in March, 1845, that destroyed "most of the Ponce vecinity." It significantly damaged the Spanish Customs House in Ponce, this being one of the few building left standing after the fire. The fire burned down the major buildings of the "Marina de Ponce". After this horrendous fire, then governor of Puerto Rico Conde de Mirasol (born Rafael de Aristegui y Velez), created a new fire fighting organism staffed by volunteers.

In 1862, the Ponce Firefighters Corps was reorganized under the administration of Ponce mayor Luis de Quixano y Font, and Tomás Cladellas was named fire chief. In 1879 the Ponce Fire Corps reorganizes again, with a new fire chief, local architect Juan Bertoly. It then reorganizes once more, this time in a more definitive fashion, in 1883 when Máximo Meana was mayor of Ponce. This time the Ponce Fire Corps was made up of 400 fire fighters. Its leadership was made up of Julio Steinacher, fire chief, Juan Seix, second fire chief, Oscar Schuch Olivero, Chief of Brigade, and Fernando M. Toro, Supervisor of the Gimastics Academy. Concurrent with this, the music band was organized. In September of that same year (1883), Juan Morel Campos formally organized the Ponce Fire Corps Municipal Band which exists to this day.

The third Ponce fire of large proportions occurred on January 25, 1899. The fire was fought by a group of firefighters amongst whom was Pedro Sabater and the civilian Rafael Rivera Esbrí, who would later become mayor of the city. The fire started at the U.S. Munitions Depot on the lot currently occupied by the Ponce High School building and grounds. The heroes in that fire, believed to have saved the city from certain annihilation, are remembered to this day with monuments on their tombs as well as in a monument in the city square Plaza Las Delicias.

Police

The Ponce Police Department consists of a force of some 500 officers.

The Puerto Rico Police Department is the main police department for the municipality of Ponce, with headquarters located on Hostos Avenue, and commands the five precincts in the town: Villa, La Playa, Morell Campos, La Rambla, and El Tuque. The municipal coverage of the police force is as follows:

• The Villa precinct cover barrios Primero, Segundo, Tercero, Cuarto, Quinto, and Sexto, and Portugués Urbano. This precinct includes the historic Ponce district.
• The La Playa precinct covers barrios La Playa, Capitanejo, Bucana, and Vayas.
• The La Rambla precinct covers barrios Anón, Real, Maraguez, Cerrillos, Coto Laurel, Sabanetas, San Patricio, Monte Llano, Machuelo Arriba, Machuelo Abajo, and Portugués.
• The El Tuque precinct covers barrios Canas and Canas Urbano.
• The Morell Campos precinct covers barrios Guaraguao, Marueño, Tibes, Magueyes, Magueyes Urbano, and Quebrada Limon.

The Ponce Police Department provides police protection within the city limits.

Crime

In 2002, most of the homicides were occurring in San Juan and the greater metropolitan areas of Bayamón, Carolina and Caguas, but Ponce also had a high homicide rate. Also in 2002, Puerto Rico law enforcement officials drafted plans to increase the number of forensic investigators by 25%. The investigators, assigned to the Institute of Forensic Sciences in San Juan, covered homicides in about 65 percent of the island, but the institute was considering assigning Ponce its own unit. By mid-year 2005, there had been 25 more murder cases in Ponce than for all of 2004, a significant increase.

The police acknowledged that most crime cases in Puerto Rico are linked to drug-trafficking and illegal weapons. In mid-July 2005, Gov. Aníbal Acevedo Vilá announced a series of measures aimed at lowering Ponce's high murder rate. Some of those measures included the permanent transfer of 100 agents to the area, the appointment of a ballistics expert from the Institute of Forensic Sciences and of two prosecutors for the Department of Justice in Ponce. Puerto Rico Police Superintendent Pedro Toledo admitted that more than 100 agents are actually needed in the Ponce region in 2005, but that "there would be no additional transfers at the moment to avoid affecting other police areas."

Ponce is a convenient transition point for drug smugglers due to its location on the Caribbean Sea and its proximity to Colombia and Venezuela. From there packages are then transborded to the United States by various means including the United States Postal Service. The city is included in the area's HIDTA region. HIDTA stands for High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.

As most of the crime in Ponce is connected to the drug-trade, police have an eye on illegal smuggling through the Port of Ponce A 2008 goverenment report stated that, "Drug smuggling in containerized cargo is a significant maritime threat to the HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area)region. The vast and increasing quantity of goods transshipped through the region every year provides drug traffickers with ample opportunity to smuggle illicit drugs into, through, and from the area. The Port of Americas (POA), an expansion project of the Port of Ponce in Puerto Rico, handled an estimated 504,044 short tons of cargo in 2007, and is projected to handle over 1.5 million in 2012." Recently local police scored some points in their fight against drug-trafficking.

For the Ponce MSA, which includes the city of Ponce, its nineteen surrounding municipal barrios, the municipality of Juana Diaz, and the municipality of Villalba, crime data was tabulated in 2002 (Total MSA Population: 364,849). No data is available for the city or for the municipality of Ponce alone. The following statistics are registered:

Category	Number	Rate per 100,000
Violent crime*	929	254.6
Property crime**	5,938	1,627.5
Murder and NNMS***	83	22.7
Forcible rape	25	6.9
Robbery	525	143.9
Aggravated assault	296	81.1
Burglary	1,588	435.2
Larceny-theft	3,803	1,042.3
Motor vehicle theft	547	149.9

Notes:

• *Violent crimes include: murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.
• **Property crimes include: burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft.
• ***NNMS, non-negligent manslaughter

Source: FBI

Education

Front entrance of the of Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico, one of over 10 centers of higher learning in the city

Ponce is home to many public and private schools. As with the rest of Puerto Rico, Ponce's public education is handled by the Puerto Rico Department of Education.

There are also several colleges and universities located in the city, offering higher education, including degrees in medicine, law, and pharmacy. Some of these are:

• Caribbean University - Ponce
• Inter-American University of Puerto Rico
• Ponce School of Medicine
• Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico
  • Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law
• University of Puerto Rico at Ponce
• Turabo University - Ponce College Center
• Seminario Evangélico de Puerto Rico

There are also several other technical institutions like the Instituto de Banca y Comercio, and the Ponce Paramedical College.

Nova Southeastern University, based in Fort Lauderdale, has a School of Pharmacy campus in Ponce.

Health care

The city is served by a large number of clinics and hospitals. Among those providing the most comprehensive care are Hospital Dr. Pila, Hospital San Cristobal, Hospital San Lucas, Hospital de Damas, Hospital Oncologico Andres Grillasca, Ponce Regional Hospital, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Outptient Clinic. Hospital de Damas is listed in the U.S. News & World Report as one of the best hospitals in the nation.

Transportation

Due to its commercial and industrial significance, Ponce has consistently been a hub of transportation to the rest of the island. In 1907, a train line that ran from Ponce to San Juan was completed and used mostly for transporting sugarcane. The train was operated by American Railroad Corporation. Railroads, however, fell out of use once the island changed its economic focus from agriculture to manufacturing. Abandoned railroads can still be found at various places in the outskirts of the city. Around 1930, Ponce already boasted its own port facilities for large cargo ships. The port is still one of the busiest ports of the island for commerce. It is currently known as the Port of the Americas and is under expansion to convert it into a major international shipping hub.

Ponce's Mercedita Airport handles both intra-island and international flights. The airport, coded PSE, used to be a private airfield belonging to Destileria Serralles before it became a commercial airport serving the Ponce area. It is located 3 miles east of downtown, just off Puerto Rico Highway 52 and Puerto Rico Highway 1. There is daily air service to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in the San Juan area as well as non-stop service to points in the United States.

Puerto Rico Highway 52 provides access to Salinas, Caguas, and San Juan. PR-2 grants access to southwestern and western municipalities as a full-access freeway. The PR-10 highway, which is still under construction, provides access to the north of the island (Arecibo). PR-1 provides access to various points east and southeast of Ponce, while PR-14 provides access to Coamo and other points in the central mountains. PR-132 grants country-side access to the town of Peñuelas. PR-123 is the old road to Adjuntas and, while treacherous, it does provide an appreciation for countryside living in some of the municipality's barrios.

The city is also served by a network of local highways and freeways. Running entirely within the municipal limits are PR-12, PR-9, PR-133, and PR-163. Freeway PR-12 runs north and south from the Port of Ponce to connect with PR-14 on the northern part of the city. PR-9, also known as the Circuito de Circumnavegacion de Ponce (Ponce's Circumferential Highway), is a highway still partly under construction. It currently runs mostly north of the city and connects PR-52 to PR-10 in an east-to-west fashion; when completed it will run as a beltway around most of the eastern and northern sections of the city. PR-133, Calle Comercio, and connects PR-2 to PR-132 in the city center. It is an extension of PR-1 from its PR-2 terminus into the city ccenter. PR-163 crosses the City east-to-west connecting PR-52 and PR-14.

Ponce's public transportation system consists of taxicabs and share taxi service service consisting of public cars and vans known as publicos. Most publicos depart from a terminal hub located in downtown Ponce. There is also a trolley system reminiscent to the one from the 19th century that travels through the downtown streets, mostly used by tourists. There is also a small train that can drive tourists from the downtown area to the Paseo Tablado La Guancha, and a ferry that provides service to Isla de Caja de Muertos.

Notable Ponceños

The following is a list of Ponceños who have distigushed themselves at the international or the national level.

• Antonio Paoli, the "The King of Tenors", and considered to be the first Puerto Rican to reach international fame in the musical arts
• Denise Quiñones, Miss Universe contest winner
• Ednita Nazario, Latin Grammy nominated singer and songwriter
• Federico Degetau, first Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico to the United States House of Representatives
• Isolina Ferré, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
• Juan Morel Campos, musician, composer, and inductee into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame
• Juan Serrallés, founder of Destilería Serralles, producers of Ron Don Q, a world-renowned brand of rum
• Luis A. Ferré, philanthropist, industrialist, politician, and founder of the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico
• Orlando Cepeda, inductee into the American National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
• Pedro Albizu Campos, leader and 35-year president of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party
• Rafael Hernández Colón, politician, Governor of Puerto Rico
• Ruth Fernández, first Puerto Rican woman singer at the celebrated Metropolitan Opera House in New York City
• Héctor Lavoe, Internationally known salsa singer

International relations

Consulates

The following country has consular offices in Ponce:

• Dominican Republic

Sister cities

The following is the sister city for Ponce:

• Zaragoza, Spain

External links

• Ponce official site
• Information about Ponce's touristic places
• Ponce and its barrios, United States Census Bureau
• Historic Places in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary
• Commonwealth Laws Regarding Autonomous Municipalities
• Text of Autonomous Municipalities Law (in Spanish)
• Official Website of Municipality of Ponce. Ponce y su Importancia Historica
• Centro Ceremonial Indígena de Tibes Video & Contact Info at EyeTour Puerto Rico