Candelaria, Vega Alta, Puerto Rico facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Candelaria
Barrio
Karst landscape in Candelaria
Location of Candelaria within the municipality of Vega Alta shown in red
Candelaria, Vega Alta, Puerto Rico Location in Caribbean
Commonwealth	Puerto Rico
Municipality	Vega Alta
Area
• Total	5.44 sq mi (14.1 km2)
• Land	5.44 sq mi (14.1 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	502 ft (153 m)
Population
• Total	1,915
• Density	352/sq mi (136/km2)
	Source: 2010 Census
Time zone	UTC−4 (AST)

Candelaria is a barrio (which is like a neighborhood or district) located in the town of Vega Alta, Puerto Rico. In 2010, about 1,915 people lived there. It's a part of the beautiful island of Puerto Rico, which is a commonwealth of the United States.

History of Candelaria

Becoming Part of the United States

After the Spanish–American War ended in 1898, Spain gave Puerto Rico to the United States. This happened because of a special agreement called the Treaty of Paris of 1898. From that point on, Puerto Rico became an unincorporated territory of the United States. This means it's a territory that belongs to the U.S. but is not fully part of it like a state.

Early Population Count

Soon after, in 1899, the United States government wanted to know how many people lived in Puerto Rico. They did a special count called a census. During this census, they found that 863 people lived in the Candelaria barrio.

How Candelaria's Population Changed Over Time

The number of people living in Candelaria has changed quite a bit over the years. A census helps us track these changes. Here's how the population has grown and shrunk:

As you can see, the population has gone up and down. For example, it grew steadily until the 1950s, then dropped in the 1980s, and then grew again by 2010.

More to Explore

• List of communities in Puerto Rico