Yabucoa, Puerto Rico facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yabucoa Municipio Autónomo de Yabucoa
Town and Municipality
Statue representing Puerto Rican soldier who fought in Vietnam / Korea, in front of a government building
Flag Coat of arms
Nicknames:  "Ciudad del Azúcar", "El Pueblo de Yuca", "Los Bebe Leche"
Anthem: "Yabucoa es mi Pueblo"
Map of Puerto Rico highlighting Yabucoa Municipality
Commonwealth	Puerto Rico
Founded	October 3, 1793
Founded by	Carlos Morales
Barrios	10 barrios Aguacate Calabazas Camino Nuevo Limones Guayabota Jácanas Juan Martín Playa Tejas Yabucoa barrio-pueblo
Area
• Total	83.26 sq mi (215.65 km2)
• Land	55.26 sq mi (143.11 km2)
• Water	28.01 sq mi (72.55 km2)
Population  (2020)
• Total	30,426
• Density	365.421/sq mi (141.090/km2)
Demonym(s)	Yabucoeños
Racial groups
• White	68.5%
• Black	8.6%
• American Indian/AN	0.6%
• Asian	0.3%
• Other Two or more races	13.6% 8.2%
Time zone	UTC−4 (AST)
ZIP Code	00767
Area code(s)	787/939
Major routes

Yabucoa is a town and municipality in Puerto Rico located in the eastern region, north of Maunabo; south of San Lorenzo, Las Piedras and Humacao; and east of Patillas. Yabucoa is spread over 9 barrios and Yabucoa Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The region of what is now Yabucoa belonged to the Taíno region of Guayaney, which covered a portion of the southeast region of Puerto Rico. The region was led by cacique Güaraca. After the Spanish colonization, the region of Yabucoa belonged to Humacao, and its territory was mostly used for cattle and farming. Yabucoa, as a town, was founded in October 3, 1793 when Don Manuel Colón de Bonilla and his wife, Catalina Morales Pacheco, donated the lands to the people.

Geography

The Municipality of Yabucoa is located in the south-eastern coast of Puerto Rico. The valley of Yabucoa is surrounded by the hills of the San Lorenzo Batholith,on three sides and by the Caribbean Sea on the fourth. The hills surrounding the Yabucoa valley as well as the bedrock underlying the alluvium in the valley are composed of the San Lorenzo Batholith, a large, igneous intrusive body emplaced during the Late Cretaceous (Rogers, 1977; Rogers and others, 1979). The San Lorenzo Batholith is a composite body that is composed of gabbro (Kd), diorite, tonalite, granodiorite, and quartz monzonite. The Cuchillas de Panduras, a fork of the Cordillera Central runs through its south. Santa Elena is one of its most prominent peaks with an altitude of 570 meters. Santa Elena is located in Juan Martin ward. Pandura peak rises 516 meters above sea level. Pandura is located in the Calabazas ward. The altitude of the hills surrounding the valley of Yabucoa reaches a maximum of about 650 m at the head of the Río Guayanes basin. The land surface in the Yabucoa valley slopes gently from an altitude of about 30 m above mean sea level, at the western edge of the valley, to sea level where the valley meets the Caribbean Sea.

Cityscape

Barrios

Yabucoa is divided into ten barrios or wards.

Tourism

Landmarks and places of interest

Culture

Festivals and events

Symbols

Flag

The design of the flag of Yabucoa is abstract, inspired by the colors of the municipal shield; green, white and violet.

Coat of arms

In the shield appear two angels the Santos Angeles Custodios, patron saints of Yabucoa. The color purple (violet) field of the shield represents the highest dignity of the angels. The walking sticks are attributes of the traveller, and refer to the holy office of the Angels as guides and companions in man's journey in his earthly life. The canes are adorned with guajana flowers, representing the wealth of the sugar cane. The green land where the angels stand symbolizes the fertile valley in which Yabucoa is located.

Transportation

One of the main roads to Yabucoa is the PR-3, which borders the east side of the island. Distance from the capital is approximately 1 hour.

In 2008, a tunnel connecting the town of Yabucoa with the town of Maunabo was completed. It is currently the longest on the island.

There are 41 bridges in Yabucoa.

Economy

Agriculture

Olein Recovery Corp. in Yabucoa in 2006

Yabucoa is known for its agricultural prowess because of the surrounding fertile valley that produces most of the island's plantain and bananas. Yabucoeños are known as the "sugar people" because most of the valley was used for sugar cane growth and because one of the most visible landmarks, seen when entering the municipality, is the old Hacienda Roig sugar mill, one of the last mills that produced sugar in Puerto Rico.

There's an oil recycling company, the only one in the Caribbean, called Olein Recovery Corp. operating in Yabucoa. During the COVID-19 pandemic Olein began manufacturing hand sanitizer.

Demographics

Notable Yabucoeños

• Nydia Velasquez - United States congresswoman
• Carmen Delgado Votaw (1935-2017) - Civil rights activist
• Christian Pagán - Winner of Idol Puerto Rico
• Santiago Vidarte (1828-1848) - Poet
• Antonio Ayuso Valdivieso (1899-1969) - Politician, lawyer, educator
• Jose Facundo Cintrón - Advocated in 1872 and 1873 for the end of slavery.
• Emilio Diaz Colon - member of the military
• Luis Diaz Colon -Politician, mayor of Yabucoa

Many residents of Yabucoa have served in the US military service and fought in US wars.

Images for kids

• 

  Map of landslides in Puerto Rico caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017

• 

  Subdivisions of Yabucoa

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  Sugarcane field in Yabucoa in 1941

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  Seagrape shrub at Playa Lucia in 2015

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  National Guard clearing debris in Yabucoa after Hurricane Maria in 2017

See also

In Spanish: Yabucoa para niños