San Germán
| San Germán | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 seal |
 flag |
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| Location in Puerto Rico | |||
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| Basic data | |||
| Foundation : | 1573 | ||
| State : | United States | ||
| Outside area : | Puerto Rico | ||
| Coordinates : | 18 ° 5 ′ N , 67 ° 2 ′ W | ||
| Time zone : | Atlantic Standard Time ( UTC − 4 ) | ||
| Residents : | 37,105 (as of: 2000) | ||
| Population density : | 262.8 inhabitants per km 2 | ||
| Area : | 141.18 km 2 (approx. 55 mi 2 ) of which 141.18 km 2 (approx. 55 mi 2 ) is land |
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| Height : | 60 m | ||
| Postcodes : | 00683, 00636 | ||
| Area code : | +1 787 939 | ||
| FIPS : | 72-76167 | ||
| GNIS ID : | 1612690 | ||
 The new town hall of San Germán |
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San Germán is a city in southwest Puerto Rico .
geography
Geographical location
San Germán is located south of Mayagüez and Maricao , north of Lajas , east of Hormigueros and Cabo Rojo and west of Sabana Grande .
geology
In the area of San Germán are the mountains Alto del Descanso (768 m) and Tetas de Cerro Gordo (883 m). The rivers Caín, Duey, Rosario, Guanajibo (Estero), Hoconuco and Guamá flow here.
Expansion of the urban area
With 37,105 inhabitants (as of 2000) on an area of 141.18 km², this results in a population density of 262.8 inhabitants per km².
City structure
San Germán extends over 18 boroughs and the pueblo (downtown and administrative center). In a narrower definition, only the pueblo is considered the city of San Germàn.
| the municipalities of San Germàn | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ancones | Caín Alto | Caín Bajo | Cotuí | Duey Alto | Duey Bajo |
| Guamá | Hoconuco Alto | Hoconuco Bajo | Maresua | Minillas 1 | Retiro |
| Rosario Alto | Rosario Bajo | Rosario Peñón | Sabana Eneas | Sabana Grande Abajo | Tuna |
1 Because of their size, Minillas is commonly divided into Minillas Valle, Minillas Carretera, and Minillas Parcelas.
history
San Germán is the second oldest city in Puerto Rico after the capital San Juan . The island was once divided between the parishes of San Juan and San Germán. The latter stretched from Arecibo in the north to Ponce in the south along the west coast.
The documented history goes back to 1573. In a letter to the Spanish King Philip II , the city is mentioned as Nueva Salamanca and San Germán . The conquistadors used the first name to worship the Spanish city of Salamanca .
The actual city of San Germán emerged with the beginning of the Spanish colonization of Puerto Rico. Although the city was never on the south coast of the island, it is often claimed that its history is closely linked to Santa Maria de Guadianilla . San Germán was founded on the orders of Juan Ponce de León after a Taínos uprising in February 1511. This first city was destroyed by French pirates and the population withdrew inland.
In November 1511, Juan Ponce de León handed over the office of governor of Puerto Rico to Juan Cerón , Lieutenant of Viceroy Diego Colón . Cerón ordered Miguel de Toro , a lieutenant of Juan Ponce de León, to build a “Christian city” in the west of “Boriken” (Puerto Rico) and to name it San Germán. This city was founded in December 1511 at the mouth of the Guaorabo near today's Añasco and was attacked by French pirates in August 1528, May 1538 and 1554. Construction of a small fort began in 1540, but work stopped in 1546 when the population began to move inland. During the exodus, the port of Guaorabo was used.
On May 12, 1570, the Royal Audience of Santo Domingo ordered, in view of the regular attacks, to unite San Germán and Santa Maria de Guadianilla into one city. This was created in 1573 on the hill of Santa Marta on the Guanajibo . The official name was Nueva Villa de Salamanca , but the locals first called it San Germán el Nuevo (New San Germán) and finally Villa de San Germán (City of San Germán).
Until the 17th century, San Germán competed with the capital San Juan, then it lost importance. In 1748 the English attacked San Germán without success. Until 1782 it was the seat of the government of the western district of the island. In 1877 it was promoted to town.
politics
mayor
The Mayor Isidro A. Negrón Irizarry is a member of the Popular Democratic Party.
Coat of arms, flag and anthem
The city's coat of arms is divided into four quarters. The first quarter shows the golden royal castle on a green background. In the second quarter the coats of arms of the kingdoms of Aragon and Sicily , where Don Fernando, the Catholic, ruled, can be seen. In the third quarter, the coats of arms unite with the county of Foix and the Kingdom of France, which results in the family shield of Germana de Foix, whose name is constantly present in San Germán. Juan Ponce de León's shield can be seen in the last quarter. The crown corresponds to the civil or parish standard. There were five towers for San Germán to indicate that it received city rights from the Spanish crown in the past century.
The flag consists of the colors green (shield of Christopher Columbus and his son Virrey of America ), white (purity of the blood of the great families who colonized San Germán) and purple (shield of the first governor Juan Ponce de León).
The anthem was written by Raquel Quiñones.
San Germán es mi pueblo querido,
en sus lomas alegres nació,
y no encuentro otro sitio en el mundo
donde yo pueda ser tan feliz.
Es antiguo, legendario y muy culto,
y fue cuna de hombres grandes ayer,
de poetas, maestros artistas,
y de damas muy nobles también.
Porta Coeli se levanta orgulloso
cual reliquia de un tiempo que fue,
en sus muros antiguos aun vibra,
un pasado de gloria y de fe.
Yo no cambio mis verdes colinas
por París, Nueva York, ni Berlín
porque allí no se ven golondrinas
como siempre las vemos aquí.
Dios bendiga este pueblo tan más,
este pueblo en donde nació,
del que puedo yo estar orgulloso,
donde siempre me siento feliz.
Culture and sights
Buildings
The biggest tourist attraction in San Germán is the Church of Porta Coeli ("Gate to Heaven"), founded in 1609 by the Dominican Order , one of the oldest Spanish cathedrals in Latin America , which today houses a museum of sacred art. Other attractions are
- Puente de Bolas (Bridge of Balls)
- Casa Morales
- Ceiba de la Libertad
- Historic Gallery
- Lola Rodríguez de Tió Museum
- Ramírez de Arrellano y Rossell Museum
- Santo Domingo Plazuela
- Three Races and One Culture Mural
- San German Antiguo National Historic Site
Sports
San Germán is considered to be the cradle of basketball in Puerto Rico, which is the second most popular sport on the island after baseball . The only professionals in San Germán are the basketball players of the San Germán Athletics. The "orange monster" (El monstruo anaranjado) is the oldest basketball team on the island and with 13 championship titles also one of the most successful. They failed to win a championship from 1955 to 1985, but when they defeated the Guaynabo Mets in six games with Jose Ortiz in 1985, the city's economy revived with increasing attention.
Regular events
The patronage festival takes place in July . In September there is the Anón Festival and in December there is a big Christmas party.
Economy and Infrastructure
Fruits such as bananas and pineapples as well as sugar cane grow around San Germán . There are also some dairy farms here. Furthermore, coffee and tobacco grown. In industry there are u. a. medical and electrical products. Most of the shops are in the pueblo. The Plaza del Oeste is the largest shopping center.
education
San Germán has several elementary and public secondary schools as well as two public high schools ( Escuela Superior Lola Rodríguez de Tió and Escuela Superior de Rosario ). There are also various private schools such as the Colegio San José, the Academia Bárbara Ann and the Academia Sangermeña.
The Interamerican University of Puerto Rico campus is located in the Pueblo. The first private university in Puerto Rico is u. a. known for introducing the American sport of basketball to Puerto Rico.
Personalities
sons and daughters of the town
- Aurelio Tió (historian)
- Francisco Mariano Quiñones (leader of the abolitionism movement, politician and writer)
- Lola Rodríguez de Tió (poet and patriot)
- Manuel F. Rossy (attorney, public speaker, and leader of the State Recognition Movement)
- Samuel R. Quiñones (partner in the Liberal Party and one of the founders of the Popular Party)
Web links
- official homepage (spanish)
- Information from Porta del Sol Puerto Rico (English)