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66-533: Guánica ( Spanish pronunciation: [ˈɡwanika] , locally [ˈwanika] ) is a town and municipality in southern Puerto Rico , bordering the Caribbean Sea, south of Sabana Grande , east of Lajas , and west of Yauco . It is part of the Yauco metropolitan statistical area . Guánica barrio-pueblo , also known as Pueblo de Guánica , is the downtown of the municipality. Guánica's population in 2020

132-401: A mahogany forest, and twisted gumbo limbo trees . There are about 700 varieties of plants, including aroma ( acacia ) and guayacan ( Lignum vitae —Latin for 'wood of life'). One guayacan is about 500–700 years old. The squat melon cactus and other cacti can be found here along with 40 species of birds, including the guabairo ( Puerto Rican nightjar ), found nowhere else. Also found in

198-503: A series of earthquakes with increasing magnitude that started on December 28, 2019 and culminating with a 6.4-magnitude earthquake that struck the island in the morning hours of January 7, 2020. More than thirty-two residences collapsed and hundreds were structurally unsound after the earthquake struck near Yauco. To aid residents who were left without power or homeless, the National Guard was mobilized. A center for emergency operations

264-469: A certain amount of social exclusion . A map shows these communities occur in nearly every municipality of the commonwealth. Of the 742 places that were on the list in 2014, the following barrios, communities, sectors, or neighborhoods were in Guánica: Esperanza neighborhood, Callejón Magüeyes, El Batey, El Tumbao, Ensenada, Fuig, La Luna, and Playa Santa. [REDACTED] To stimulate local tourism,

330-527: A certain amount of social exclusion . A map shows these communities occur in nearly every municipality of the commonwealth. Of the 742 places that were on the list in 2014, the following barrios, communities, sectors, or neighborhoods were in Yauco: Diego Hernández, Frailes, Ranchera, Sector Primitivo Irizarry in Quebradas, El Pozo, Sector Cantera, Pueblo Norte (El Cerro), and Río Prieto. According to

396-583: A commodity crop. Coffee was first cultivated in the Rancheras and Diego Hernández sectors; it was expanded to the Aguas Blancas , Frailes and Rubias sectors. The Mariani family adapted a cotton gin in the 1860s to use in mechanical de-husking of coffee . This improved the appearance of Puerto Rico's coffee beans and helped it stand out in the international coffee market. By the 1860s the Corsican settlers were

462-588: A lesser extent, Greeks and Carthaginians . Corsica has been part of France since 1768 but retains a distinct Italian culture . It was ruled by the Republic of Genoa from 1284 to 1755, when it became a self-proclaimed independent Italian -speaking Republic. In 1768, Genoa officially ceded its out of control colony to Louis XV of France as part of a pledge for debts, and in 1769 France forcibly annexed it. Hundreds of Corsicans and their families immigrated to Puerto Rico from as early as 1830, and their numbers peaked in

528-521: A municipality, namely, to establish a place of worship. On February 29, 1756, the King of Spain granted the settlers their request and the town of Yauco was founded. Fernando Pacheco was named First Lieutenant of War of the new town. From the mid-19th to the early 20th century, hundreds of Corsican , Italian , French , Portuguese , Irish , Scots , and German immigrants arrived in Puerto Rico, attracted by

594-406: A person's genome, in order to find or verify ancestral genealogical relationships or to estimate the ethnic mixture of an individual, have found significant Portuguese , Spanish , Native American , Corsican , Irish , Scottish , Germanic European, Italian , North African , West African and European Jewish DNA presence in individuals who are descendants from inhabitants who were born within

660-713: A project to paint colorful murals in Cerro de Yauco in Yauco barrio-pueblo. There are 2 beaches in Yauco, including Playa Ballenas . Some of the places of interest in Yauco include: At Yauco Pueblo (the historic downtown): Elsewhere in Yauco: To stimulate local tourism, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company launched the Voy Turistiendo ("I'm Touring") campaign, with a passport book and website. The Yauco page lists

726-519: A role in the town's nicknames of El Pueblo del Café (Town of Coffee), and residents of the municipality are often referred to as Los Corsos (The Corsicans). Yauco was named after the Yauco River , which itself comes from the Taíno word coayuco , meaning " cassava plantation" (also where the word yucca comes from). The city has numerous nicknames such as Pueblo del Café ("coffee town"), due to

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792-570: A small barrio referred to as "el pueblo" . Barrios (which are, in contemporary times, roughly comparable to minor civil divisions ) and subbarrios, are further subdivided into smaller areas called sectores ( sectors in English). The types of sectores may vary, from normally sector to urbanización to reparto to barriada to residencial , among others. Comunidades Especiales de Puerto Rico (Special Communities of Puerto Rico) are marginalized communities whose citizens are experiencing

858-545: Is Ismael (Titi) Rodríguez Ramos , from the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) . Rodríguez was elected in the 2020 general election after a close race with Santos Seda (Papichy) from the New Progressive Party (PNP) . While both candidates received almost the same share of the vote, 2,000 ballots where write in votes mostly for Edgardo Cruz Vélez an independent candidate. This resulted in a vote recount and while

924-467: Is 00653 and telephone area codes are 787 and 939. The urban settlement of Ensenada has a separate postal ZIP Code of 00647. Juan Ponce de León landed in the Guánica harbor on August 12, 1508, and founded a town called Guaynía , a word derived from the Taíno language that is popularly said to mean " Here is a place with water ". The town, considered the first capital of the island of Puerto Rico (which

990-472: Is a town and municipality in southern Puerto Rico . Although the downtown is inland, the municipality stretches to a southern coast facing the Caribbean Sea . Yauco is located south of Maricao , Lares and Adjuntas ; east of Sabana Grande and Guánica ; and west of Guayanilla . The municipality consists of 20 barrios and Yauco Pueblo (the downtown and administrative center of the municipality). It

1056-428: Is a modern town that maintains roots and connections to a traditional past. Known as el pueblo de la amistad ('the town of friendship'), it is also occasionally referred to as el pueblo de las doce calles ('the town of the twelve streets'). The central part of town consists of five streets running north–south crossing seven other streets that run east–west, resulting in a compact grid of 24 square blocks, one of which

1122-528: Is a religious and cultural celebration that generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment. The festival has featured live performances by well-known artists such as Cano Estremera , Tito Rojas , and Arcángel . Other festivals and events celebrated in Guánica include: Like all municipalities in Puerto Rico , Guánica is administered by a mayor. The current mayor

1188-691: Is a well-known Puerto Rican coffee brand that is named after Yauco. Yauco also produces textiles and other light manufactured materials. Sartorius pharmaceuticals, located in Yauco, expanded their current operations there in mid 2019. Yauco celebrates its patron saint festival in October. The Fiestas Patronales de Nuestra Virgen del Rosario is a religious and cultural celebration that generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment. Other festivals and events celebrated in Yauco include: Recent genealogical DNA-based testing, which look at specific locations of

1254-675: Is both a principal town of the Yauco Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Ponce-Yauco-Coamo Combined Statistical Area . It was founded by Fernando Pacheco on February 29, 1756, and developed for commodity crops of tobacco , sugar cane , and coffee . Yauco became a center for Corsican immigration to Puerto Rico in the 19th century due to its geographical similarity to their homeland. Corsicans have contributed to many areas of life in Yauco, particularly to its coffee industry . This has played

1320-472: Is commemorated by a contentious monument on the waterfront: along a broad paseo ( el malecón ), there is a large coral boulder known as the Guánica Rock ( Piedra de Guánica ) marked by the carved words, "3rd Battalion, 1st U.S.V. Engineers, September 16, 1898." July 25 was subsequently commemorated in Puerto Rico as Occupation Day, later renamed Constitution Day (see Public holidays in Puerto Rico ). Guánica

1386-456: Is the main town square. Facing the square are the Catholic church, city hall, a school, and many shops; the plaza itself contains greenery, walks, and a music stand. In recent years this central area of the twelve streets has been extensively supplemented by suburbs in the south and west. Hills surround the town and harbor, including the 450-foot (140 m) hill to the east of town, itself topped by

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1452-537: The 2000 general election and retained his seat in both 2004 and 2008 . Nazario took a 50% pay cut which was reversed in 2005, yet his current annual wage of $ 36,000 is the lowest for any of the 78 Puerto Rican mayors, despite Yauco not being the least-populated municipality or the one with the lowest budget. Yauco belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district V , which is represented by two Senators. In 2012, Ramón Ruiz and Martín Vargas Morales , from

1518-466: The 2019–2020 Puerto Rico earthquakes . The municipio has an official flag and coat of arms. The flag of Yauco consists of two horizontal stripes of equal width, black the superior and gold the inferior one. The municipal coat of arms is in the center. The coat of arms of Yauco is quartered by a central cross representing Christendom . In a silver field a gold and black boiler, with seven necks and heads of black serpents in each handle, three to

1584-589: The Battle of Yauco of the Puerto Rico Campaign . The casualties of Puig's forces were two officers and three soldiers wounded and two soldiers dead. The Spanish forces were ordered to retreat. Significant rainfall from Hurricane Maria , on September 20, 2017, triggered numerous landslides in Yauco, leaving entire communities cut-off. The Yauco River caused flooding that decimated entire neighborhoods. Multiple residences and structures in Yauco were damaged in

1650-515: The Popular Democratic Party (PPD) , were elected as District Senators. In 2020 , Marially Gozález and Ramón Ruiz , from the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) , were elected as District Senators. The municipio has an official flag and coat of arms. The five waves, blue and yellow represent the Guánica Bay, a fragment of the Official Shield of Guánica. Shield divided in four quarters. In

1716-534: The Popular Democratic Party , were elected as District Senators. Interstate Highway PRI-2 goes through Yauco. The interstate highway is designated as such because it receives up to 90% of its funding from the US Interstate Highway System . In 2019, there were 40 bridges in Yauco. A bridge that goes over Yauco River suffered damages during 2017 Hurricane Maria . A bridge that carries PR-359 would have to be demolished due to damages caused by

1782-474: The Puerto Rican nightjar , and the Puerto Rican emerald hummingbird. Other animals thought to be extinct in Puerto Rico have turned up in this forest. Many different types of cacti grow here, a stunning contrast to the lush Caribbean National Forest in the northeast part of the island, which is a tropical rainforest . The contrast is due to the mountain ridge Cordillera Central which separates Guánica from

1848-508: The Puerto Rico Tourism Company launched the Voy Turistiendo ("I'm Touring") campaign, with a passport book and website. The Guánica page lists Bosque Seco de Guánica , Playa La Jungla , and Cayo Aurora "Gilligan's" , as places of interest. According to a news article by Primera Hora , Guánica has 39 beaches, including Playa Santa . Guánica celebrates its patron saint festival in July. The Fiestas Patronales de Santiago Apostol

1914-610: The USS ; Gloucester on rafts and landed on the beach, where Lt. Méndez López and his men opened fire on the Americans. During the small battle which followed, the Americans returned fire with a machine gun and the Gloucester began to bombard the Spanish position. Lt. Méndez López and three of his men were wounded, and the militia unit retreated to the town of Yauco. This was also the site of

1980-535: The United States Census Bureau the population of Yauco in the year 2000 was 46,384 persons, decreasing to 42,043 persons in 2010 , a net loss of 4,341 people or 9.36% of its population. The urban zone accounted for 17,186 of its inhabitants in the 2010 census. The 2020 census indicated the population was 34,172 a decline of 18.7% from the 2010 census. Following Hurricane Maria , in order to lift up their spirits, Yauco's artists worked on "Yaucromatic",

2046-539: The 1850s, after European unrest following the Revolutions of 1848 , and environmental problems of lengthy drought. The Corsicans tended to settle in the mountainous southwestern region of the island, and Yauco attracted the majority of them. As noted, the three main crops were coffee, sugar cane and tobacco. The new settlers first worked on the farms, and some saved money in order to own and operate their own grocery stores. They began to specialize in cultivation of coffee as

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2112-452: The Indies , Spanish law, which regulated life in Puerto Rico in the early 19th century, stated the plaza's purpose was for "the parties" (celebrations, festivities) ( Spanish : a propósito para las fiestas ), and that the square should be proportionally large enough for the number of neighbors ( Spanish : grandeza proporcionada al número de vecinos ). These Spanish regulations also stated that

2178-522: The Puerto Rican militia and the American forces occurred when Lt. Méndez López and his men attacked and opened fire on the Americans. During the small battle which followed, the Americans returned fire with their machine gun and the Gloucester began to bombard the Spanish position. Lt. Méndez López and three of his men were wounded and the militia unit was forced to retreat to the town of Yauco . The invasion

2244-509: The Spaniards were rumored to have. He came up with a plan to test these doubts: he and Urayoán (cacique of Añasco ) sent some of their tribe members to lure a Spaniard named Diego Salcedo into a river and drown him. They watched over Salcedo's body to ensure that he did not revive. Salcedo's death convinced Agüeybaná II and the rest of the Taíno that the Spaniards were not gods. They rebelled against

2310-668: The Spanish Crown's offer of free land to Catholic white European settlers. They settled mostly in the south-central region. The island of Puerto Rico is somewhat similar in geography to the island of Corsica and appealed to many Corsican immigrants. Corsica was part of the Republic of Genoa for centuries until 1768. Corsicans descend from a combination of ancient Corsi people from northeastern Sardinia and people who came over later from northern and central Italy (including Tuscans , Etruscans , Ligurians , and Romans ) along with, to

2376-564: The Spanish in 1511 but were defeated. In 1755, the Spanish settlers of the region built a small chapel and named it Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario (Our Lady of the Holy Rosary). The settlers sent Fernando Pacheco as their representative to the Spanish Government, to request the establishment of a municipality, since they had satisfied one of the requirements for the establishment of

2442-431: The actual location of Guánica. The waved stripes represent the bay of this town. The branches surrounding the shield represent the sugarcane industry that was very important in this region. At one time during 1937, Guánica received domestic, commercial airline flights from San Juan on Puerto Rico's national airline, Puertorriqueña de Aviación . There are 25 bridges in Guánica. Gu%C3%A1nica barrio-pueblo As

2508-410: The area are the Puerto Rico crested toad ( Peltophryne lemur ) and, sometimes on the beaches, green and leatherback turtles , though their eggs suffer severe predation from mongooses one time introduced to fight rats in sugarcane fields. Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Guánica is subdivided into barrios . The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in

2574-414: The area of Yauco the capital of Boriken and was governed by Agüeybana , the most powerful Taíno cacique (chief) in the island. All the other caciques were subject to and had to obey Agüeybaná, although they governed their own tribes. Upon Agüeybaná's death in 1510, his nephew, Güeybaná (also known as Agüeybaná II ), became the most powerful cacique in the island. Agüeybaná II doubted the "godly" status

2640-517: The dry forest is known as Bosque Seco de Guánica . Highway Route 116 , the nearest principal road, heads west toward Lajas and east toward Ponce , passing through the island of Puerto Rico's driest area. The largely intact forest of the Guánica Dry Forest reserve hosts the greatest number of bird species found on the island, including several bird species seldom found anywhere else: the Puerto Rican lizard cuckoo , Puerto Rican woodpecker ,

2706-602: The first major independence attempt, who were in exile in New York City as members of the Puerto Rican Revolutionary Committee. During this uprising, Vélez raised for the first time what became the current flag of Puerto Rico on local soil. Local Spanish authorities had heard rumors of the revolt and acted swiftly to suppress it. In 1898, upon the outbreak of the Spanish–American War , Guánica

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2772-580: The first major land battle in Puerto Rico during the war between Spanish/Puerto Rican and American armed forces. On July 26, 1898, Spanish forces and Puerto Rican volunteers, led by Captain Salvador Meca and Lieutenant Colonel Francisco Puig, fought against American forces led by Brigadier General George A. Garretson . The Spanish forces engaged the 6th Massachusetts in a firefight at the Hacienda Desideria, owned by Antonio Mariani, in what became known as

2838-432: The geographical area of Yauco and other parts of southwestern Puerto Rico. These ethnicities have significantly influenced the local culture, to include food, art, some words used in the language, customs, beliefs, and music. In 2019, Angel Luis Torres is the mayor of Yauco. Abel Nazario Quiñones of the New Progressive Party had held the office of Mayor of Yauco since 2000. He succeeded Pedro Jaime Torres by winning

2904-608: The heavily fortified city of San Juan . The Gloucester was the first ship to set anchor in the Bay of Guánica . Twenty-eight sailors and Marines , under the command of lieutenants H. P. Huse and Wood, departed from the ship on rafts and landed on the beach. The Marines lowered the Spanish flag from the beach flagpole and replaced it with the American flag . They then proceeded to set up a machine gun nest and placed barbed wire around their perimeter. The first land skirmish in Puerto Rico between

2970-411: The high number of coffee plantations in the area, and Pueblo de los Corsos ("Town of Corsicans "), after the large number of Corsican immigrants who settled in the town and who were later influential to the area's coffee industry. It is also popularly known as La Capital Taína ("the Taíno capital") after the native peoples of Puerto Rico who also lived in the area. The Taino natives considered

3036-902: The highest point in the municipality and 9th highest peak in the island at 3,579 feet (1,090 m) of elevation, the Rodadero Peak and the Curet Hill. Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Yauco is subdivided into barrios . The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a barrio referred to as "el pueblo" . Barrios (which are like minor civil divisions ) and subbarrios, are further subdivided into smaller areas called sectores ( sectors in English). The types of sectores may vary, from normally sector to urbanización to reparto to barriada to residencial , among others. Comunidades Especiales de Puerto Rico (Special Communities of Puerto Rico) are marginalized communities whose citizens are experiencing

3102-443: The initial results signaled Vélez was the victor, after weeks of counting, Rodríguez was declared the winner. Vélez initially conceded the race but then petitioned a court to adjudge early voting ballots to his count. This court case and subsequent court appeal where both dismissed. The city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district V , which is represented by two senators. In 2012 , Ramón Ruiz and Martín Vargas Morales , from

3168-535: The leaders of the coffee industry in Puerto Rico, and seven out of ten coffee plantations were owned by Corsicans. The pro-independence movement raised the second and last major revolt here against Spanish colonial rule in Puerto Rico, known as the Intentona de Yauco (the attempted Coup of Yauco ). The revolt, which occurred on March 26, 1897, was organized by Antonio Mattei Lluberas , Mateo Mercado and Fidel Vélez. They were supported by leaders of El Grito de Lares ,

3234-518: The murals at Yaucromatic, the view from the top of a mountain in Sierra Alta called Pico Rodadero , the Refugio de Vida Silvestre del Embalse Luccieti , and (for agritourism ) a honey production farm in barrio Diego Hernandez called Apiturismo, as places of interest. Yauco's main crops are coffee, plantains, oranges and tobacco. Yauco coffees are a revived specialty origin that, at best, display

3300-461: The news of the invading forces to the town's mayor. Only Agustín Barrenechea, Vicente Ferrer, Juan María Morciglio, Simón Mejil, Salvador Muñoz, Cornelio Serrano and Pascual Elena stayed to welcome the invaders. The first skirmish between Spanish/Puerto Rican and American armed forces was fought in that barrio between the Puerto Rican militia and twenty-eight sailors and Marines , under the command of Lieutenants H. P. Huse and Wood. They had come from

3366-478: The northeast part of the island; while the northeast receives over 100 inches (2,500 mm) of precipitation each year, Guánica receives less than 30, and some regions of the forest reserve are said to receive only six inches. The forest reserve of some 9,500 acres (38 km) contains 36 miles (58 km) of trails through four different forest types: deciduous trees, a coastal region with tree-size milkweed and nine-foot-tall (2.7 m) prickly pear cactus ,

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3432-413: The qualities that made Jamaica Blue Mountain famous: A deep, vibrant, yet restrained acidity and balanced, gently rich flavor. However, this potentially finest of Caribbean coffees is often marred by inconsistency. Coffee production and sales from Yauco reached faraway places such as Europe in the 19th century and many non-Yauco coffee producers even tried to link their products to the city. Cafe Yaucono

3498-497: The right hand, confronted with four to the left-hand side. Bordered by a checkered band in gold and black. The second and third quarters, in a field of gold, two coffee plant flowers of five leaves of silver and four red. The coffee plant flower and the coffee grains represent their cultivation in the Yauco municipality. The border of the Arms represents the beads of the rosary. The four-tower crown represents its town status. The following

3564-503: The streets nearby should be comfortable portals for passersby, protecting them from the elements: sun and rain. Located across the central plaza in Guánica barrio-pueblo is the Parroquia San Antonio Abad , a Roman Catholic church. This Guánica, Puerto Rico location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Yauco, Puerto Rico Yauco ( Spanish pronunciation: [ˈʝawko] )

3630-419: The superior right side, it has a "bohío" (a native hut) under a crown that represents Cacique Agüeybaná , whose yucayeque (Indian territory) was in this region. In the superior left quarter, a lion representing Juan Ponce de León . The red and yellow checkered strips over a silver-plated background in the inferior right side represent the shields of Don Cristóbal de Sotomayor , founder of the town of Tavara ,

3696-554: The terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1898 . Thus, Puerto Rico became a colony of the ascendant United States Empire. In 1899, the United States Department of War conducted a census of Puerto Rico finding that the population of Guánica was 2,700. The re-founded town of Guánica was at first a barrio of the municipality of Yauco until Guánica was established as a separate municipality on March 13, 1914. Víctor Ángel Sallaberry Safini

3762-401: The tiny Fort Caprón . Two large factories, one producing fertilizer, partially distract the eye from the pleasant landscape, but both have been important to the economy of the town, at one time dominated by the sugar plantations of Central Guánica . The resort chain known as Club Med once attempted to set up a luxury resort on beaches east of the town but withdrew due to local opposition which

3828-457: The westernmost key of the Cayos de Caña Gorda , which is a great spot to go snorkeling . The water is crystal clear and shallow, in which old pieces of coral and fish can be seen. People can walk or swim from one island to another. On September 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria struck the island of Puerto Rico. In Guánica, 951 homes were damaged or destroyed. On January 6, 2020, a 5.8 magnitude earthquake

3894-422: Was 13,787 people. Guánica is located on a deeply indented harbor of the same name. The harbor resembles a tropical fjord , narrow and bordered by rugged hills, barely a quarter-mile wide, but about two miles (3.2 km) from mouth to the town. The town is about 100 miles (160 km) and over two hours' driving distance from San Juan , and about 20 miles (30 km) west of Ponce . Guánica's postal ZIP Code

3960-616: Was Guánica's first mayor. On July 25, 1898, American forces (who included the young poet-writer Carl Sandburg led by General Nelson A. Miles ) landed in Guánica as part of the course of the Puerto Rico campaign in the Spanish–American War . This invasion led to Puerto Rico being acquired by the United States. The invasion, just one small part of the war between Spain and United States, occurred in Guánica due to its sheltered harbor and proximity to Ponce , besides being such an unexpected site for such an attack, which had been anticipated at

4026-478: Was a small barrio within the municipality of Yauco. It had 60 houses in all and was defended only by eleven members of the 4th Volante de Yauco, a Puerto Rican militia unit, under the command of Lieutenant Enrique Méndez López. When the convoy with General Nelson A. Miles , approached the barrio, Guánica lighthouse keeper Robustiano Rivera immediately alerted its residents. Nearly all the residents abandoned their homes and joined Rivera to go to Yauco, where he broke

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4092-413: Was apprehensive about both environmental and community degradation. East of the town some 200 acres (80.9 ha) of land, including three miles (4.8 km) of beach, have been intermittently for sale. It is a fishing village; commercial fishermen still ply their traditional trade beyond the harbor entrance. Copamarina Beach Resort & Spa offers beach access and a short boat ride to Gilligan Island ,

4158-401: Was at that time named Isla de San Juan Bautista ), was destroyed during the indigenous uprising of 1511, and the area was abandoned by Europeans for some years, during which time San Juan (itself at first called Puerto Rico) became the capital of the island. The Spanish overseas province of Puerto Rico was ceded by a decadent imperial Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish–American War under

4224-507: Was customary in Spain, in Puerto Rico, the municipality has a barrio called pueblo which contains a central plaza, the municipal buildings (city hall), and a Catholic church. Fiestas patronales (patron saint festivals) are held in the central plaza every year. The central plaza, or square, is a place in barrio-pueblo for official and unofficial recreational events and a place where people can gather and socialize from dusk to dawn. The Laws of

4290-478: Was felt in Guánica and nearby municipalities, and several residences and cars were destroyed. On January 7, 2020, a 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit. Guánica has mountains and a dry forest. The Guánica State Forest ( Bosque Estatal de Guánica ) is also the name of a dry forest reserve east and west of the town, the largest remaining tract of tropical dry coastal forest in the world and designated an international Biosphere Reserve in 1981. The park comprising much of

4356-585: Was set up in the municipality's auditorium parking area, with air-conditioned tarps and tents for evacuated hospital patients and with food being cooked by World Central Kitchen . Yauco is a mountainous municipality located in the Cordillera Central and bisected by the Río Yauco . Other rivers in the municipality are the Río Chiquito , Duey Loco and Río Naranjo . Hills in the area include Mount Membrillo,

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