Vega Alta is west of San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico. Vega Alta is known for the beach at Cerro Gordo. Other points of interest include the town's Catholic church, known as Inmaculada Concepción, which was founded in 1813, and the Vega Alta Forest.[2]
During the first week of December, Vega Alta celebrates its patron saint, the Immaculate Conception.
”Vega Alta” translates to “high meadow” or "upper meadow" in English.
History
Al-Faruq Mosque in Vega Alta, the largest in Puerto Rico, built in 1992
Vega Alta was founded in 1775 by Francisco de los Olivos. It was first named La Vega de Espinosa and popularly known as el pueblo de los 'ñangotaos ("the town of the squatters", in reference to the jíbaros country folk who would wait for the train in a squatting position, due to lack of benches). Before this, it was part of a group of towns known as Las Vegas. It was then separated into two municipalities: Vega Baja and the other Vega Alta.
Puerto Rico was ceded by Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish–American War under the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1898 and became a territory of the United States. In 1899, the United States conducted its first census of Puerto Rico finding that the population of Vega Alta was 6,107.
On October 12, 1898, the city's mayor, Francisco Vega, received U.S. troops as part of the Spanish–American War. On that same day, for the first time in Vega Alta's history, the U.S. flag was lifted on city hall. From 1902 to 1905, Vega Alta became once more part of the neighboring municipality of Vega Baja. In 1905, the government of Puerto Rico passed a law, allowing Vega Alta to become a municipality with its own limits.
Hacienda Carmen and Hacienda Ortega sugar plantations were owned by Juan Gualberto Landron y Martinez born in 1791 in Toa Baja . He owned slaves and purchased them, some coming directly from Africa.
The second-largest mosque in Puerto Rico, built in 1992, is located in Vega Alta.[3]
Hurricane Maria on September 20, 2017, triggered numerous landslides in Vega Alta and 90% of homes made of wood were destroyed.[4][5][6]
Vega Alta has a land area of 27.75 square miles (71.87 km2) and water area of 9.76 square miles (25.28 km2).[9]
Barrios
Subdivisions of Vega Alta.
Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Vega Alta is subdivided into barrios. The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a barrio referred to as "el pueblo".[10][11][9][12]
Barrios (which are roughly comparable to minor civil divisions)[13] and subbarrios,[14] 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.[15][16][17]
Comunidades Especiales de Puerto Rico (Special Communities of Puerto Rico) are marginalized communities whose citizens are experiencing 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 Vega Alta: Villa Alegria, Villa del Rio, Mavilla, Machuchal, El Nueve, Ponderosa, Manantial, and Corea.[18][19]
Climate
According to the Weather Channel's website, June is the warmest month, March is the coolest month, October is the wettest month, and June is the driest month.
Records:
The highest recorded temperature was 98 °F in July 2007.
The lowest recorded temperature was 40 °F in January 1945.
Economy
In 1908, Vega Alta was producing coffee, sugar, oranges, tobacco and rum.[20]
Agriculture
Banana, fruits, grains, and sugar cane.
Flowers and ornamental plants.
Dairy and meat cattle, pigs, and poultry.
Industry
Manufacture of chemicals, electrical and electronic machinery, furniture, food, and plastics.
Logistics Center
Tourism
There are 6 beaches in Vega Alta,[21] including Cerro Gordo.[22]
Lin-Manuel Miranda
La Placita de Güisín.
The Puerto Rican, award-winning, musician and playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda who created the Broadway hit, Hamilton, is from a family with roots in Vega Alta. In 2017, his father opened La Placita de Güisín, a cafe and restaurant in the downtown area of Vega Alta, and in 2019 Lin-Manuel moved his memorabilia to a new gallery, the Lin-Manuel Miranda Gallery, a few steps from Placita de Güisín and opened a store there too, TeeRico. The location has become a tourist attraction.[23][24][25] In one of his musicals, "In the Heights", a woman named "Dani" supposedly is from Vega Alta, according to the following lines:
When I was a little girl, growing up in the hills of Vega AltaMy favorite time of year, was christmastime.
Culture
Festivals and events
Vega Alta celebrates its patron saint festival in December. The Fiestas Patronales de La Inmaculada Concepción de María is a religious and cultural celebration that generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment.[7]
Other festivals and events celebrated in Vega Alta include:
Vega Alta is known for having amateur ball players as well as professional. Basketball is played in local communities. Other sports practiced include tennis, volleyball, handball, and amateursurfing among others.
A well known musician from Vega Alta was Ladislao Martinez a.k.a. El Maestro Ladi (June 27, 1898–February 1, 1979), a master cuatro musician. He became the first Puerto Rican to play a cuatro solo on the radio.
Fiel a la Vega, a rock en español (rock in Spanish) band, was formed in 1994. Band members Tito Auger and Ricky Laureano are from Vega Alta, while brothers Pedro Arraiza and Jorge Arraiza come from next-door Vega Baja. Their first album spawned hits like Salimos de Aquí and El Wanabí, both of which were released with videos.
The municipio has an official flag and coat of arms.[36]
Flag
This municipality has a flag which is made up of 7 vertical stripes; blue in the center, with narrower green and white stripes on its sides.[37]
Coat of arms
This municipality has a coat of arms which was designed by Roberto Biascochea Lota. It consists of three bars, the center one has a bouquet of natural lilies. It symbolizes the Immaculate Conception of Mary, who is represented by the silver and azure colors. On its sides are two olive branches, a symbol of the town's founder, Francisco de los Olivos. Two sugarcane branches are featured, because it an important part of Vega Alta's economy.[37]
Anthem
The anthem used by Vega Alta is the musical composition created in 1958, with lyrics by Domingo Figueroa Ramírez Arreglo and music by Domingo and Elliot A. Knight.
^"Municipalities: Vega Alta". Encyclopedia of Puerto Rico (in English and Spanish). San Juan: Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades. OCLC234072526. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved May 16, 2017. Mayors
^ ab"Vega Alta Municipality". enciclopediapr.org. Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades (FPH). Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
^"Balneario Cerro Gordo". drdpuertorico (in Spanish). Programa de Parques Nacionales de Puerto Rico. Archived from the original on February 13, 2019. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
^Rivera Quintero, Marcia (2014), El vuelo de la esperanza: Proyecto de las Comunidades Especiales Puerto Rico, 1997-2004 (first ed.), San Juan, Puerto Rico Fundación Sila M. Calderón, ISBN978-0-9820806-1-0
^"Leyes del 2001". Lex Juris Puerto Rico (in Spanish). Archived from the original on September 14, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
^Rivera Quintero, Marcia (2014), El vuelo de la esperanza:Proyecto de las Comunidades Especiales Puerto Rico, 1997-2004 (Primera edición ed.), San Juan, Puerto Rico Fundación Sila M. Calderón, p. 273, ISBN978-0-9820806-1-0
^"Vega Alta Bridges". National Bridge Inventory Data. US Dept. of Transportation. Archived from the original on February 20, 2019. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
^ ab"VEGAALTA". LexJuris (Leyes y Jurisprudencia) de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). February 19, 2020. Archived from the original on February 19, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
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