Las Marías, Puerto Rico

Infobox Settlement

settlement_type =
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States

subdivision_type1 = Territory
subdivision_name1 = Puerto Rico
subdivision_type2 =
subdivision_name2 =

timezone=AST
utc_offset=-4
timezone_DST=
utc_offset_DST=
unit_pref=Imperial
map_caption =Location of PAGENAME within Puerto Rico.
latNS=N
longEW=W| official_name = Las Marías, Puerto Rico | nickname = Pueblo de la China Dulce", "Ciudad de los Cítricos


image_
| population_blank1 = Marieños|population_blank1_title=Gentilic|
| population_blank1 = Marieños|population_blank1_title=Gentilic|

---

| map_caption = Location within the island of Puerto Rico

established_date = 1871 | leader_title|established_title=Founded| = Mayor | leader_title=Mayor
leader_name = Hon. Edwin Soto Santiago
political party = Partido Nuevo Progresista
leader_party = PNP
leader_title1=Senatorial dist.
leader_name1= 4 - Mayagüez
leader_title2=Representative dist.
leader_name2 = 16| area_magnitude = | area_total_km2 = 114.15
area_land_km2 = 114| area_water_km2 = .15| population_as_of = 2000 | population_note =
population_total = 10140|population_footnotes= | population_density_km2 = 90.5| timezone = AST | utc_offset = -4 | timezone_DST = | utc_offset_DST = -4| latd= |latm= |lats=
longd=|longm= |longs=
latitude =
longitude =
website =
footnotes = Anthem – "Por tus montes y tus aguas cristalinas" |

Las Marías (lahs mah-REE-yahs) is a municipality of Puerto Rico located north of Maricao; southeast of Añasco; south of San Sebastián; east of Mayagüez; and west of Lares. Las Marías is spread over 13 wards and Las Marías Pueblo (The downtown area and the administrative center of the city).

History

Las Marías was founded in 1871 by Benito Recio.

Flag

The flag is divided by an imaginary diagonal line whose ends are the superior left angle of the flag and the opposite inferior angle. The superior part is yellow and the inferior one green. The yellow portion represents the sun bathing the town and the green portion represents the nature and vegetation of the town.

Coat of Arms

The shield is divided into six parts with three in silver and three in blue. A "María" tree (Callophylum brasiliense antillum), with a pair of coffee tree branches to the sides of its trunk, adorns each silver part. The monogram and crown of Nuestra Señora la Santísima Virgen de Plata is placed in the top center portion of the shield. The shield's border is red with a broken chain at the bottom. Above the shield resides three tower crown in gold.

Demographics

Barrios (Districts/Wards) [http://welcome.topuertorico.org/maps/lasmarias.pdf]

*Alto Sano *Anones *Bucarabones *Buena Vista *Cerrote *Chamorro *Espino *Furnias

*Las Marías Pueblo *Maravilla Este *Maravilla Norte *Maravilla Sur *Naranjales *Palma Escrita *Purísima Concepción *Río Cañas

Geo/Topography

*Grande de Añasco river (known as Guacio),

Anthem

Por tus montes y tus aguas cristalinas.
Por tus hombres, tus mujeres y tu fe.
Por tu aroma a flor de azahar que dan tus chinas
y tu aroma y fuerte sabor a café.
Por el fuego del combate desde Guacio.
Porque Furnias el Grifo al aire lanzó por el pasado,
presente y el futuro llevas el nombre de la madre de Dios.

Desde el pico de Cerrote hasta Río Grande.
Desde el este, el oeste, norte
y sur por ser tres tus maravillas,
Dios te guarde bajo un dosel que corona un cielo azul.

Privilegio es de tus hijos ser nacidos
en un lugar tan colmado de ilusión
que un certero poeta una vez dijo
"Eres chiquito pero grande en corazón".

Economic

Agriculture

*Agriculture: bananas, coffee, and citrus.

Business

Industrial

*Manufacturing: clothing.

Tourism

Landmarks and places of interest

*Barrietos Cavern
*Fronteras Hacienda
*Planell Hacienda
*Rullán Hacienda
*San Calisto Hacienda
*San Carlos Plaza Paco Gaztambide Sugar Mill Ruins

Festivals and events

*Orange Festival - March
*Foundation of the Town - March
*Paso Fino Festival - June
*Matron Festivities - December
*Dia De Los Reyes - January

Notable "Marieños"

*Benito Recio - Founder and first mayor
*Domingo Silá Ortíz - Educator and writer
*José Luis (Luisito) Medina Caraballo - Historian
*Mathias Bruckman - Leader of the Grito de Lares revolt
*Tomás Manzano Hernández - Police Officer

References

External links

* [http://www.puertohost.com/maps/las-marias-map.php Map of Las Marias Puerto Rico]