Toa Baja, 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 Toa Baja, Puerto Rico within Puerto Rico.
latNS=N
longEW=W| official_name = Toa Baja, Puerto Rico | nickname = Ciudad de los Valles del Toa", "Ciudad Bajo Aguas", "Los Llaneros

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| image_
| population_blank1 = Toabajeños|population_blank1_title=Gentilic|
| population_blank1 = Toabajeños|population_blank1_title=Gentilic|

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| map_caption = Location within the island of Puerto Rico
established_date = 1745 | leader_title|established_title=Founded| = Mayor | leader_title=Mayor
leader_name = Hon. Aníbal Vega Borges | political party = Partido Nuevo Progresista
leader_party = PNP
leader_title1=Senatorial dist.
leader_name1= 2 - Bayamón
leader_title2=Representative dist.
leader_name2 = 10| area_magnitude = 1 E9 | area_total_km2 = 108.0
area_land_km2 = 59.99| area_water_km2 = 48.01| population_as_of = 2000 | population_note =
population_total = 94085|population_footnotes= | population_density_km2 = 1568.4| timezone = AST | utc_offset = -4 | timezone_DST = | utc_offset_DST = -4| latitude = 18°27'00" N
longitude = 66°15'36" W | website = http://www.toabaja.gobierno.pr | footnotes = Anthem – "Espléndido Toa Baja, jardín de mis amores" |

Toa Baja (TO-ah BAH-hah) is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the northern coast, north of Toa Alta and Bayamón; east of Dorado; and west of Cataño. Toa Baja is spread over 5 wards and Toa Baja Pueblo (The downtown area and the administrative center of the city).

Toa Baja considered to be a part of the Metropolitan Area. It shares its metropolitan area status with San Juan, Bayamón,Guaynabo, Cataño, Carolina and Trujillo Alto.

Toa Baja is located fifteen minutes by car from San Juan and one hour from Ponce.

People from Toa Baja are known as "Toabajeños".

History

Called La Ciudad Bajo Aguas, Toa Baja was founded in 1745.

Flag

According to a publication of the Municipality of Toa Baja, the official flag of this Municipality consist of two (2) vertical bands: the left side is green and the right side is yellow. The green band have two (2) keys one in yellow and the other in white color. The green band represent the mountains and the yellow band represent the "Valley of Toa", also symbolize the rays of the sun. The keys simbolises the Saint or "Patron" of the City: San Pedro el Apostol).

Coat of Arms

The waving stripe represents the Toa River, one of the first mentioned in the history of Puerto Rico, and in whose shores Juan Ponce de Leon tried to settle the first population of Puerto Rico.

The keys, crossed in vane, symbolize Saint Peter, patron saint of the town. In similar form they appear in the altar of the Parochial Church San Pedro Apostle, of Toa Baja. The F and the J, represent Don Fernando II of Aragón and V of Castile, and his daughter, Doña Juana, sovereign of Castile and Leon.

The handfuls of yucca refer to one of the main crop of this area, and constitute a symbol of the Indians who cultivated it, and whose main food was cassava or bread of yucca.The sugar cane stems refer to the cultivation and industry, that represented the main source of wealth of Toa Baja; the wealth is represented by gold of the field of the shield.

Demographics

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

*Ingenio *Campanillas *Candelaria *San José *Media Luna *Sabana Seca *Toa Baja Pueblo *Levittown

Geo/Topography

*Northern Coastal Plains and in the karst zone.
*Rivers; Cocal, Hondo and Plata.

Anthem

By Luis M. Santiago

Espléndido Toa Baja, jardín de mis amores,
tú luces por doquiera, tu hermosura sin par.
Son bellas y fragantes tus matizadas flores,
que vierten en el aire su esencia virginal.

Un sol esplendoroso alumbra tu llanura,
risueña, portentosa por su fecundidad;
pues luce eternamente su manto de verdura,
primicias venturosas del clima tropical.

Hermosa tus noches, perenne primavera,
y de tu luna hermosa el pálido rielar,
el Plata caudaloso, que besa tu ribera,
parece una serpiente de plata o de cristal.

Si en los dorados días de mi niñez dichosa,
para colgar mi cuna, me brindaste un hogar,
yo quiero que me guardes, para cavar mi fosa,
un sitio en tus llanuras, bajo el sol tropical
que van siempre unidos.

Economic

Agriculture

*Fruits, Sugarcane
*Dairy Cattle

Business

Industrial

Manufacturing (metal, plastic, concrete, textile, electrical and electronic machinery and rum).

Tourism

Landmarks and places of interest

*Cañuelo Fortress
*Central Constancia (sugar mill)
*Goats Island
*Hermana Island
*Nuestra Señora del Carmen Catholic Church
*Palo Seco Thermoelectrial Power Station
*Punta Salinas Beach
*San Pedro Apostle Catholic Church
*Santa Elena Hacienda

Festivals and events

*Craft Festival - March
*Patron Celebrations - June
*Beach Festival - July
*Musical Band Festival - August
*Christmas Festivities - December

Transportation

Education

ports

Las Llaneras - One of the best volleyball teams in the Americas.

Notable "Toabajeños"

*Ernesto Juan Fonfrías - Lawyer, novelist and poet.
*Luis M. Santiago - Professor and author of Toa Baja's hymn.
*Manuel Padilla Dávila - Surveyor and poet.
*Virgilio Dávila - Poet
*Kany Garcia - Singer/Songwriter
*Carmen Lavandero - Professor
*Jose Lind - Professional baseball player
*Evelyn Rivera-Pagán - Entrepreneur

References

Books about Toa Baja

*"Los Municipios de Puerto Rico - Toa Baja". Commissioned by the Department of Education in 1992.
*Padilla Melendez, Debra E., "Toa Baja: Notas para su historia."

External links

* [http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=05000US72137&-_box_head_nbr=GCT-PH1&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&-redoLog=false&-mt_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_GCTPH1_CO2&-format=CO-2 Toa Baja and its barrios, United States Census Bureau]
* [http://www.toabaja.gobierno.pr/ City of Toa Baja]
* [http://www.gobierno.pr/GPRPortal/StandAlone/MunicipalityInformation.aspx?Filter=68/ Toa Baja site on Puerto Rico portal]