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San Juan, Puerto Rico

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San Juan is the capital of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The city is located in the northeastern part of the island. It is the largest city and principal seaport, as well as the main manufacturing, financial, cultural, and tourist center of Puerto Rico.

Table of contents
1 History
2 Subjected to attacks
3 San Juan today
4 See also
5 External links


San Juan was founded in 1521. In 1508 Juan Ponce de León founded the original settlement, Caparra, now known as Pueblo Viejo, behind the almost land-locked harbor just to the west of the present metropolitan area. A year later, the settlement was abandoned and moved to the site of which was called Puerto Rico, meaning ?rich port?. Later, the name of the settlement was reversed with the name which Christopher Columbus had originally given the island, San Juan ?after John the Baptist.

Old San Juan is the historical district of the city which lies on a small island connected to the mainland by bridges and a causeway, characterized by its narrow cobblestone streets. Buildings date back to the 16th and 17th century. The oldest part remains partly enclosed by massive walls and contains several notable forts, such as El Morro (begun 1539) and San Cristóbal (17th century), both part of San Juan National Historic Site, and El Palacio de Santa Catalina, also known as La Fortaleza (begun 1533), which now serves as the governor's mansion. Also on the island is the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista (begun 1520s), a Gothic structure that contains the tomb of the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León.

Subjected to attacks

The city was subject to frequent attacks from the world powers of the time. The city saw attacks from the English in 1595 by Sir Francis Drake and 1598 led by George Clifford, Earl of Cumberland, which sieged the city but where forced to abandon it because of exhaustion and sickness. The city was sacked by the Dutchinin 1625. In 1898, United States troops bombed, shelled and subsequently occupied the city during the Spanish-American War in 1898.

San Juan today

San Juan today extends beyond the walls of the old city, and now encompasses more districts. East of Old San Juan lies the hotel and condominum filled district of Condado. Nearby, are two separate business districts, Santurce and Hato Rey. The Museum of Puerto Rican Art ("Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico") is also located in Santurce. In the southern part of the city is the residential area of Río Piedras, which contains the principal campus of the University of Puerto Rico, founded in 1903.

San Juan has the headquarters of Banco Popular, the largest Hispanic bank in the United States.

Current mayor: Jorge Santini (PNP)

See also

External links

Municipal Government

Tourism Infomation

Educational Institutions


Municipalities of Puerto Rico
Adjuntas | Aguada | Aguadilla | Aguas Buenas | Aibonito | Añasco | Arecibo | Arroyo | Barceloneta | Barranquitas | Bayamón | Cabo Rojo | Caguas | Camuy | Canovanas | Carolina | Cataño | Cayey | Ceiba | Ciales | Cidra | Coamo | Comerio | Corozal | Culebra | Dorado | Fajardo | Florida | Guanica | Guayama | Guayanilla | Guaynabo | Gurabo | Hatillo | Hormigueros | Humacao | Isabela | Jayuya | Juana Diaz | Juncos | Lajas | Lares | Las Marias | Las Piedras | Loiza | Luquillo | Manati | Maricao | Maunabo | Mayagüez | Moca | Morovis | Naguabo | Naranjito | Orocovis | Patillas | Peñuelas | Ponce | Quebradillas | Rincon | Rio Grande | Sabana Grande | Salinas | San Germán | San Juan | San Lorenzo | San Sebastian | Santa Isabel | Toa Alta | Toa Baja | Trujillo Alto | Utuado | Vega Alta | Vega Baja | Vieques | Villalba | Yabucoa | Yauco