Florida, Puerto Rico

Florida was founded first as a barrio of Barceloneta in 1881 when a priest named Father Carrión, the mayor of Barceloneta, and other dignitaries visited a tract of land of almost 4 acres. They decided to establish a new barrio. The owner of the land, Don Manuel Cintrón, granted the land while he retained a piece of it. The barrio was first called Florida Adentro.{{cite book|author=Puerto Rico|title=Acts and Resolutions of Puerto Rico|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VsKwAAAAIAAJ|year=1977 |page=822|publisher=Equity de Puerto Rico}}

During the 20th century, several efforts were made to declare Florida as a municipality. First, on April 14, 1949, House Representative Francisco Díaz Marchand presented a project to create a legislative commission that would study the economic and social conditions of the barrio, to determine the suitability of it as an independent municipality. The project was unsuccessful. In 1960, Manuel Frías Morales presented a law that would permit the study to establish the municipality but it was also unsuccessful.

Finally, on June 14, 1971, the Senate of Puerto Rico and Governor Don Luis A. Ferré approved the law that officially created the municipality of Florida. It is thus the youngest municipality established in the island.

On September 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico. In Florida, 1400 homes were a total loss and 2,295 homes were partially damaged.{{cite news | title=María, un nombre que no vamos a olvidar. Florida quedó oliendo a muerte tras el paso de María| trans-title=Maria, a name we will never forget. Florida was left smelling of death in Maria's aftermath|newspaper=El Nuevo Día| date=June 13, 2019 | url=https://huracanmaria.elnuevodia.com/2017/municipio/florida/| language=es | access-date=2022-09-11}}

Florida is the second smallest municipality of Puerto Rico, with an area of 10 square miles. As the only municipality in Puerto Rico that has its urban area within the northern karst region (sometimes referred as the Northern Karst Hills), it is surrounded by low elevation, red clay and limestone haystack hills known in Caribbean Spanish as mogotes. The southern border of the municipality with Ciales remains one of the least developed areas on the island, due to the ruggedness of the karst. The Río Encantado, a subterranean river, drains this area.{{cite web | title=Río Encantado | website=Para la Naturaleza | url=https://www.paralanaturaleza.org/en/rio-encantado-eng/ | access-date=November 11, 2022}} Several caves are found in the town, including Román Cave, Miró Cave, and Juana Gómez Cave.{{cite web|url=https://enciclopediapr.org/en/encyclopedia/florida-municipality/|title=Florida Municipality|publisher=Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades (FPH)|website=enciclopediapr.org|access-date=March 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190828181659/https://enciclopediapr.org/en/encyclopedia/florida-municipality/|archive-date=August 28, 2019|url-status=live}} Balcon Cave ({{lang|es|Cueva Balcón}}) is located in Florida.{{cite web |title=Cueva Balcones Florida PR para CIAM |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJywgw4iurE |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/GJywgw4iurE |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|website=YouTube |publisher=CENTRO DE INVESTIGACIÓN AMBIENTAL JPL |access-date=July 19, 2020 |language=es}}{{cbignore}}

File:Florida, Puerto Rico locator map.png

As with all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Florida is subdivided into administrative units called barrios (which means barrios or boroughs or neighborhoods in English). A newer municipality of Puerto Rico, Florida has one barrio called Florida Adentro and two sub-barrios: Florida Zona Urbana and Pajonal. It does not have a "barrio-pueblo" like most of the other municipalities of Puerto Rico.{{cite book|author=Gwillim Law|title=Administrative Subdivisions of Countries: A Comprehensive World Reference, 1900 through 1998|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nXCeCQAAQBAJ|access-date=December 25, 2018|date=May 20, 2015|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-1-4766-0447-3|page=300}}{{cite book|title=Puerto Rico:2010:population and housing unit counts.pdf|url=https://permanent.access.gpo.gov/gpo35934/cph-2-53.pdf|year=2010|publisher=U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=January 11, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170220183043/https://permanent.access.gpo.gov/gpo35934/cph-2-53.pdf|archive-date=February 20, 2017|url-status=live}}{{Cite web |url=http://welcome.topuertorico.org/maps/florida.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180324204920/http://welcome.topuertorico.org/maps/florida.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2018-03-24 |title=Map of Florida at the Wayback Machine|access-date=2018-12-29 }}

The following areas are neighborhoods in Florida:

• Parcelas Arroyo
• Parcelas Selgas
• Pueblo Viejo
• San Agustín
• Perol
• Tosas
• La Villamil
• Dolta

{{Further|List of barrios and sectors of Florida, Puerto Rico}}

Barrios (which are, in contemporary times, roughly comparable to minor civil divisions){{cite web |title=US Census Barrio-Pueblo definition |url=https://factfinder.census.gov/help/en/barrio.htm |website=factfinder.com |publisher=US Census |access-date=January 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170513190743/https://factfinder.census.gov/help/en/barrio.htm |archive-date=May 13, 2017 |url-status=dead }} are further subdivided into smaller areas called {{lang|es|sectores}} (sectors in English). The types of sectores may vary, from sector to urbanización to reparto to barriada to residencial, among others.{{cite web |title=PRECINTO ELECTORAL FLORIDA 024|url=http://ww2.ceepur.org/es-pr/Desglose%20de%20Sectores/024%20FLORIDA.pdf |website=Comisión Estatal de Elecciones |publisher=PR Government |date=October 19, 2018|access-date=June 21, 2019|language=es}}{{cite web | title=Los pueblos de Puerto Rico y las iglesias de sus plazas |first= José A. |last= Mari Mut | via=archive.org| date=August 28, 2013 | url=https://archive.org/details/pueblospr | access-date=June 19, 2020|language=es}}{{cite web|url=http://www.presupuesto.pr.gov/Presupuesto2015-2016/PresupuestosAgencias/229.htm|title=Agencia: Oficina del Coordinador General para el Financiamiento Socioeconómico y la Autogestión (Proposed 2016 Budget) |website= Puerto Rico Budgets|language=es|access-date=June 28, 2019}}{{Citation | author1=Rivera Quintero, Marcia | title=El vuelo de la esperanza : Proyecto de las Comunidades Especiales Puerto Rico, 1997–2004 | date=2014 | publisher=San Juan, Puerto Rico Fundación Sila M. Calderón | edition=Primera edición | isbn=978-0-9820806-1-0 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.lexjuris.com/lexlex/Leyes2001/lex2001001.htm|title=Leyes del 2001|website=Lex Juris Puerto Rico|language=es|access-date=June 24, 2019}} For all

{{see also|Puerto Rico Office for Socioeconomic and Community Development}}

{{lang|es|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 Florida: Sector El Hoyo in Comunidad San Agustín, Comunidad Arroyo, Sector Polvorín in Comunidad La Ceiba, Comunidad La Fuente, Estancias de Arroyo in La Joya, Sector El Cerro in Pajonal, and Sectors La Charca and Los Quemaos (both) in Parcelas Selgas.{{Citation|author1=Rivera Quintero, Marcia|title=El vuelo de la esperanza:Proyecto de las Comunidades Especiales Puerto Rico, 1997–2004|date=2014| publisher=San Juan, Puerto Rico Fundación Sila M. Calderón| edition=Primera edición|page=273|isbn=978-0-9820806-1-0}}

To stimulate local tourism, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company launched the Voy Turistiendo ("I'm Touring") campaign, with a passport book and website. The Florida page lists {{lang|es|Parque Ecológico Janet González}}, {{lang|es|Río Encantado}}, and {{lang|es|Bandera de Puerto Rico}} of the project {{lang|es|Una Bandera, 78 Pueblos}} (One Flag, 78 Pueblos), as places of interest.{{cite book | title= Pasaporte: Voy Turisteando |publisher=Compañia de Turismo de Puerto Rico | year=2021| language=es}}

Florida celebrates its patron saint festival in September. The {{lang|es|Fiestas Patronales de Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes}} 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 Florida include:

• Three Kings Festival – January
• Cayenalisa Pineapple Festival – July
• Cultural Fair of Río Encantado – October

File:PR-140, Florida Farmacéuticas, Salida 57 sign on PR-22.jpg

Historically, Florida's economy relied heavily on agriculture, specifically pineapple crops and other fruit-related products. In recent decades, along with the rest of the Island, rapid urbanization and industrialization, along with economic challenges, have forced Florida's fruit industry to near extinction.{{cite web | last=Feliciano | first=Ivette | title=Puerto Rico seeks to reclaim island's farming industry | website=PBS | date=August 22, 2015 | url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/dependent-imports-puerto-ricos-culinary-scene-eyes-local-rebirth | access-date=2023-03-05}} Pharmaceutical manufacturing plants have been established in Florida.{{cite web | last=Bomey | first=Nathan | title=Hurricane Maria halts crucial drug manufacturing in Puerto Rico, may spur shortages | website=USA TODAY | date=September 22, 2017 | url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/09/22/hurricane-maria-pharmaceutical-industry-puerto-rico/692752001/ | access-date=2020-07-19}}{{cite web | title=Pharmaceutical industry: Eyes on Puerto Rico | website=El Nuevo Día | date=March 10, 2020 | url=https://www.elnuevodia.com/english/news/story/pharmaceutical-industry-eyes-on-puerto-rico/ | access-date=2020-07-19}}

{{US Census population

| 1900=

| 1910=

| 1920=

| 1930=

| 1940=

| 1950=

| 1960=

| 1970=

| 1980= 7232

| 1990= 8689

| 2000= 12367

| 2010= 12680

|estyear=

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|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2016/PEPANNRES/0500000US72005|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 21, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213114938/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2016/PEPANNRES/0500000US72005|archive-date=February 13, 2020}}
1899 (shown as 1900){{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/reportoncensusof00unitiala#page/n245/mode/2up|title=Report of the Census of Porto Rico 1899|publisher=War Department Office Director Census of Porto Rico|access-date=September 21, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170716033905/https://archive.org/stream/reportoncensusof00unitiala#page/n245/mode/2up|archive-date=July 16, 2017|url-status=live}} 1910–1930{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/00476569ch4.pdf|title=Table 3-Population of Municipalities: 1930 1920 and 1910|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 21, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170817181600/https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/00476569ch4.pdf|archive-date=August 17, 2017|url-status=live}}
1930–1950{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/23761117v1ch12.pdf|title=Table 4-Area and Population of Municipalities Urban and Rural: 1930 to 1950|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 21, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150830033735/http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/23761117v1ch12.pdf|archive-date=August 30, 2015|url-status=live}} 1960–2000{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/phc-3-53-eng.pdf|title=Table 2 Population and Housing Units: 1960 to 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 21, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170724061852/https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/phc-3-53-eng.pdf|archive-date=July 24, 2017|url-status=live}} 2010{{cite book|title=Puerto Rico:2010:population and housing unit counts.pdf|url=https://permanent.access.gpo.gov/gpo35934/cph-2-53.pdf|year=2010|publisher=U.S. Dept. of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=2018-12-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170220183043/https://permanent.access.gpo.gov/gpo35934/cph-2-53.pdf|archive-date=2017-02-20|url-status=live}}

2020{{Cite web|publisher=United States Census Bureau|title=PUERTO RICO: 2020 Census|url=https://www.census.gov/library/stories/state-by-state/puerto-rico-population-change-between-census-decade.html|access-date=2021-08-25|website=The United States Census Bureau|language=EN-US}}|2020=11692}}

Florida is one of the least populated municipalities of Puerto Rico, perhaps due to its small size. The population, according to the 2000 census, was 12,237 with a population density of 1,236.7 people per square mile (475.6/km²). After its establishment in 1974, the population has steadily increased over the years, with 7,232 people in the 1980 census.

Statistics taken from the 2000 census shows that 86.0% of Florideños are of White origin, 4.9% are black, 0.2% are Amerindian etc.

{{main| Mayoralty in Puerto Rico}}

After its initial establishment, Florida belonged to the Barceloneta region.{{cite book|author=Puerto Rico|title=Acts of the Legislature of Puerto Rico|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GQpNAQAAIAAJ|year=1975 |page=544}} In 1949 and 1960 there were some attempts to separate the barrio from Barceloneta, but these were unsuccessful. However, in 1974, Governor Luis A. Ferré and the Puerto Rican Senate officially declared Florida an independent municipality. Its first mayor was Jorge L. Pérez Piñeiro. The current mayor is José Gerena Polanco, of the New Progressive Party (PNP). He was elected in the 2012 general elections.

The city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district III, which is represented by two senators. In 2024, Brenda Pérez Soto and Gabriel González were elected as District Senators.[https://elecciones2024.ceepur.org/Escrutinio_General_121/index.html#es/default/SENADORES_POR_DISTRITO_Arecibo_III.xml Elecciones Generales 2024: Escrutinio General] {{webarchive |url=https://elecciones2024.ceepur.org/Escrutinio_General_121/index.html#es/default/SENADORES_POR_DISTRITO_Arecibo_III.xml |date=December 23, 2024 }} on CEEPUR

The {{lang|es|municipio}} has an official flag and coat of arms.{{cite web | title=Ley Núm. 70 de 2006 -Ley para disponer la oficialidad de la bandera y el escudo de los setenta y ocho (78) municipios. | website=LexJuris de Puerto Rico | url=https://www.lexjuris.com/LEXLEX/Leyes2006/lexl2006070.htm | language=es | access-date=2021-06-15}}

It consists of three horizontal stripes, with the following colors and widths: green the superior and white the inferior, with five modules of width each one, the center one red, with a width of one module.{{cite web | title=FLORIDA | website=LexJuris (Leyes y Jurisprudencia) de Puerto Rico | date=February 19, 2020 | url=http://www.lexjuris.com/pueblos/pueblos_files/FLORIDA.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200219000540/http://www.lexjuris.com/pueblos/pueblos_files/FLORIDA.html | archive-date=February 19, 2020 | url-status=live | language=es | access-date=September 17, 2020}}

Field of silver, in an abyss, a gules (red) anchored cross, like the one in the Asturian district of Llanes. The cross is anchored between two branches of bloomed poinsettias (Poinsettia pulcherrima). A green terrace represents the hilly terrain of the town, with a stripe forming waves outlined in silver which represents the underground river of Encantado. At the top, a three tower gold crown distinct in municipalities coat of arms. The shield can be surrounded, to its flanks and bottom by two crossed coffee tree branches with fruits.

Florida derives its name from the abundant flowers and natural resources on its land. It is also known as {{lang|es|La Tierra del Río Encantado}} due to an underground river called Encantado. Another nickname is the {{lang|es|Pueblo de la Piña Cayenalisa}} due to its pineapple crops.

There are several public and private schools, serving students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade, distributed throughout the municipality of Florida. Public education is handled by the Puerto Rico Department of Education.

These are some of the schools in Florida, as of 2020:

• Adolfo Egüen School
• Juanita Ramírez González School
• Juan Ponce De León II School
• Francisco Frías Morales School
• Ricardo Rodríguez Torres School
• Early Head Start

Puerto Rico Highway 22 provides access to PR-140, which leads to Florida from the cities of Mayagüez in the west, or San Juan in the north.

Like most other towns on the Island, it has a public transportation system consisting of small, subsidized private buses and vans called públicos.{{cite web|title=List of Licensed Publicos|url=https://estadisticas.pr/en/inventario-de-estadisticas/listado-de-rutas-de-porteadores-publicos|website=Estadisticas PR|publisher=Puerto Rico Department of Transportation|url-status=dead|access-date=March 5, 2023|archive-date=March 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305235113/https://estadisticas.pr/en/inventario-de-estadisticas/listado-de-rutas-de-porteadores-publicos}}

There is only one bridge in Florida.{{cite web|title=Florida Bridges|url=http://bridgereports.com/pr/florida/|website=National Bridge Inventory Data|publisher=US Dept. of Transportation|access-date=February 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190221224059/http://bridgereports.com/pr/florida/|archive-date=February 21, 2019|url-status=live}}

• 1974–1981 – Jorge Luis Pérez Piñeiro
• 1981–1984 – Heriberto González Vélez
• 1984–1992 – Juan Ramon De León Vélez [Johnny]
• 1992–2004 – Maria Dolores Guzmán Cardona [Maggie]
• 2004–2012 – José Aaron Pargas Ojeda
• 2012–present – José Gerena Polanco

• Charlie Montoyo – Former Manager of the Toronto Blue Jays and former Major League Baseball player
• Alexis Mateo – Drag queen and contestant on Season 3 of RuPaul's Drag Race

{{Portal|Puerto Rico|Geography}}

• List of Puerto Ricans
• History of Puerto Rico

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.gobierno.pr/GPRPortal/StandAlone/MunicipalityInformation.aspx?Filter=54 Municipality of Florida] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929173654/http://www.gobierno.pr/GPRPortal/StandAlone/MunicipalityInformation.aspx?Filter=54 |date=September 29, 2007 }} {{in lang|es}}
• [https://www.scribd.com/doc/38654308/Estudio-de-Viabilidad-Municipio-de-Florida Viability Study of Florida] {{in lang|es}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20180817171420/http://www.doctorvalentin.com/ Dr. Valentín's Historical Archives] {{in lang|es}}
• {{cite web|url=http://www.salonhogar.com/est_soc/pr/pueblos/florida/index.htm |publisher=Salon Hogar |title=Florida}}
• [http://welcome.topuertorico.org/city/florida.shtml Welcome to Puerto Rico! Florida]

{{Adjacent communities

|Centre = Florida

|North = Barceloneta

|Northeast =

|East = Manatí

|Southeast =

|South = Ciales

|Southwest =

|West = Arecibo

|Northwest =

}}

{{Porta Cordillera}}

{{Puerto Rico subdivisions}}

{{Subject bar|auto=y|d=y}}

Category:Municipalities of Puerto Rico

Category:Populated places established in 1971

Category:San Juan–Caguas–Guaynabo metropolitan area

Category:1971 establishments in Puerto Rico