Humacao, Puerto Rico
From Free net encyclopedia
Humacao is the largest city of Puerto Rico's eastern coast and is named after the Taino Cacique Jumacao.
Humacao recently acquired a professional basketball team in 2005 (Humacao Gray's) and is in the process of constructing a coliseum to house its new franchise. The city is also constructing a new state of the art convention center and is rebuilding Victoria Theatre a 19th century theatre located in the town square.
Humacao has three hospitals (HIMA Humacao, Dr. Dominguez Hospital, Hospital Ryder Memorial). All three of them have been greatly developed and Hospital Ryder Memorial is under renovations and celebrating its 40th Anniversary, It is the largest hospital complex on the east coast of PR.
Humacao is famous all over Puerto Rico for its granitos, a greasy snack food which is composed of a fried rice flour with cheese in its center. People have for years driven to Humacao from other cities just to taste this snack food. Locals joke about this tastiful 'fritura': el granito es EEE: engorda, estriñe y embrutece.(The granito is EEE: it fattens, constipates and dumbs you!)
The University of Puerto Rico Humacao campus facility matriculates over 4000 students and is well known for its sciences. Producing some of the islands most skilled microbiologists, marine biologists and chemists. It also contains one of the islands only observatories where tourists and locals can come visit and view the stars and planets.
Humacao's airport is no longer used for daily flights to Vieques and Culebra as it was in the past. It is now used for charter flights and for skydiving. The skydiving facilities located in Humacao are of the most actively used on the island.
There are various excellent elementary and high school facilities, two of which were recognized by the Middle States Association of Secondary Schools and each has their own National Honor Society chapters.
Palmas del mar, the islands largest and most glamorous resort makes Humacao its home. The megaresort is composed of over 3,000 acres of land and occupies the entire south eastern portion of the municipal territory. The resort contains over 30 tennis courts, two world class golf courses, miles of unspoiled beaches, several restaurants and a world class riding center.
Humacao has gone through many changes and it is currently one of the fastest developing municipalities in Puerto Rico. Our current mayor is civic leader Marcelo Trujillo-Panisse (PPD), a chubby, hard-working, big-framed and serene soul, who is leading Humacao to great horizons.
It is also the birthplace of actress Rita Moreno, Adamari Lopez, Carlos Ponce, famed Gynecologist Ernesto Arroyo-López, the beloved Gabriel Esteban Vicéns Quiñones, and the famous popular character Justo Machiche, who used to throw stones at passing-by titeres who made fun of him.
