Naranjito

History

The intention to form the municipality of Naranjito began in 1810. After a series of major incidents with powerful political interests of the time, on December 3, 1824, Don Braulio Morales successfully founded the town of Naranjito. The town was founded in the neighborhood of the same name, on a land donated by Doña Manuela Rivera and Don Braulio Morales. Morales was named "Captain Settler" and at the same time was appointed mayor of the town in development. The name "Naranjito" is derived from a small sour orange tree that served as a reference point for travelers looking for in the shortest way to the town of Toa Alta. At the time of its foundation, Naranjito consisted of five barrios/districts: Lomas, Guadiana, Achiote, Nuevo and Cedro. Cedro was divided in 1853 in Cedro Arriba and Cedro Abajo. The municipality's main urban zone is composed by the San Miguel, San Antonio and San Cristobal districts. Puerto Rico was ceded by Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish–American War under the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1898 and became a territory of the United States. In 1899, the United States Department of War conducted a census of Puerto Rico finding that the population of Naranjito was 8,101. On September 20, 2017 Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico. Naranjito was left in complete devastation and isolation, with no electrical power, no communication and no physical access due to destroyed highways. The Guadiana River caused severe flooding in the urban area of Naranjito. The storm triggered numerous landslides in Naranjito. Elderly, especially, struggled to recover.

Geography

Naranjito is located in the central mountainous region. Rivers and streams of Naranjito include Río Cañas, Río Cibuco, Río Grande de Manatí, Río Guadiana and Río Mavilla. Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Naranjito is subdivided into barrios. The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a barrio referred to as . #Achiote #Anones #Nuevo #Cedro Abajo #Cedro Arriba #Guadiana #Lomas, also known as Lomas Garcia #Naranjito barrio-pueblo Barrios (which are, in contemporary times, roughly comparable to minor civil divisions) (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 Naranjito: La Pajona (Los Alvarado) in Cedro Arriba, Las Parcelas in Lomas García, Los Pampers (Sico Martínez) in Lomas García, Sector Benito Nieves/Los Quilés in Lomas García, Comunidad Lago La Plata, La Colina, San Antonio y San Cristóbal, Casco Urbano (Las Barriadas), Parcelas Hevia, Sector Mulitas, Comunidad Cayito Ríos, Lomas Jaguas, Los Pelusa in Cedro Abajo, Comunidades Riíto 1 y II in Cedro Arriba, Comunidad El Palmar, Los López in Cedro Abajo, Fondo del Saco in Achiote and La Sabana in Cedro Abajo.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• RUBEN RODRIGUEZ FIGUEROA
  High · NARANJITO · 775 students · 13.4:1 ratio
• SILVESTRE MARTINEZ
  Elementary · NARANJITO · 412 students · 14.2:1 ratio
• FRANCISCO MORALES
  High · NARANJITO · 381 students · 9.3:1 ratio
• MERCEDES ROSADO
  Middle · NARANJITO · 340 students · 9.4:1 ratio
• FRANCISCO LOPEZ CRUZ
  Elementary · NARANJITO · 326 students · 8.4:1 ratio
• SU ADOLFO GARCIA
  Elementary · NARANJITO · 306 students · 10.6:1 ratio
• SU PEDRO FERNANDEZ
  Elementary · NARANJITO · 249 students · 10.8:1 ratio
• COLEEN VAZQUEZ URRUTIA
  Elementary · NARANJITO · 244 students · 10.2:1 ratio