| Hormigueros, Puerto Rico | |||
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| Nickname(s): El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora de la Monserrate", "El Pueblo del Milagro", "Los Peregrinos | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
| Territory | Puerto Rico | ||
| Founded | 1874 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Hon. Pedro Garcia (PPD) | ||
| - Senatorial dist. | 4 - Mayagüez | ||
| - Representative dist. | 20 | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 11.2 sq mi (29 km2) | ||
| - Land | 11.2 sq mi (29 km2) | ||
| - Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) | ||
| Population (2000) | |||
| - Total | 17,320 | ||
| - Density | 1,504.5/sq mi (580.9/km2) | ||
| - Gentilic | Hormiguereños | ||
| Time zone | AST (UTC-4) | ||
| Anthem – "Sobre un verde valle de mi linda Borinquén" | |||
Hormigueros is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the western region of the island, northeast of Cabo Rojo; northwest of San Germán; and south of Mayagüez. Hormigueros is spread over 5 wards and Hormigueros Pueblo (The downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the Mayagüez Metropolitan Statistical Area.
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The region of what is now Hormigueros belonged to the Guaynia region, located on the southernwest portion of Puerto Rico. Archaeological findings have established that there were tribes already settled in the region around 820 BC.
During the Spanish colonization at the beginning of the 16th Century, it is possible that some of them settled in the area. A coffin found underground a basilica was tested in laboratories and was dated prior to 1600. Some historians also mentioned the Horomico river as one of the main sources of gold during the rush of the era. In 1692, the town of Hormigueros was first established, first as a village of San Germán.
From 1863 to 1873, residents of the area started petitioning for the area to be declared an independent town. In 1874, it was finally granted independence from San Germán.
On 2005, Hormigueros gained notoriety when Filiberto Ojeda RÃos, leader of clandestine paramilitary group Los Macheteros was shot and killed in his house on the outskirts of Hormigueros. Ojeda RÃos had been living clandestinely for more than 20 years after escaping from the law.
The town's flag consists of a blue cloth with a horizontal white rhombus. Superposed on the white rhombus is another blue rhombus with a white globe outlined in blue with a cross.
The town's shield is formed by a blue rhombus, with silver-plated edge. On the blue bottom there's a green hill which is a representation of Our Lady of Monserrate de Hormigueros' Sanctuary, with its silver stairway. The border appears to be splashed by black ants, ready, on guard symmetrically. On the top of the shield resides a crown formed by a wall, with three towers that have blue doors and windows. The joints of the stones are filled with blue lines. The shield is surrounded by two chains that begin at the crown and finish under the bottom part of the shield with the last links broken.
The name of Hormigueros means "anthill" in English. The town possibly derives its name from three concepts. The first one refers to the crowds that gathered at the Basilica Menor on September 8 to honor the Virgin of Montserrat. The second refers to the topographic formation of the town which consists of countless hills resembling "anthills", reason why it was called "Valle del Hormiguero" or "Anthill Valley". Third, it is possible that the name was originated from a TaÃno word: Horomico, which means "rÃo de oro" or "river of gold" due to the importance of the rivers in the area during the gold rush of the Spanish colonization.
The municipality of Hormigueros can be divided in three areas: the northern mountainous region that covers one fourth of the town, with hills of relative height; a semi-mountainous region that extends from east to west covering downtown Hormigueros; and the flat, valley-like region that extends towards the south covering 5.6 square miles.
The climate conditions of Hormigueros are hot and humid. The average temperature is of 72°F to 79°F.
The town of Hormigueros is divided itself into several barrios or districts:
Despite its small size, Hormigueros still has several few attractions for visitors. Some of them are:
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | %± |
| 1950 | 6,916 | — |
| 1960 | 7,153 | 3.4% |
| 1970 | 10,827 | 51.4% |
| 1980 | 14,030 | 29.6% |
| 1990 | 15,212 | 8.4% |
| 2000 | 16,614 | 9.2% |
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Demographic distribution
Racial distribution
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Hormigueros is one of the least populated municipalities of Puerto Rico, perhaps due to its small size. The population, according to the 2000 census, was 16,614 with a population density of 1,510.3 people per square mile (580.9/km²). Since the 50s, the population has more than doubled. According to the 1950 census, there were 6,916 people living in Hormigueros.
As a whole, Puerto Rico is comprised mainly of people from a Creole (born on the Island of European descent) or Spanish and European descent, with small groups of African and Asian people. Statistics taken from the 2000 census shows that 86.0% of Hormiguereños have Spanish or White origin, 4.9% are black, 0.2% are Amerindian etc.
After its initial establishment, Hormigueros belonged to the San Germán region. From 1863 to 1873, neighbors of Hormigueros made formal petitions to be separated from San Germán and be declared an independent municipality. They were finally granted their independence as a municipality on April 1, 1874 being its first mayor Narciso Oller Serra.
However, after the American invasion of 1898, Hormigueros was annexed this time to the town of Mayaguez. The annexation was ordered by Guy V. Henry, but according to Adolfo de Hostos, it was a town's petition[2]. In 1912, they were granted their independence once again, although there were attempts to annex them again during 1928-29.
Hormigueros counts with several public and private schools distributed through several regions. Public education is handled by the Puerto Rico Department of Education.
Puerto Rico Highway 2 provides access to Hormigueros from the nearby city of Mayaguez, or from Ponce. The rest of the roads on the town are mostly rural.
Like most other towns in the island, it counts with a public transportation system consisting of public cars. Taxis are also available around the town.
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Mayagüez | |
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| Cabo Rojo |  |
San Germán | ||
 Hormigueros  |
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Coordinates: 18°08′23″N 67°07′39″W / 18.13972°N 67.1275°W
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