Santa Isabel () is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the southern coast of the island, south of Coamo; east of Juana Díaz; and west of Salinas. Santa Isabel is spread over 7 barrios and Santa Isabel Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center). It is the principal city of the Santa Isabel Micropolitan Statistical Area and is part of the Ponce-Yauco-Coamo Combined Statistical Area.
Santa Isabel is known as The Capital of Agriculture, Numerous estancias were established in the region during the time to cultivate "frutos menores" or small crops for local use such as rice, corn, beans and root vegetables. The area where Central Cortada is located was originally called Estancia Descalabrado, and was owned by Catalan settler Juan de Quintana from 1737.
The municipality of Santa Isabel was officially founded on October 5, 1842, by Antonio Vélez. Vélez led a group of residents to obtain independence from the municipality of Coamo, which Santa Isabel was originally a part of.
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 conducted its first census of Puerto Rico finding that the population of Santa Isabel was 4,858.
On September 20, 2017 Hurricane Maria struck the island of Puerto Rico. In Santa Isabel, close to 500 people had to be rescued, the agriculture was leveled. The strong winds, 15 inches of rain, and rivers that crested, caused an estimated 12,000 homes to be completely or partially destroyed.
Geography
Santa Isabel is on the southern coast.
- Aguirre State Forest (Punta Petrona Nature Reserve)
- Rivers: Cayures, Coamo, Descalabrado and Jueyes.
Barrios
thumb|Subdivisions of Santa Isabel.|left
Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Santa Isabel is subdivided into barrios. The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a barrio referred to as .
- Boca Velázquez
- Descalabrado
- Felicia 1
- Felicia 2
- Jauca 1
- Jauca 2
- Playa
- Santa Isabel barrio-pueblo
Sectors
Barrios (which are like minor civil divisions) and subbarrios, are further subdivided into smaller areas called (sectors in English). The types of sectores may vary, from normally sector to urbanización to reparto to barriada to residencial, among others.
Special Communities
(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 Santa Isabel: Playita Cortada, Sector Islote, Sector Canta Sapo, Sector Descalabrado, Sector El Río, Sector Florida, Sector la Pica, Sector Villa Pote, and Sector Villa Pulga (Villa del Mar).
Demographics
As of the 2020 United States Decennial Census, Santa Isabel had a population of 20,281 residents, a decrease from the 2010 Census when the population was of 23,274 residents. In 2020, the racial makeup of the municipality was 50.2% White, 33.3% Black, 13.4% two or more races, and 0.1% Native American. The majority of the population, 99.8%, are Hispanic or Latino of any race, and 0.2% are non-Hispanic White residents.
Tourism
Landmarks and places of interest
There are 29 beaches in Santa Isabel.
Some of the main attractions of Santa Isabel are:
- El Malecón (boardwalk)
- Indian Museum
- Jauca Beach
- Hacienda Alomar Ruins
- Central Cortada (Cortada Sugarcane Refinery)
Santa Isabel has three listings in the United States National Register of Historic Places:
- Dr. Martin G. Brumbaugh Graded School
- Iglesia Evangélica Unida de Santa Isabel (inscribed as Iglesia Cristiana)
- Las Tres Haciendas irrigation system
Economy
left|thumb|Crops in Felicia, Santa Isabel.
Agriculture
The surrounding areas produces fruits and vegetables such as mango, guineo and avocado. Campo Fresco, a Puerto Rican company, owns a plant in Santa Isabel, from where they produce Jugos Lotus juice and other drink brands.
Industry
Aerospace, electrical and electronic, metal products and nutritional products.
Culture
Festivals and Events
Santa Isabel celebrates its patron saint festival in July. The is a religious and cultural celebration that generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment.
Transportation
There are 12 bridges in Santa Isabel.
Symbols
The has an official flag and coat of arms.
Flag
The flag is divided horizontally into three stripes; white at the top, yellow in the center and red at the bottom, and may be decorated with sugarcane stems.
thumb|right|Alternate flag of Santa Isabel with sugar cane stem ornamentation
Coat of arms
The crown stands for Saint-Queen Elizabeth of Hungary (Isabel in Spanish), patroness of the Third Order of Saint Francis. The shells are a symbol of St. James the patron saint of the town, as well as for the many shells found in the beaches near the town.