Arecibo (Arecibo)
The Arecibo Observatory, which housed the Arecibo telescope, the world's largest radio telescope until July 2016, is located in the municipality. The Arecibo telescope collapsed on December 1, 2020. Arecibo is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arecibo.
The name Arecibo comes from the Taíno chief Xamaica Arasibo, cacique of the yucayeque (Taíno settlement) of Abacoa where the Spanish town of Arecibo was settled in 1556. The word Arasibo itself most likely comes from the Taíno words ara, possibly meaning or related to "people", and siba, most likely meaning "rock" or "stone". This name also lends itself to the name of the river which flows through the municipality into the Atlantic Ocean.
Some of the city's nicknames are: Villa del Capitán Correa ("Villa of Captain Correa"), after Captain Antonio de los Reyes Correa, a Spanish soldier who famously and successfully defended the city from a British invasion; La Muy Leal ("the very loyal [one]") after the title often granted to Spanish colonial cities; and Diamante del Norte ("Diamond of the North") due to the city's location in the northern coast of the island.
Map - Arecibo (Arecibo)
Map
Country - Puerto Rico
Currency / Language
ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
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USD | United States dollar | $ | 2 |
ISO | Language |
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EN | English language |
ES | Spanish language |