San Juan is the capital city of Puerto Rico. The city is located in the northeastern part of the island of Puerto Rico. In politics a capital (also called capital city or political capital — although the latter phrase has an alternative meaning based on an alternative meaning of capital) is the principal city or town associated with its government. ...

San Juan was founded by Spanish colonists in 1521 and is regarded as the oldest city in the United States of America (the oldest city in the continental United States is St. Augustine, Florida). Today, San Juan serves as Puerto Rico's most important seaport, as well as the main manufacturing, financial, cultural, and tourist center of the island. Events January 3 - Pope Leo X excommunicates Martin Luther. ... The continental United States refers (except sometimes in U.S. federal law and regulations) to the largest part of the U.S. that is delimited by a continuous border. ... Five flags have flown over St. ... The San Juan ship dock (or Los Muelles de Barcos) is an unnamed seaport facility in San Juan, Puerto Rico. ...

Other names	The Walled City
Founded	1521
Population	442,447
Density	3,582.5 km2
Area	112 km2
Lat/Long Coordinates	18°29′ N 66°08′ W (http://kvaleberg.com/extensions/mapsources/index.php?params=18_29_N_66_08_W_)
Mayor	Jorge Santini (PNP)
Districts	Condado, Hato Rey, Old San Juan, Rio Piedras, Santurce

History

Back portion of La Fortaleza, San Juan's wall and sea-side gates to the city.

In 1508 Juan Ponce de León founded the original settlement, Caparra, today known as Pueblo Viejo, behind the almost land-locked harbor just to the west of the present San Juan metropolitan area. A year later, the settlement was abandoned and moved to a site which was called at the time Puerto Rico, meaning "rich port" or "good port". In 1521, the name of the settlement name was switched with the name "San Juan", the name which Christopher Columbus had originally given the island in honor of John the Baptist. Back view of La Fortaleza, in the foreground- La Puerta de San Juan (City Gates to San Juan) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Back view of La Fortaleza, in the foreground- La Puerta de San Juan (City Gates to San Juan) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Events February - Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor attacks Venice June 6 - Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three year truce and cede several territories to Venice December 10 - League of Cambrai formed as an alliance against Venice between... Juan Ponce de León - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... San Juan is the capital of Puerto Rico. ... Events January 3 - Pope Leo X excommunicates Martin Luther. ... Christopher Columbus For information about the director, see the article on Chris Columbus. ... John the Baptist (also called John the Baptizer) is regarded as a prophet by at least three religions: Christianity, Islam, and Mandaeanism. ...

Old San Juan

In Spanish colonial times, most of the urban population resided in what is known now as Old San Juan. The old city is the main cultural tourist attraction for the island, and the bay side is lined by slots for large cruise ships. The Old San Juan district is located on a small island connected to the mainland by bridges and a causeway. The core old city is characterized by its narrow cobblestone streets and colonial buildings, and encompasses less than a mile by a mile and a half. The buildings in Old San Juan date back to the 16th and 17th century. The oldest parts of the city remain partly enclosed by massive walls and contains several defensive structures and notable forts, such as Fort San Felipe del Morro (begun 1539) and Fort San Cristóbal (17th century), both part of San Juan National Historic Site, and El Palacio de Santa Catalina, also known as La Fortaleza (begun in 1533), which serves as the governor's mansion. Other buildings of interest are the Teatro Tapia, the Ayuntamiento (City Hall), the former Spanish barracks (now museum de Ballaja), the San Jose Church (1523), the former house of the Ponce de Leon family known as Casa Blanca. Also on the island where Old San Juan is situated is the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista (begun in the 1520s), which contains the tomb of the Spanish explorer and settlement founder Juan Ponce de León. Main article: San Juan, Puerto Rico Map of Old San Juan. ... Main article: San Juan, Puerto Rico Map of Old San Juan. ... Aerial view of El Morro. ... Events May 30 - In Florida, Hernando de Soto lands at Tampa Bay with 600 soldiers with the goal to find gold. ... Fort San Cristóbal is a Spanish fort in San Juan, Puerto Rico. ... San Juan National Historic Site in San Juan, Puerto Rico includes colonial-era forts, bastions, powder houses, and three fourths of the old city wall. ... La Fortaleza (or The Fortress in English) is the current residence of the Governor of Puerto Rico. ... La Fortaleza (or The Fortress in English) is the current residence of the Governor of Puerto Rico. ... Events January 25 - King Henry VIII of England marries Anne Boleyn, his second Queen consort. ... The Teatro Tapia is likely to oldest free-standing drama stage building still in use in the United States. ... The southern side of the White House The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States. ... Juan Ponce de León - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ...

Subjected to attacks

Ayuntamiento de San Juan (City Hall), Plaza de Armas in the foreground.

San Juan was used as a stopover for ships returning from Spain, making it an important port in the Spanish system. However, this also made it the target of the foreign powers of the time. The Spanish built a network of fortifications to protect the transportation of gold and silver from the New World to Europe. Download high resolution version (1024x683, 527 KB)Ayuntamiento de San Juan (City Hall), Plaza de Armas File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Download high resolution version (1024x683, 527 KB)Ayuntamiento de San Juan (City Hall), Plaza de Armas File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... General Name, Symbol, Number Gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11 (IB), 6, d Density, Hardness 19300 kg/m3, 2. ... General Name, Symbol, Number silver, Ag, 47 Chemical series Transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 5, d Density, Hardness 10490 kg/m3, 2. ... The New World is one of the names used for the continents of North and South America and adjacent islands collectively, in use since the 16th century. ... World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ...

The city saw attacks from the English in 1595 by Sir Francis Drake and 1598 led by George Clifford, Earl of Cumberland. The artillery from the fortification of El Morro repelled Drake, however Clifford managed to land troops and lay siege to the city. A few months into the British occupation, Clifford was forced to abandon his expedition when his troops began to suffer from exhaustion and sickness. Later, the city was sacked by the Dutch in 1625, but Fort San Felipe del Morro withstood the assault and was never taken. The English returned in 1797, during the French Revolutionary Wars, led by Sir Ralph Abercromby, who had just conquered Trinidad. His army laid siege to the city but was forced to withdraw in defeat as the Puerto Rican defenses proved more resilient than those of Trinidad. In 1898, United States troops bombed, shelled and subsequently occupied the city during the Spanish-American War. Spanish rule ended after 1898 and the island became a territory of the United States of America. Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Religion... Events January 30 - William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet is performed for the first time May 24 - Nomenclator of Leiden University Library appears, the first printed catalog of an institutional library. ... Sir Francis Drake, c. ... Events January 7 - Boris Godunov seizes the throne of Russia following the death of his brother-in-law, Tsar Feodor I April 13 - Edict of Nantes - Henry IV of France grants French Huguenots equal rights with Catholics. ... The title of Earl of Cumberland was created in the Peerage of England in 1525 for the Baron de Clifford. ... Aerial view of El Morro. ... Events March 27 - Prince Charles Stuart becomes King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland. ... Aerial view of El Morro. ... 1797 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The French Revolutionary Wars occurred between the outbreak of war between the French Revolutionary government and Austria in 1792 and the Treaty of Amiens in 1802. ... Sir Ralph Abercromby (sometimes spelled Abercrombie) (October 7, 1734 - March 28, 1801) was a British lieutenant-general noted for his services during the Napoleonic Wars. ... Trinidad (Spanish, Trinity) most commonly refers to the larger island of the nation Trinidad and Tobago, the subject of this article. ... 1898 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Spanish-American War took place in 1898, and resulted in the United States of America gaining control over the former colonies of Spain in the Caribbean and Pacific. ... 1898 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

San Juan today

Plaza del 5to Centenario and San Juan's Totem

During the 20th century San Juan's population extended beyond the walls of the old city. The city now encompasses the surrounding districts. East of Old San Juan lies the hotel and condominium filled district of Condado. Nearby, are two separate business districts, Santurce, where The "Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico" (Art Museum of Puerto Rico) is located and Hato Rey. Hato Rey, which at the beginning of the 20th century was grazing ground for cattle, is now considered the financial center of the island. A section of this district is often referred to as the "Golden Mile", due in part to the many banks and businesses which are located in the area. The headquarters of Banco Popular, the largest Hispanic bank in the United States, is also located in Hato Rey. Copyright status Public domain. ... Copyright status Public domain. ... Main article: San Juan, Puerto Rico Map of Old San Juan. ... El Condado (The County) refers to a district of San Juan, Puerto Rico just east of the historic colonial district of Old San Juan. ... Hato Rey is an area of San Juan, Puerto Rico. ... Hato Rey is an area of San Juan, Puerto Rico. ... This article is about a Puerto Rican bank. ... Hispanic, as used in the United States, is one of several terms used to categorize native and naturalized U.S. citizens, permanent residents and temporary immigrants, whose background hail either from Spain, the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America or the original settlers of the traditionally Spanish-held Southwestern United... The essential function of a bank is to provide services related to the storing of value and the extending of credit. ... Hato Rey is an area of San Juan, Puerto Rico. ...

In the southern part of the city is the residential area of Río Piedras, where the main campus of the University of Puerto Rico is located. The University of Puerto Rico (UPR) is the university system of Puerto Rico. ...

Tren Urbano, Río Piedras underground station.

San Juan made an unsuccessful bid for hosting the 2004 Summer Olympics. As with many large metropolitan areas, automobile traffic congestion has been a growing concern in the city which prompted city planners to build a train system dubbed "Tren Urbano" (The Urban Train) which is now in operation. Tren Urbano, Río Piedras Station (underground) File links The following pages link to this file: San Juan, Puerto Rico Tren Urbano ... Tren Urbano, Río Piedras Station (underground) File links The following pages link to this file: San Juan, Puerto Rico Tren Urbano ... San Juans Tren Urbano - Phase I Service Route and Stations. ... The Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, commonly known as the 2004 Summer Olympics were the 28th Summer Olympic Games. ... San Juans Tren Urbano - Phase I Service Route and Stations. ...

External links

• Google maps (http://www.google.com/maps?ll=18.250000,-66.436813&spn=1.304626,2.026978&t=k&hl=en)

Media

• The San Juan Star newspaper (http://www.thesanjuanstar.com/)

Official Sites

• City of San Juan (http://www.sanjuancapital.com/)

Tourist and Other Information

• National Park Service - San Juan (http://www.nps.gov/saju/)
• 1785 Map of San Juan (http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/gmd:@filreq(@field(NUMBER+@band(g4974s+ct000306))+@field(COLLID+citymap)))
• Photos of San Juan - Terra Galleria (http://www.terragalleria.com/america/puerto-rico/san-juan/)

Education Colleges / Schools / Universities

• University of Puerto Rico: Rio Piedras Campus (http://www.uprrp.edu/)
• University of Puerto Rico - Medical Sciences Campus (http://wwwrcm.upr.clu.edu/)
• Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico (http://www.pupr.edu/)
• University of the Sacred Heart (http://www.sagrado.edu/)
• Inter-American University of Puerto Rico - Metropolitan Campus (http://www.metro.inter.edu/)
• Metropolitan University (http://www.suagm.edu/UMET/)
• Escuela de Artes Plásticas de Puerto Rico (http://www.eap.edu/)
• Carlos Albizu University (http://www.albizu.edu/)
• Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico (http://www.cmpr.edu/)

Malls

• Plaza Las Américas (http://www.plazalasamericas.net/)