Manatí

Manatí (Spanish pronunciation: [manaˈti]) is a municipality of Puerto Rico in the northern coast, north of Morovis and Ciales; east of Florida and Barceloneta; and west of Vega Baja. Manatí is spread over 8 wards and Manatí Pueblo (The downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Manatí was founded in 1738 by Don Pedro Menendez Valdes. Manati is known as "La Ciudad Metropolitana" which in English is the "Metropolitan City," and is also known as "La Atenas de Puerto Rico," which is "Puerto Rico's Athens" in English. It is named after a sea mammal, the manatee (which are also known as sea cows). During those early years, the Mayor of the town was Jose Aulet. The Iglesia Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria church was built in the seventeenth century and is still standing in its original spot. Juan Ponce de Leon picked the Manatí leg of the Manuatabón River to first start scavenging for gold. The family was rich in pineapple, sugar cane, and green bananas. The Aulets sold the land to the government in 1985.

1853 saw the transformation of a mining economy to an agricultural one. The main crop was sugar cane. Carpentry also became popular. During that year,the town consisted of 280 homes, 2 squates, 8 streets and a school with 50 pupils.