History

Located at the Lajas valley, the town was founded in 1883 by Teodoro Jacome Pagan.

Flag
The flag consists of three (3) horizontal stripes; the superior one green, the center white and the bottom one yellow. A fourth stripe, of equal width forms a cross. In the center of that cross we have two arms united with a ripe yellow pineapple. The cross is surrounded by eleven gold stars; five in the superior (north) part and six in the inferior (south) part of the cross forming a circle.

Coat of Arms
The body is gold with a green band crossing it diagonally right to left; the color gold stands for the wealth of the land and green stands for the beauty of the valley which is a gift from mother nature to Lajas. The band is adorned, at each end, with a pineapple bordered in gold and black. In the center of the band, also in gold, a marine shell. In the left superior side there is a red cardinal's hat and in the inferior a red anchor with a green; the shield has 3 tower castle, each one with two windows and one door. On the bottom, outside the shield, a banner with the inscription "Cardenalicia City" (Cardinality City). The banner and the inscription appear in black.

Barrios (Districts/Wards)

• Candelaria
• Costa
• Lajas
• Lajas Arriba
• Llanos
• Palmarejo
• Parquera
• Paris
• La Plata
• Sababa Yeguas
• Santa Rosa

Geo/Topography

• Cartagena Lagoon

Tourism
Lajas is famous for its main touristic attraction, Phosphorescent Bay, a place where luminescent dinoflagellates of different colors appear when the water moves. The origin of the colored lights is the object of many legends. Lajas is also a fishing town.

Landmarks and places of interest

• Cartagena Lagoon
• Indian Museum
• Old Train Station
• Old Silver Mines
• La Parguera
• Lajeño soldier Monument
• Magueyes Isle
• Mata la Gata Isle
• Pineapple Processing Plant Ruins
• Rosada Beach

Festivals and events

• Matron Festivities - February
• International Kite Festival - February
• Agro Fair- March
• Pineapple Festival - March
• E. Ramírez Marathon - March
• Kite Festival - June
• Fish Festival - July
• Fight Cock Festival - October

Notable "Lajeños"

• Bonoció Tió - Reporter & poet
• Jacobo Morales Ortiz, actor, writer and film director
• Jaime Frank Paganacc - Lawyer, judge, writer & athlete
• José "Purro" Basora - Boxer
• Luis Aponte Martinez, archbishop emeritus of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Juan de Puerto Rico and first Puerto Rican Cardinal.
• Juan Cancio Ortiz de la Renta y Lugo - Philanthropist, humanist & farmer
• Teodoro Jácome Pagán - Founder of the town
  Mons. Ulises Casiano Vargas, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mayagüez

Lajas, Puerto Rico. (2006, October 17). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 19:17, October 26, 2006, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lajas%2C_Puerto_Rico&oldid=82101637