Vieques, Puerto Rico

Vieques
Municipio Autónomo de Vieques
Isla de Vieques
Sunset at Sun Bay Beach in Vieques
Sunset at Sun Bay Beach in Vieques
Flag of Vieques
Coat of arms of Vieques
Nicknames: 
"Isla Nena", "Isabel Segunda"
Map of Puerto Rico highlighting Vieques Municipality
Map of Puerto Rico highlighting Vieques Municipality
Coordinates: 18°07′N 65°25′W / 18.117°N 65.417°W / 18.117; -65.417
Sovereign state United States
Commonwealth Puerto Rico
Barrios
Government
 • MayorJosé (Junito) Corcino Acevedo (PNP)
 • Senatorial District8 – Carolina
 • Representative District36
Area
 • Total135 km2 (52 sq mi)
Population
 (2020)[2]
 • Total8,249
 • Rank76th in Puerto Rico
 • Density61/km2 (160/sq mi)
DemonymViequense
Racial groups
 • White48.7%
 • Black38.1%
 • American Indian/AN0.4%
 • Asian
Native Hawaiian/Pi
0.6%
0.8%
 • Other
Two or more races
8.8%
3.4%
Time zoneUTC−4 (AST)
ZIP Code
00765
Area code787/939
Major routes

Vieques (/viˈkəs/ ; Spanish pronunciation: [ˈbjekes]), officially Isla de Vieques, is an island and municipality of Puerto Rico, in the northeastern Caribbean, part of an island grouping sometimes known as the Spanish Virgin Islands. Vieques is part of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and retains strong influences from 400 years of Spanish presence in the island.

Vieques lies about 8 miles (13 km) east of the Puerto Rican mainland, and measures about 20 miles (32 km) long by 4.5 miles (7 km) wide. Its most populated barrio is the town of Isabel Segunda (sometimes written "Isabel II"), the administrative center located on the northern side of the island. The population of Vieques was 8,249 at the 2020 Census.

The island's name is a Spanish spelling of a Taíno word said to mean "small island" or "small land". It also has the nickname Isla Nena, usually translated as "Little Girl Island", alluding to its perception as Puerto Rico's little sister. The island was given this name by the Puerto Rican poet Luis Llorens Torres. During the British colonial period its name was Crab Island.

Vieques is best known internationally as the site of a series of protests against the United States Navy's use of the island as a bombing range and testing ground, which led to the Navy's departure in 2003.[4] Today the former navy land is a national wildlife refuge; some of it is open to the public, but much remains closed off due to contamination and/or unexploded ordnance that the military is slowly cleaning up.[5]

Some of the most beautiful beaches on the island are on the eastern end (formerly the Marine Base) that the Navy named Red Beach, Blue Beach, Caracas Beach, Pata Prieta Beach, La Chiva Beach, and Plata Beach. At the far western tip (formerly the Navy Base) is Punta Arenas, which the Navy named Green Beach. The beaches are commonly listed among the top beaches in the Caribbean for their azure waters and white sands.[6]

  1. ^ "Vieques Island". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Archived from the original on July 22, 2016. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  2. ^ Bureau, US Census. "PUERTO RICO: 2020 Census". The United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  3. ^ "2000 Decennial Profiles: Vieques Municipio, Puerto Rico" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. May 2001. p. 76. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 16, 2008. Retrieved June 13, 2011 – via Welcome.toPuertoRico.org.
  4. ^ Canedy, Dana (May 2, 2003). "Navy Leaves a Battered Island, and Puerto Ricans Cheer". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  5. ^ "Puerto Rico cleanup by U.S. military will take more than a decade". NBC. Associated Press. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  6. ^ "The 50 best beaches in the world". The Guardian. February 16, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2021.

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