Bayamón

Bayamón

Bayamón (.mw-parser-output .IPA-label-small{font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-small{font-size:100%}Spanish pronunciation: [baʝaˈmon], locally [baʝaˈmoŋ]) is a city, municipality of Puerto Rico and suburb of San Juan located in the northern coastal valley, north of Aguas Buenas and Comerío; south of Toa Baja and Cataño; west of Guaynabo; and east of Toa Alta and Naranjito. Bayamón is spread over 11 barrios and Bayamón Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area and the second most populous municipality in both the metropolitan area and Puerto Rico. The Taíno people, the indigenous peoples who encountered European explorers and settlers, were the long-time settlers in this area. The Spanish colonist Juan Ramírez de Arellano established Bayamón as a Spanish settlement on May 22, 1772. Two theories exist about the origin of the name Bayamón. According to one, it was named after the local Taíno chief, Bahamon. The other theory states the name was derived from the Taíno word Bayamongo, which is the native name of the river that runs across this region, implying that Bayamón is the area around this main river, which later on became the center of the city's development.