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Loíza, Puerto Rico

Loíza is a small town in the northeastern coast of Puerto Rico, near Canóvanas, Carolina and San Juan. A beach-town with multiple hotels and apartment complex buildings, Loíza is on one of the two main landing paths to Luis Muńoz Marín International Airport; pilots of airliners landing from the west at Luis Muńoz Marín usually fly over Loíza. In the 1970s, an Aero Virgin Islands DC-3 plane crashed in a Loíza beach, with no fatalities.

Loíza was populated by African slaves early during the town's first years. Because of this, most of Loíza's population is of black skin. Many of the people who live in Loíza live under poverty standards. Loiza has never had any professional sports teams.

One of Loiza's barrios, Loíza aldea, is famous across Puerto Rico because it has been a talent pool for dancers and artisans. Each year there is a celebration in San Juan where people parade around wearing Máscaras de Loíza. Máscaras de Loíza are a type of mask made in Loíza. Usually they are made of wood and coconut, and painted in multiple colors.

Last updated: 05-07-2005 04:53:07
Last updated: 05-13-2005 07:56:04