Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, "Groups, Theory of" to "Gwyniad": Volume 12, Slice 6Various
Science
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, "Groups, Theory of" to "Gwyniad": Volume 12, Slice 6
Various
Encyclopedias and dictionaries
GUAYAMA, a small city and the capital of a municipal district and
department of the same name, on the southern coast of Porto Rico, 53 m.
S. of San Juan. Pop. (1899) of the city, 5334; (1910) 8321; (1899) of
the district, 12,749. The district (156 sq. m.) includes Arroyo and
Salinas. The city stands about 230 ft. above the sea and has a mild,
healthy climate. It is connected with Ponce by railway (1910), and with
the port of Arroyo by an excellent road, part of the military road
extending to Cayey, and it exports sugar, rum, tobacco, coffee, cattle,
fruit and other products of the department, which is very fertile. The
city was founded in 1736, but was completely destroyed by fire in 1832.
It was rebuilt on a rectangular plan and possesses several buildings of
note. Drinking-water is brought in through an aqueduct.
GUAYAQUIL, or SANTIAGO DE GUAYAQUIL, a city and port of Ecuador, capital
of the province of Guayas, on the right bank of the Guayas river, 33 m.
above its entrance into the Gulf of Guayaquil, in 2 deg. 12' S., 79 deg.
51' W. Pop. (1890) 44,772; (1897, estimate) 51,000, mostly half-breeds.
The city is built on a comparatively level _pajonal_ or savanna,
extending southward from the base of three low hills, called Los Cerros
de la Cruz, between the river and the partially filled waters of the
Estero Salado. It is about 30 ft. above sea-level, and the lower parts
of the town are partially flooded in the rainy season. The old town is
the upper or northern part, and is inhabited by the poorer classes, its
streets being badly paved, crooked, undrained, dirty and pestilential.
The great fire of 1896 destroyed a large part of the old town, and some
of its insanitary conditions were improved in rebuilding. The new town,
or southern part, is the business and residential quarter of the better
classes, but the buildings are chiefly of wood and the streets are
provided with surface drainage only. Among the public buildings are the
governor's and bishop's palaces, town-hall, cathedral and 9 churches,
national college, episcopal seminary and schools of law and medicine,
theatre, two hospitals, custom-house, and several asylums and charitable
institutions. Guayaquil is also the seat of a university corporation
with faculties of law and medicine. A peculiarity of Guayaquil is that
the upper floors in the business streets project over the walks, forming
covered arcades. The year is divided into a wet and dry season, the
former from January to June, when the hot days are followed by nights of
drenching rain. The mean annual temperature is about 82 deg. to 83 deg.
F.; malarial and bilious fevers are common, the latter being known as
"Guayaquil fever," and epidemics of yellow fever are frequent. The dry
or summer season is considered pleasant and healthy. The water-supply is
now brought in through iron mains from the Cordilleras 53 m. distant.
The mains pass under the Guayas river and discharge into a large
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account