Mayagüez

Mayagüez (mīägwās`, mīäwās`), city (1990 pop. 100,371), W Puerto Rico, on Mona Passage. It is a port of entry as well as a shipping and manufacturing center in an area where sugarcane, coffee, tobacco, and livestock are raised. Sugar, tropical fruits, coffee, and needlework are exported; manufactures include pharmaceuticals, beverages, and electronic components. Mayagüez has long been known for its embroidery. The city, founded c.1760, is also a communications and cultural center with a growing population. It has colleges of liberal arts, agriculture, and mechanics, a center for nuclear studies, and a U.S. government agricultural research station.