Mayagüez is a city and municipality on the west coast of Puerto Rico, situated near the center of the island's western shore. As the principal city of the Mayagüez metropolitan area, it functions as the commercial, educational, and cultural hub of western Puerto Rico and is home to roughly 73,000 residents across an area that extends from the coast into the island's hills. The city was founded in 1760 as Pueblo de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria de Mayagüez and grew into a center of agriculture and trade under Spanish rule. It received its city charter in 1877 and the formal title "Excelente Ciudad de Mayagüez" in 1894. Mayagüez is widely known as La Sultana del Oeste, the Sultaness of the West, a nod to its regional prominence, and it also carries the nicknames City of Pure Waters and Mango City. The educator and patriot Eugenio María de Hostos was born here in 1839. Education defines much of the city's modern identity. The University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, founded in 1911 as the College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, is a land-, sea-, and space-grant institution with colleges of Agricultural Sciences, Engineering, Arts and Sciences, and Business Administration. Alongside the university, agriculture — including sugarcane, coffee, and tropical fruits — and maritime trade through the city's port continue to anchor the local economy. The historic center is built around the elegant, tree-lined Plaza de Colón and the Catedral Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, with the city's 21 barrios spreading outward into residential and rural areas. For those considering a move to western Puerto Rico, Mayagüez offers a university-town atmosphere, historic character, and access to the west coast's beaches and mountains.