Belle Glade, Florida
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Belle Glade, Florida | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Florida |
| County | Palm Beach |
| Area | |
| - Total | 4.7 sq mi (12.1 km²) |
| - Land | 4.6 sq mi (12.0 km²) |
| - Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²) |
| Elevation | 16 ft (5 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 14,906 |
| - Density | 3,206.2/sq mi (1,237.9/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 33430 |
| Area code(s) | 561 |
| FIPS code | 12-05200[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0278445[2] |
Belle Glade is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida on the southeastern shore of Lake Okeechobee. The population was 14,906 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2005, the city had a population of 15,423.[3]
Belle Glade (and the surrounding area) is sometimes referred to as "Muck City" due to the large quantity of muck (soil), in which sugarcane grows, found in the area.[4]For a time during the early to mid-1980s, the city had the highest rate of AIDS infection in the United States.[5] About half the sugarcane in the nation is grown in the plains around Belle Glade and nearby Clewiston. According to the FBI in 2003 the city had the second highest violent crime rate in the country at 298 per 10,000 residents.
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[edit] History
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Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (June 2008) |
The existence of Belle Glade is related to the federal project of draining the land around Lake Okeechobee, the acreage to be used for agriculture. The town was built in 1925 and destroyed by a hurricane three years later which killed hundreds of people. Since then the town has been rebuilt. The area around Lake Okeechobee is fertile and farming has been an important industry.[6]
[edit] Geography
Belle Glade is located at (26.685264, -80.671275).[7]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.1 km² (4.7 mi²). 12.0 km² (4.7 mi²) of it is land and 0.21% is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 14,906 people, 4,854 households, and 3,431 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,237.7/km² (3,206.2/mi²). There were 5,374 housing units at an average density of 446.2/km² (1,155.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 30.29% White (13.8% were Non-Hispanic White,)[8] 50.68% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 9.70% from other races, and 8.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 27.57% of the population.
There were 4,854 households out of which 39.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% were married couples living together, 22.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.04 and the average family size was 3.62.
In the city the population was spread out with 33.5% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 103.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $22,715, and the median income for a family was $26,756. Males had a median income of $26,232 versus $21,410 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,159. About 28.5% of families and 32.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 41.1% of those under age 18 and 21.4% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2000, speakers of English as a first language accounted for 61.03% of all residents, while Spanish as a mother tongue consisted of 26.87%, Haitian Creole comprised 11.00%, and French made up 1.07% of the population.[9]
As of 2000, Belle Glade had the tenth highest percentage of Haitian residents in the US, with 11.50% of the populace.[10] It also had the sixtieth highest percentage of Cuban residents in the US, at 5.98% of the population.[11]
[edit] Schools
High Schools
Private Schools
Colleges
[edit] Notable Belle Glade Residents
- Reidel Anthony - Former NFL wide receiver, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Brad Banks - quarterback, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 2002 Heisman Trophy first runner-up
- Santonio Holmes - wide receiver, Pittsburgh Steelers
- Fred Taylor - running back, Jacksonville Jaguars
- Andre Waters - Former NFL player, Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals
- Louis Oliver - Former NFL player, Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals
- Zora Neale Hurston - Novelist who wrote Their Eyes were Watching God, which is partially set in Belle Glade
[edit] References
- ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2005-04-12.csv
- ^ The Columbus Dispatch - Local/State
- ^ AEGiS-Miami Herald: PLAGUE BAFFLES TOWN Belle GLades AIDS rate tops in U.S
- ^ Gorman, Juliet. Introduction to Belle Glade. www.oberlin.edu. Retrieved on 2008-06-08.
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Demographics of Belle Glade, FL. MuniNetGuide.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-12.
- ^ MLA Data Center Results of Belle Glade, FL. Modern Language Association. Retrieved on 2007-11-12.
- ^ Ancestry Map of Haitian Communities. Epodunk.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-12.
- ^ Ancestry Map of Cuban Communities. Epodunk.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-12.
[edit] Source
- Florida, DK Eyewitness Travel Guides, 2004, pg. 124
[edit] External links
- City of Belle Glade
- Official History
- Belle Glade Chamber of Commerce
- PBCHD
- The Sun newspaper available in full-text with images in Florida Digital Newspaper Library
- Belle Glade, Florida is at coordinates Coordinates:
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