Humacao is known as "La Perla del Oriente" (the pearl of the orient) and "La Cuidad Gris" (the gray city). Humacao was founded on April, 1722 and became an autonomous town in 1793. Humacao derives its name from a local Indian chief Jumacao. Humacao is located in the eastern coast of the island. The town has light industry, including textiles, plastic products, and castor-oil extracting. The surrounding area produces coffee, sugarcane, rice, and tobacco. Humacao is an island located 1 km offshore, which was inhabited by Rhesus monkeys once used for scientific experiments during the 1930s. Cayo Santiago host one of two field stations of the Caribbean Primate Research Center in the island. The small island contains a population of approximately 800 monkeys, which are direct descendants of the original 409 monkeys imported from India and released onto the island in 1938. Research policy strictly limits the number of visitors allowed on the island at any one time, but visitors can cruise around it on boats and snorkel nearby, observing the monkeys from a distance that is safe for both tourists and the animals.
