Elías Piña Province
Encyclopedia
Elías Piña is one of the 31 provinces
of the Dominican Republic
. It is located in the western part of the country, on the border with Haiti
. Its capital city is Comendador
.
It was created on 1942 with the name San Rafael. In 1965, its name was changed to Estrelleta and, finally, in 1972 it got its current name. It was a municipio
of the San Juan
province before being elevated to the category of province.
province to the east, the Independencia province to the south and the Republic of Haiti
to the west.
.
s) and seven municipal districts (distrito municipal) within them. The municipalities and its municipal districts (M.D.) are:
The following is a sortable table of the municipalities with population figures as of the 2002 census. The population figures for the municipal districts are included within their municipalities.
("Central mountain chain") is found in the northern part of the province, and the Sierra de Neiba runs across the southern half. Between those two mountain ranges, there are several valleys formed by the Artibonite River
and its tributaries
.
that, in some places, marks the Dominican-Haitian border. Other rivers are Macasías, Tocino, Joca and Vallecito, all of them tributaries
of the Artibonite.
and beans
are important products. Potato
es are also produced in the south (Sierra de Neiba).
Provinces of the Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is divided into thirty–one provincias , while the national capital, Santo Domingo, is contained within its own Distrito Nacional ....
of the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
. It is located in the western part of the country, on the border with Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
. Its capital city is Comendador
Comendador
Comendador is the capital of the Elías Piña province of the Dominican Republic. It has a border crossing to the Haitian town Belladère.-Population:The municipality had, in 2002, a total population of 25,475...
.
It was created on 1942 with the name San Rafael. In 1965, its name was changed to Estrelleta and, finally, in 1972 it got its current name. It was a municipio
Municipio
Municipio and Município are terms used for country subdivisions. They are often translated as municipality.-Overview:...
of the San Juan
San Juan Province (Dominican Republic)
San Juan is a province of the Dominican Republic. Before 1961 it was known as Benefactor.-Municipalities and municipal districts:The province as of June 20 2006 is divided into the following municipalities and municipal districts within them:*Bohechío**Arroyo Cano **Yaque *El Cercado**Batista...
province before being elevated to the category of province.
Location
The Elías Piña province has the Dajabón and Santiago Rodríguez provinces to the north, the San JuanSan Juan Province (Dominican Republic)
San Juan is a province of the Dominican Republic. Before 1961 it was known as Benefactor.-Municipalities and municipal districts:The province as of June 20 2006 is divided into the following municipalities and municipal districts within them:*Bohechío**Arroyo Cano **Yaque *El Cercado**Batista...
province to the east, the Independencia province to the south and the Republic of Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
to the west.
Origin of name
Elías Piña was an officer of the Dominican army when the Dominican-Haitian War. He was born in La Margarita, close to Comendador and died in 1845 when he was attacking a fortified position in BánicaBanica, Dominican Republic
The Dominican city of San Francisco de Bánica, or simply Bánica, is a municipality of the Elías Piña province, on the border with Haiti and near the Artibonite river. The name Bánica comes from the Taíno name of the region, Banique .-Population:The municipality had, in 2002, a total population of...
.
Municipalities
In the province, there are six municipalities (municipioMunicipio
Municipio and Município are terms used for country subdivisions. They are often translated as municipality.-Overview:...
s) and seven municipal districts (distrito municipal) within them. The municipalities and its municipal districts (M.D.) are:
- ComendadorComendadorComendador is the capital of the Elías Piña province of the Dominican Republic. It has a border crossing to the Haitian town Belladère.-Population:The municipality had, in 2002, a total population of 25,475...
, head municipality of the province- Guayabo (M.D.)
- Sabana LargaSabana Larga, Elías PiñaSabana Larga, Elías Piña is a Dominican municipal district of Comendador in the Elías Piña Province.-Population:In the last national census , the population of Sabana Larga is included with that of Comendador.-History:...
(M.D.)
- Bánica
- Sabana Cruz (M.D.)
- Sabana Higüero (M.D.)
- El Llano
- Guanito (M.D.)
- Hondo Valle
- Rancho de la Guardia (M.D.)
- Juan Santiago
- Pedro Santana
- Río Limpio (M.D.)
Population
In 2002 (last national census), there were 63,879 people living in the Elías Piña province, and the urban population was just 23,203 (36.32%).The following is a sortable table of the municipalities with population figures as of the 2002 census. The population figures for the municipal districts are included within their municipalities.
| Name | Total population | Urban population | Rural population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bánica | 7,272 | 1,458 | 5,814 |
| Comendador Comendador Comendador is the capital of the Elías Piña province of the Dominican Republic. It has a border crossing to the Haitian town Belladère.-Population:The municipality had, in 2002, a total population of 25,475... |
25,475 | 11,391 | 14,084 |
| El Llano | 8,151 | 2,464 | 5,687 |
| Hondo Valle | 10,647 | 3,752 | 6,895 |
| Juan Santiago | 4,491 | 1,565 | 2,926 |
| Pedro Santana Pedro Santana, Dominican Republic Pedro Santana is a city in the province of Elías Piña in the Dominican Republic. It is located on the border of Haiti. According to the 2002 census, the urban population is 1,183 and the rural population is 2,860.- References :... |
7,843 | 2,573 | 5,270 |
| Elías Piña province | 63,879 | 23,203 | 40,676 |
Geography
The Cordillera CentralCordillera Central
The Cordillera Central, meaning central range in Spanish, is used to refer to several mountain ranges around the world:* Cordillera Central, Andes , several mountain ranges in South America** Cordillera Central, Colombia...
("Central mountain chain") is found in the northern part of the province, and the Sierra de Neiba runs across the southern half. Between those two mountain ranges, there are several valleys formed by the Artibonite River
Artibonite River
The Artibonite River is a 320 km long river in Haiti . It is the longest as well as the most important river in Haiti and the longest on the island of Hispaniola. Forming part of the international border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, the river's sources are in the Cordillera Central in...
and its tributaries
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
.
Climate
The climate of the province is a tropical climate, hot most of the year, but it is cooler on the mountains.Rivers
The main river is the ArtiboniteArtibonite River
The Artibonite River is a 320 km long river in Haiti . It is the longest as well as the most important river in Haiti and the longest on the island of Hispaniola. Forming part of the international border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, the river's sources are in the Cordillera Central in...
that, in some places, marks the Dominican-Haitian border. Other rivers are Macasías, Tocino, Joca and Vallecito, all of them tributaries
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Artibonite.
Economy
As in all border provinces in the Dominican Republic, there is little economic development. The trade with Haiti is important, above all in Comendador. On the mountains, coffeeCoffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
and beans
Common bean
Phaseolus vulgaris, the common bean, is an herbaceous annual plant domesticated independently in ancient Mesoamerica and the Andes, and now grown worldwide for its edible bean, popular both dry and as a green bean. The leaf is occasionally used as a leaf vegetable, and the straw is used for fodder...
are important products. Potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
es are also produced in the south (Sierra de Neiba).