Provinces of the Dominican Republic
Encyclopedia
The Dominican Republic
is divided into thirty–one provincias (province
s; singular provincia), while the national capital, Santo Domingo
, is contained within its own Distrito Nacional
("National District"; "D.N." on the map below).
The division of the country into provinces is laid down in the constitution (Title I, Section II, Article 5) and enacted by law. The latter is currently Law 5220 on the Territorial Division of the Dominican Republic (Ley No. 5220 sobre División Territorial de la República Dominicana), issued 1959 and frequently amended to create new provinces and lower–level administrative units.
s of the country. The headquarters of the central government's regional offices are normally found in the capital cities of provinces. The president appoints an administrative governor (Gobernador Civil) for each province but not for the Distrito Nacional (Title IX of the constitution).
The provinces are divided into municipalities
(municipio
s), which are the second–level political and administrative subdivisions of the country.
The Distrito Nacional was created in 1936. Prior to this, the Distrito National was the old Santo Domingo Province, in existence since the country's independence in 1844. It is not to be confused with the new Santo Domingo Province split off from it in 2001. While it is similar to a province in many ways, the Distrito Nacional differs in its lack of an administrative governor and consisting only of one municipality, Santo Domingo
, the city council (ayuntamiento
) and mayor (síndico) of which are in charge of its administration.
(Congreso de la República). Each province elects one member of the Senate
(Senado) and a guaranteed minimum of two members of the Chamber of Deputies
(Cámara de Diputados).
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...
is divided into thirty–one provincias (province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
s; singular provincia), while the national capital, Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
, is contained within its own Distrito Nacional
Distrito Nacional
The Distrito Nacional is a subdivision of the Dominican Republic enclosing the capital Santo Domingo. It is not within any of the provinces, but is itself counted as a province. Before October 16, 2001, the Distrito Nacional was much larger, including what is now known as Santo Domingo Province....
("National District"; "D.N." on the map below).
The division of the country into provinces is laid down in the constitution (Title I, Section II, Article 5) and enacted by law. The latter is currently Law 5220 on the Territorial Division of the Dominican Republic (Ley No. 5220 sobre División Territorial de la República Dominicana), issued 1959 and frequently amended to create new provinces and lower–level administrative units.
The provinces as administrative divisions
The provinces are the first–level administrative subdivisionAdministrative division
An administrative division, subnational entity, or country subdivision is a portion of a country or other political division, established for the purpose of government. Administrative divisions are each granted a certain degree of autonomy, and are required to manage themselves through their own...
s of the country. The headquarters of the central government's regional offices are normally found in the capital cities of provinces. The president appoints an administrative governor (Gobernador Civil) for each province but not for the Distrito Nacional (Title IX of the constitution).
The provinces are divided into municipalities
Municipalities of the Dominican Republic
The provinces of the Dominican Republic are divided into two or more municipalities with the exception of the Distrito Nacional which consist of only one municipality Santo Domingo...
(municipio
Municipio
Municipio and Município are terms used for country subdivisions. They are often translated as municipality.-Overview:...
s), which are the second–level political and administrative subdivisions of the country.
The Distrito Nacional was created in 1936. Prior to this, the Distrito National was the old Santo Domingo Province, in existence since the country's independence in 1844. It is not to be confused with the new Santo Domingo Province split off from it in 2001. While it is similar to a province in many ways, the Distrito Nacional differs in its lack of an administrative governor and consisting only of one municipality, Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
, the city council (ayuntamiento
Ayuntamiento
Ayuntamiento In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian .*Galician .*Basque . is the general term for the council of a municipality, or sometimes the municipality itself, in Spain and Latin America. Historically Ayuntamiento was often preceded by the word excelentísimo , when referring to...
) and mayor (síndico) of which are in charge of its administration.
The provinces as constituencies
The provinces are also constituencies for the elections to the bicameral National CongressCongress of the Dominican Republic
The Congress of the Dominican Republic is the bicameral legislature of the government of the Dominican Republic, consisting of two houses, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. Both senators and deputies are chosen through direct election...
(Congreso de la República). Each province elects one member of the Senate
Senate of the Dominican Republic
The Senate is the upper house of the Dominican Republic's bicameral National Congress. The lower house is the Chamber of Deputies....
(Senado) and a guaranteed minimum of two members of the Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies of the Dominican Republic
The Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of theDominican Republic's bicameral National Congress. The upper house is the Senate.It currently comprises 183 deputies who are elected for four-year terms...
(Cámara de Diputados).
Statistics
The following is a table of the provinces and their capital cities. The population figures are from the 2010 population estimate.| Province | Capital | | Population | Density |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azua | Azua Azua de Compostela Azua de Compostela, also known simply as Azua, is a municipality of the Azua province in the Dominican Republic. It is the capital of Azua province, and is located 100 kilometres west of the national capital, Santo Domingo.... |
242,109 | 96 | |
| Baoruco | Neiba | 114,967 | 90 | |
| Barahona | Barahona Santa Cruz de Barahona Barahona, also known as Santa Cruz de Barahona, is the main city of the Barahona Province, in the south of the Dominican Republic. It is one of the most important cities on the island, with a very active port and many ecotourism attractions... |
200,602 | 115 | |
| Dajabón | Dajabón Dajabón Dajabón is a province of the Dominican Republic, on the border with Haiti. Its capital city is also called Dajabón.It was split from Monte Cristi province in 1938, and was called Libertador until 1961.-Location:... |
66,954 | 66 | |
| Distrito Nacional Distrito Nacional The Distrito Nacional is a subdivision of the Dominican Republic enclosing the capital Santo Domingo. It is not within any of the provinces, but is itself counted as a province. Before October 16, 2001, the Distrito Nacional was much larger, including what is now known as Santo Domingo Province.... |
Santo Domingo Santo Domingo Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River... |
1,587,412 | 15,199 | |
| Duarte | San Francisco de Macorís San Francisco de Macorís San Francisco de Macorís is a city in the Dominican Republic. It is also the capital of the Duarte Province. It has had a very active role in the shaping of Dominican history, as it is known as one of, if not the most, politically active cities in the country. It is located in the northeast portion... |
299,188 | 186 | |
| Elías Piña Elías Piña Province 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.... |
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... |
72,130 | 51 | |
| El Seibo El Seibo Province El Seibo , alternatively spelt El Seybo, is a province of the Dominican Republic. Before 1992 it included what is now Hato Mayor province.-Municipalities and municipal districts:... |
El Seibo | 105,994 | 59 | |
| Espaillat | Moca | 237,101 | 283 | |
| Hato Mayor | Hato Mayor Hato Mayor del Rey Hato Mayor del Rey is the capital of Hato Mayor province, Dominican Republic. It is bordered on the North by the municipalities of El Valle and Sabana de la Mar, on the South by the province San Pedro de Macoris, on the East by the province El Seibo and on the West by the municipality of Bayaguana,... |
90,773 | 68 | |
| Hermanas Mirabal | Salcedo | 103,259 | 234 | |
| Independencia | Jimaní Jimaní Jimaní is the capital and the second largest city of the Independencia Province of the Dominican Republic. It serves as one of the two main thoroughfares to Haiti , with a duty free open air marketplace operating on the border with the Haitian town of Malpasse... |
55,223 | 28 | |
| La Altagracia | Higüey Salvaleón de Higüey Higüey , or in full Salvaleón de Higüey, is the capital city of the eastern province of La Altagracia, in the Dominican Republic. The river Yuma flows through the urban area of Higüey.... |
229,428 | 76 | |
| La Romana | La Romana | 246,234 | 377 | |
| La Vega | La Vega Concepción de La Vega La Vega, or Concepción de La Vega is the largest city and municipality of the central Dominican Republic and the third of the whole country... |
429,563 | 188 | |
| María Trinidad Sánchez | Nagua Nagua Nagua is the capital of María Trinidad Sánchez province, in the northeastern Dominican Republic.A medium-sized town, Nagua's economy relies on the production of agricultural products, principally rice, coconuts, and cocoa bean... |
141,678 | 111 | |
| Monseñor Nouel | Bonao Bonao Bonao is the capital of Monseñor Nouel province, Dominican Republic. It is located in the center of the country, to the northwest of the national capital Santo Domingo.The city is known as "Villa De Las Hortensias" - the town of hortensias... |
194,505 | 196 | |
| Monte Cristi | Monte Cristi San Fernando de Monte Cristi San Fernando de Monte Cristi is the capital of Monte Cristi Province, Dominican Republic.It is located in the northwest of the country in the coastal lowlands, close to the border with Haiti.- History :... |
120,833 | 63 | |
| Monte Plata Monte Plata Province Monte Plata is a province of the Dominican Republic, and also the name of its capital city. It was split from San Cristóbal in 1992.-Municipalities and municipal districts:... |
Monte Plata Monte Plata Monte Plata is a province of the Dominican Republic, and also the name of its capital city. It was split from San Cristóbal in 1992.-Municipalities and municipal districts:... |
210,365 | 80 | |
| Pedernales | Pedernales Pedernales, Dominican Republic The Dominican city of Pedernales is the capital of the province of Pedernales, in the Dominican Republic. It is located in the southwest of the country... |
25,478 | 12 | |
| Peravia | Baní Baní Baní is a capital town of the Peravia Province, Dominican Republic. It is the commercial and manufacturing center in a region producing bananas and coffee.- Overview :... |
202,250 | 255 | |
| Puerto Plata | Puerto Plata San Felipe de Puerto Plata San Felipe de Puerto Plata, often referred to as simply Puerto Plata, is the capital of the Dominican province Puerto Plata.The city is famous for resorts such as Playa Dorada and Costa Dorada, located east of San Felipe de Puerto Plata. There are a total of 100,000 hotel beds in the city.The only... |
327,511 | 177 | |
| Samaná | Samaná Santa Bárbara de Samaná Samaná, in full Santa Bárbara de Samaná, is a city and municipality in northeastern Dominican Republic and is the capital of Samaná Province. It is located on the northern coast of Samaná Bay... |
98,820 | 116 | |
| Sánchez Ramírez | Cotuí Cotuí Cotuí is a city in the Dominican Republic and is one of the oldest cities of the New World. It is the capital of Sánchez Ramírez Province in the Cibao. It was founded in the year 1510 by Rodrigo de Trujillo for order of Nicolas de Ovando, who was the governor of Hispaniola. Cotuí was the name of... |
156,238 | 131 | |
| San Cristóbal | San Cristóbal San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic San Cristóbal is a municipality and the capital of the San Cristóbal province in the Dominican Republic. Within the municipality there is one municipal district : Hato Damas.-Sectors:*5 de abril*Canastica*El Pomier... |
660,009 | 521 | |
| San José de Ocoa | San José de Ocoa San José de Ocoa San José de Ocoa is a province of the Dominican Republic, and also the name of the province's capital city. It was split from Peravia on January 1, 2000... |
69,204 | 81 | |
| San Juan | San Juan de la Maguana San Juan de la Maguana San Juan de la Maguana is the capital city and the largest city in the province of San Juan and is the 10th largest city in the Dominican Republic.-References:... |
245,377 | 69 | |
| San Pedro de Macorís | San Pedro de Macorís San Pedro de Macorís San Pedro de Macorís is a municipality and the capital of the San Pedro de Macorís province in the Dominican Republic.-Demographics:... |
337,108 | 269 | |
| Santiago Santiago de los Caballeros Province Santiago is a province of the Dominican Republic, in the north of the country. Santiago is an intellectual, educational, and cultural center. It is also a major industrial center with rum, textile, cigarette and cigar industries based there. Shoe manufacturing, leather goods, and furniture making... |
Santiago de los Caballeros Santiago de los Caballeros Santiago de los Caballeros is a city in the Dominican Republic. Founded in 1495 during the first wave of European colonization of the New World, today Santiago is the second largest metropolis in the Dominican Republic, located in the north-central region of the Republic known as Cibao valley... |
1,959,105 | 690 | |
| Santiago Rodríguez | Sabaneta San Ignacio de Sabaneta San Ignacio de Sabaneta is the capital and a municipality of Santiago Rodriguez in the northwestern part of the Dominican Republic. It is usually called only Sabaneta or Santiago Rodríguez.-Population:... |
54,865 | 49 | |
| Santo Domingo | Santo Domingo Este Santo Domingo Este Santo Domingo Este is a municipality and the provincial capital of the Santo Domingo province in the Dominican Republic. Within the municipality there is one municipal district : San Luis..... |
2,607,838 | 2,011 | |
| Valverde | Mao Santa Cruz de Mao The Dominican city of Santa Cruz de Mao, or simply Mao, is the head municipality of the Valverde province, in the northwest of the country.... |
190,253 | 231 | |
| Total | 9,884,372 | 203 |