TheCibao,usually referred asEl Cibao,is a region of theDominican Republiclocated in the northern part of the country. As of 2009, the Cibao region has a population of 5,622,378, making it the most populous region in the country.[1]
El Cibao | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country | Dominican Republic |
| Area | |
• Total | 19,058.62 km2(7,358.57 sq mi) |
| Population (2010) | |
• Total | 5,246,032 |
| • Density | 276.32/km2(715.7/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Cibaenian; Cibaine (Spanish:cibaeño-a) |
The region constitutes a "developed macro-region"; with a large industrial base and high levels of progress among its inhabitants, it has the highest levels of education and the highest quality of life among the threemain regionsof the Dominican Republic. Cibao is social-culturally characterized by being the predominant center of theEuropean legacyon the island, and economically for being the most prosperous region in the country.[2]
Etymology
editThe word Cibao, fromTainoCiba-o'stone mountain'; fromTainociba'rock, stone' ando'mountain '. Cibao was a native name for the island, although the Spanish used it during the Spanish conquest to refer to the rich and fertile valley between the Central and Septentrional mountain ranges.
Geography and economy
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El Cibao occupies the central and northern part of the Dominican territory. To the north and east of the region lies theAtlantic Ocean;to its west lies theRepublic of Haitiand to the south the Central Range, which separates El Cibao from the other natural regions.
TheCordillera Centralmountain range is located within El Cibao, containing the highest peak in all of the Caribbean,Pico Duarte.Two of the largest rivers of the country are also located inside this region: theYaque del Norte,the largest river of theDominican Republic,and theYuna river.Both of these rivers contain several chains of dams used to provide the region with water for irrigation (since agriculture is the main activity of the area) and hydroelectric energy.Rice,coffeeandcacaoare the most important crops grown in the area.
The central mountain range also has important mining activity. Its main mineral resources includegold,ironandnickel,among others. The largest gold mine in the Americas and second largest in the world, thePueblo Viejo mine,is located in the Cibao region.[3][4]The internationally knownBarrick GoldandFalconbridgeare the companies in charge of the extraction of these ores.
Culture
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The valley is not only a geographical unit, but also a cultural and linguistic unit. The Cibao region is considered to be the cultural heartland of the Dominican Republic. The typical accent spoken in the Cibao region is a mixture of two dialects: that of the 16th- and 17th-centuryPortuguesecolonists in the Cibao valley, and of the 18th-centuryCanariansettlers. There is also some influences from African languages in the dialect.[5][6]
Merengue music,played using thegüira,tamboraandaccordion,was originated in El Cibao. The original folk type of merengue is known asperico ripiaoortípico,which is played to this day by local musical groups, as a variation of the merengue, with a faster pace.
During Late January and through February, several carnivals are held within the region. The most popular of these festivals belongs to the province ofLa Vega,and dates back to the first European settlements. It began as a religious activity celebrating the pre-Lent season, and the carnival's theme revolves around the victory of good over evil.
Many important Dominican patriots were of Cibaenian origin. Among the most important are local generalsJosé Desiderio ValverdeandJosé Antonio Salcedo,who were responsible for the restoration of the Republic in the later decades of the 1800s. During the Trujillo dictatorship, theMirabal sistersarranged clandestine organizations to rebel against the fascist dictatorship. The sisters were brutally murdered in 1960, and remain today as some of the biggest martyrs on behalf of the Dominican nation.
The bulk of the population is mainly concentrated in the center of the region. The city ofSantiago de los Caballerosconstitutes the regional center and main focus of development of the area.
Provinces
edit| Province | Capital | Area (km2)[7] | Population[7] | Density[7] | Map region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dajabón | Dajabón | 1,020.73 | 62,046 | 61 | 4 |
| Duarte | San Francisco de Macorís | 1,605.35 | 483,805 | 301 | 5 |
| Espaillat | Moca | 838.62 | 425,091 | 507 | 8 |
| Hermanas Mirabal | Salcedo | 440.43 | 196,356 | 445 | 21 |
| La Vega | Concepción de la Vega | 2,287.24 | 585,101 | 556 | 13 |
| María Trinidad Sánchez | Nagua | 1,271.71 | 135,727 | 119 | 14 |
| Monseñor Nouel | Bonao | 992.39 | 367,618 | 370 | 15 |
| Monte Cristi | San Fernando de Monte Cristi | 1,924.35 | 111,014 | 58 | 16 |
| Puerto Plata | San Felipe de Puerto Plata | 1,852.90 | 312,706 | 168 | 20 |
| Samaná | Santa Bárbara de Samaná | 853.74 | 91,875 | 108 | 22 |
| Sánchez Ramírez | Cotuí | 1,196.13 | 151,179 | 126 | 23 |
| Santiago | Santiago de los Caballeros | 2,836.51 | 1,543,362 | 320 | 28 |
| Santiago Rodríguez | San Ignacio de Sabaneta | 1,111.14 | 259,629 | 234 | 29 |
| Valverde | Santa Cruz de Mao | 823.38 | 258,293 | 314 | 31 |
| Total | 19,058.62 | 5,246,690 | 165 | - |
References
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- ^Schoenrich, Otto (1918).Santo Domingo: A Country with a Future.
- ^"MAPA DE DESARROLLO HUMANO DE LA REPÚBLICA DOMINICANA"(PDF).
- ^"The World's 10 Largest Gold Mines by Production".
- ^"World Top 20 Gold: Countries, Companies and Mines".Archived fromthe originalon 2017-09-26.Retrieved2017-09-26.
- ^Henríquez Ureña, Pedro(1940).El Español en Santo Domingo(in Spanish). Buenos Aires: Instituto de Filología de la Universidad de Buenos Aires.
- ^Del Caribe, Números 28-33(in Spanish). Casa del Caribe. 1998. p. 84.
- ^abcOficina Nacional de Estadística."República Dominicana en Cifras 2006"(in Spanish). Archived fromthe original(PDF)on October 9, 2007.Retrieved2007-03-27.