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) |
TheCibao, usually referred asEl Cibao, is a region of theDominican Republic located 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]
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 regions of the Dominican Republic. Cibao is social-culturally characterized by being the predominant center of theEuropean legacy on the island, and economically for being the most prosperous region in the country.[2]
The word Cibao, from Taino Ciba-o 'stone mountain'; from Taino ciba 'rock, stone' and o '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.
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 Haiti and to the south the Central Range, which separates El Cibao from the other natural regions.
TheCordillera Central mountain 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,coffee andcacao are the most important crops grown in the area.
The central mountain range also has important mining activity. Its main mineral resources includegold,iron andnickel, 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 Gold andFalconbridge are the companies in charge of the extraction of these ores.
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-centuryPortuguese colonists in the Cibao valley, and of the 18th-centuryCanarian settlers. There is also some influences from African languages in the dialect.[5][6]
Merengue music, played using thegüira,tambora andaccordion, was originated in El Cibao. The original folk type of merengue is known asperico ripiao ortípico, 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 Valverde andJosé Antonio Salcedo, who were responsible for the restoration of the Republic in the later decades of the 1800s. During the Trujillo dictatorship, theMirabal sisters arranged 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 Caballeros constitutes the regional center and main focus of development of the area.
| 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 | - |
19°37′37″N70°16′39″W / 19.6269°N 70.2774°W /19.6269; -70.2774
