Santiago: The City

Santiago de los Caballeros was founded in 1495 by Christopher Columbus, on the right bank of the Yaque del Norte River, and it was moved to the banks of the Jacagua River in 1506. Santiago was destroyed by an earthquake in 1562, and was established again on the grounds near the Yaque del Norte River, where it is situated at present.

Santiago has witnessed many important historic events, such as the Battle of March 30, (1844) or Battle of Santiago that took place where Imbert Park is currently located, and by means of which Dominicans consolidated their independence from the neighbor Republic of Haiti. This is the second largest city in the Dominican Republic, and one of the oldest on the American continent. Its territorial extension is 489 km2, while the province has an area of approximately 3,112 km2. Its population is 908,250 people, out of the 3 million inhabitants in the Northern Region.

The city is situated in the north-central part of the country, at 155 km2 from the city of Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. The province consists of a head municipality: Santiago de los Caballeros, and the municipalities of Licey, Tamboril, San Jose de las Matas, Navarrete, Villa Gonzalez and Janico.

There has been an international airport in Santiago since 2002, connecting the city with some major world destinations. In addition, bus service is available for urban and inter-urban public transportation. Furthermore, there are private companies that handle local and international communications; there are several television channels that broadcast locally and nationally, and there is a local newspaper and nearly one hundred radio stations.

This city is an eminently agricultural and industrial producer, where more than 20% of this country’s exports are made, contributing 14% to the Internal Gross Product (IGP). There are 11 industrial parks in Santiago— the largest concentration in the country—and the city has been dubbed the tailor city to the United States and the cigar capital of the world. The health sector is also worth mentioning as an economic vector, with private and public hospitals offering a broad range of medical services.

As regards education, art, and culture, this major city is known for its hardworking and industrious people who appreciate and use the information systems existing in the city to educate themselves and become agents for our country’s development. For this purpose, this city has Public and private teaching centers for basic education, universities, and technical instruction centers, nine museums, six libraries, a municipal historic archive unique in its genre in this country, 9 theaters, 14 movie-projection rooms, and several exhibit halls. Santiago also has the most important cultural center in this country, the Eduardo Leon Jimenes Cultural Center, with diverse Taino collections and art exhibits; and it is the only city in this country with a Strategic Development Plan, which includes over 40 representatives from public and private institutions.