Coordinates: 18°27′45″N 69°56′10″W / 18.462500°N 69.936111°W / 18.462500; -69.936111

Santo Domingo

From Hispanopedia
For other uses, see Santo Domingo (disambiguation).
Santo Domingo de Guzmán
Santo Domingo
Capital of the Dominican Republic
Motto: 
Ciudad primada de América (First City of the Americas)
Map
Interactive map of Santo Domingo de Guzmán
Santo Domingo
Coordinates: 18°27′45″N 69°56′10″W / 18.462500°N 69.936111°W / 18.462500; -69.936111
Country Dominican Republic
DistrictNational District
Municipal Districts1
FoundedAugust 4, 1496 by Bartholomew Columbus (523 years ago).
Government
 • MayorDavid Collado
Area
[1]
104.44 km2 (40.32 sq mi)
Elevation
14 m (46 ft)
Population
 (2018)
1,502,650
 • Rank1
 • Metro
4,150,302[2]
Time zone[[UTC−4]] (Atlantic Time)
Area codes+1 (809), (829), (849)
GDP (PPP)US$35,000 million
ClimateTropical monsoon Am
LanguageSpanish
Patron saintSaint Dominic

Santo Domingo (officially called Santo Domingo de Guzmán) is the capital of the Dominican Republic. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River, on the southern coast of the island, 155 km southeast of Santiago de los Caballeros. It was founded by Bartholomew Columbus on August 5, 1498,[3] on the eastern bank of the Ozama River and later moved by Nicolás de Ovando in 1502 to the western bank of the same river. It is known for being the site of the first European settlement in the Americas, and for being the first seat of the Spanish colonial government in the New World. It lies within the limits of the National District, which in turn is bordered on three sides by the province of Santo Domingo. It borders the Caribbean Sea to the south, the municipality of Santo Domingo Este to the east, Santo Domingo Oeste to the west and Santo Domingo Norte to the north; together they form Greater Santo Domingo, whose metropolitan area already exceeds 4 million inhabitants.

The city was chosen as American Capital of Culture in 2010, and it has also hosted the 2003 Pan American Games, the 1974 Central American and Caribbean Games and the Caribbean Series on several occasions.

Santo Domingo is home to the first cathedral and the first castle in the Americas; both are located in the Colonial City, an area declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Thanks to this, the city, and especially its Historic Center, receives approximately one million international visitors each year.

Today, Santo Domingo is the largest cultural, financial, political, commercial and industrial center of the Dominican Republic. Santo Domingo also serves as the country's main port. One of the city's ports is located at the mouth of the Ozama River and accommodates the largest ships, and it is able to handle both passenger loads and cargo traffic.

Santo Domingo bore the name "Ciudad Trujillo" from 1936 to 1961, owing to a change made by the dictator Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina. Today, Santo Domingo is the most important metropolis in the country, given its GDP (Purchasing power parity) of US$90,000 million, and it is also the most populous city in the Caribbean.

Boundaries

Bordering municipalities:[4]

North: Los Alcarrizos and Santo Domingo Norte
West: Santo Domingo Oeste East: Santo Domingo Este
South: Caribbean Sea

Municipal districts

It is made up of the municipal district of:

Name Code
Santo Domingo de Guzmán 10010101

History

Before Christopher Columbus discovered the island in 1492, the Taíno inhabited the island, which they called Quisqueya (mother of all lands) and Haiti (land of high mountains), and which Columbus renamed La Española, including the part now occupied by the Republic of Haiti. At that time, the territory of the island consisted of five chiefdoms: Marién, Maguá, Maguana, Jaragua and Higüey. These were ruled respectively by the caciques Guacanagarix, Guarionex, Caonabo, Bohechío, and Cayacoa.

The first settlement dates back to 1493, the period when the first Europeans settled on the island, although it was officially founded between August 4 and 5, 1498 by Bartholomew Columbus under the name La Nueva Isabela, after an earlier one built by his brother Christopher Columbus; both settlements bore their name in honor of the Queen of Castile, Isabella I. Later it came to be called "Santo Domingo", in honor of Santo Domingo, who was the patron saint of Domenico Colombo, father of Christopher Columbus.[5] The city came to be known as the "gateway to the Caribbean".

Santo Domingo was destroyed by a hurricane in 1502, and the new governor, Nicolás de Ovando, had it rebuilt at another nearby site. The original layout of the city and a large part of its defensive wall can still be seen today in the Colonial Zone, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1990. The Colonial Zone, bordered by the Ozama River, also has an impressive collection of 16th-century buildings, including palatial houses and churches that reflect the architectural style of the medieval era.

Fortaleza Ozama, one of the historic buildings in Santo Domingo, which dates from 1502

The most important colonial buildings of the city include the Cathedral of Santa María La Menor, called the Primate Cathedral of the Americas, which establishes its distinction; the Alcázar de Colón, the first castle in the Americas and residence of the Viceroy of the Indies, Don Diego Columbus, son of Christopher Columbus; the Monastery of San Francisco, the ruins of the first monastery in the Americas; the Museo de las Casas Reales, the former Palace of the Governor General, the Palace of the Real Audiencia; Parque Colón, a historic square; the Fortaleza Ozama, the oldest fortress in the Americas; the Panteón de la Patria, a former Jesuit building that houses the remains of several distinguished representatives of the Dominican Order; and the Church of the Dominican Convent, the first convent in the Americas.

Throughout its first century, Santo Domingo was the platform for much of the exploration and conquest of the New World.

In 1586, Francis Drake occupied the city, demanding a ransom for it. With Drake's invasion and sack of Hispaniola and a weakened Spanish rule, the capital was abandoned and left at the mercy of pirates for more than 50 years. An expedition sent by Oliver Cromwell in 1655 attacked the City of Santo Domingo, but it was defeated and withdrew, taking Jamaica instead.

From 1795 to 1822 the city changed hands several times. It was ceded to France in 1795, occupied by Haitian rebels in 1801, recovered by France in 1802, and recovered once again by Spain in 1809. In 1821 Santo Domingo became the capital of the Independent State of Spanish Haiti. Two months later the new State was occupied by Haiti. The city and the colony lost a large part of their Spanish population as a consequence of these events.

Museo de las Casas Reales

Santo Domingo once again became a free nation when the Dominicans obtained their independence from Haitian domination on February 27, 1844, conceived by the Dominican national hero Juan Pablo Duarte. The city was a prize contested by various political factions in the coming decades of instability. In addition, the country had to fight multiple battles with Haiti; the Battle of March 19, the Battle of March 30, the Battle of Las Carreras, and the Battle of Beler are some of the most notable battles. These conflicts are mentioned in the national anthem, and there are also streets in the city named after them. In 1861 the country returned to Spanish hands, as the Spaniards reached an agreement with the Dominican leader Pedro Santana whereby the latter gained numerous honorary titles and privileges in exchange for the annexation of the young nation to Spain. The Dominican Restoration War began in 1863; however, in 1865 the country was free again after Spain withdrew.

Plaza España.

During the next two-thirds of a century, Santo Domingo and the Dominican Republic had many other conflicts. Changes of government were relatively brief, to which was added the occupation by the United States, 1916-1924. The city was struck by the San Zenón hurricane in 1930, which caused great damage. After its reconstruction, Santo Domingo was officially known as Ciudad Trujillo in honor of the dictator Rafael Leónidas Trujillo, who ruled from 1930 to 1961. After his assassination in 1961 the city was renamed Santo Domingo again. It was once more the scene of the struggle against the occupation by the United States in 1965.

In 1992 the 500th anniversary, the fifth centenary of the Discovery of America, was commemorated. The Columbus Lighthouse was built at an approximate cost of 400 million Dominican pesos; it was erected in Santo Domingo for this occasion.

Geography

Map of the Dominican Republic.

The Ozama River runs 148 kilometers before flowing into the Caribbean Sea. Santo Domingo's position on the bank of the Ozama was of great importance for the economic development of the city and the growth of trade during the colonial era. The Ozama River is where the country's busiest port is located.

The City of Santo Domingo is bordered to the north by the Isabela River; to the east by the Ozama River; to the south by the Caribbean Sea; and to the west by a line running from the Isabela River along the Carretera de la Isabela to the Autopista Duarte, continuing to the intersection of the Kennedy and Luperón, and continuing along the Luperón to Av. Independencia, including the Costa Azul development.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification, Santo Domingo has a tropical monsoon climate. The average temperature varies little in the city, due to the tropical trade winds that help mitigate the heat and humidity throughout the year. Thanks to these trade winds, Santo Domingo rarely experiences the stifling heat and humidity one would expect to find in a tropical climate (although this has varied due to global warming). Normally, December and January are the coolest months, and July, August and September are the hottest. Despite having a tropical climate and being in the middle of the Caribbean, Santo Domingo experiences cool temperatures between November and March due to the nearby mountains and the cold fronts that arrive from the north, when on some days the maximum temperature usually does not rise above 25 °C and the minimum can drop to 16 °C-18 °C.

Santo Domingo averages 1445 mm of precipitation per year. Its driest months are from January to April; however, due to the winds, rainfall occurs even during these months. Because its driest month receives less than 60 mm, Santo Domingo falls into the category of the tropical monsoon climate. Like many other Caribbean nations, Santo Domingo is very susceptible to hurricanes. The lowest recorded temperature is 6 °C (42.8 °F), and the highest recorded is 39 °C (103.1 ℉).

Climate data for Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 32.5
(90.5) 		32.4
(90.3) 		33.0
(91.4) 		34.5
(94.1) 		39.5
(103.1) 		35.7
(96.3) 		36.0
(96.8) 		35.0
(95.0) 		35.0
(95.0) 		35.3
(95.5) 		33.8
(92.8) 		33.0
(91.4) 		39.5
(103.1)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 29.2
(84.6) 		29.2
(84.6) 		29.6
(85.3) 		30.2
(86.4) 		30.4
(86.7) 		30.8
(87.4) 		31.3
(88.3) 		31.5
(88.7) 		31.4
(88.5) 		31.1
(88.0) 		30.6
(87.1) 		29.6
(85.3) 		30.4
(86.7)
Daily mean °C (°F) 24.4
(75.9) 		24.4
(75.9) 		24.9
(76.8) 		25.6
(78.1) 		26.3
(79.3) 		26.9
(80.4) 		27.0
(80.6) 		27.1
(80.8) 		27.0
(80.6) 		26.7
(80.1) 		26.0
(78.8) 		24.9
(76.8) 		25.9
(78.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 19.6
(67.3) 		19.7
(67.5) 		20.2
(68.4) 		21.1
(70.0) 		22.2
(72.0) 		22.9
(73.2) 		22.8
(73.0) 		22.7
(72.9) 		22.7
(72.9) 		22.3
(72.1) 		21.4
(70.5) 		20.3
(68.5) 		21.5
(70.7)
Record low °C (°F) 13.0
(55.4) 		13.5
(56.3) 		14.0
(57.2) 		16.8
(62.2) 		16.0
(60.8) 		18.6
(65.5) 		18.5
(65.3) 		18.6
(65.5) 		19.4
(66.9) 		18.0
(64.4) 		16.7
(62.1) 		15.3
(59.5) 		13.0
(55.4)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 63.0
(2.48) 		56.8
(2.24) 		53.8
(2.12) 		71.9
(2.83) 		187.7
(7.39) 		140.1
(5.52) 		144.6
(5.69) 		177.4
(6.98) 		180.9
(7.12) 		186.8
(7.35) 		99.8
(3.93) 		84.3
(3.32) 		1,447.1
(56.97)
Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm) 7.6 6.3 6.3 7.0 11.3 10.3 11.4 12.0 11.8 13.0 9.4 9.0 115.4
Average relative humidity (%) 82.5 80.8 79.3 78.8 82.5 83.7 83.8 84.6 85.1 85.7 84.2 83.3 82.9
Mean monthly sunshine hours 177.7 178.0 228.9 202.0 185.0 184.0 187.6 212.9 198.0 200.0 185.0 175.7 2,313.3
Percentage possible sunshine 52 55 62 54 46 47 47 54 55 56 55 52 53
Source 1: World Meteorological Organization[6]
Source 2: NOAA (extremes and humidity)[7] / http://www.santo-domingo.climatemps.com (sunshine)

Population

The demography of Santo Domingo is similar to that of the rest of the country, except that the population of illegal immigrants (mainly Haitians) is larger in this city due to the relative ease of finding work and to its economic dynamism compared with the provinces. The City of Santo Domingo also has communities of Asians (mainly Chinese), Arabs (mainly Lebanese), and Europeans (mainly Spaniards and Italians).

Social classes

34% of the population of Santo Domingo (National District) belongs to high socioeconomic strata, 50% to middle strata and 16% to low strata, compared with the national average of 13%, 47% and 40%, respectively. In electoral district #1 of Santo Domingo (made up mostly of upper-class neighborhoods), 65% belongs to the upper strata, 31% to middle strata and 4% to low strata; in district #2, the figures are 29%, 55% and 16%, respectively; while in district #3, the numbers are 11%, 63% and 26%, respectively.[8]

Politics and government

National Palace

Santo Domingo is the seat of the national government of the Dominican Republic. The National Palace, which is the office of the President, as well as the National Congress, are located in the metropolitan area. The current Mayor of the city is David Collado. The city is administered by the City Council of the National District, which is in charge of municipal functions. The National Police and the Tourist Police (CEISTUR) are tasked with enforcing security in the city.

Economic development

Avenida Anacaona, in Los Cacicazgos, is currently recognized as one of the areas of greatest economic development in Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo is the cultural, financial, political and commercial center of the Dominican Republic. The city attracts many international companies and franchises due to its geographic location and economic stability; the headquarters or regional offices of these companies are also usually located in Santo Domingo. The city also has the country's main and oldest port: the Port of Santo Domingo, located on the south-central coast, at the mouth of the Ozama River.

The infrastructure is adequate for most business operations; however, power outages remain a problem in certain parts of the city. A key element that has helped the city's development is its excellent telecommunications infrastructure. In recent years the Dominican Republic has enjoyed a modern telecommunications system, due to its privatization and integration with the U.S. system.

Coat of Arms of Santo Domingo de Guzmán

The city's economic growth is very noticeable in the increase in the construction of towers, shopping centers and highways, and in the increase in commercial activity.

Santo Domingo has a large social gap, ranging from the extremely poor to the very rich. The areas of greatest economic development are located in the city's Polígono Central, which is bordered by Avenida John F. Kennedy to the north, Avenida 27 de Febrero to the south, Avenida Winston Churchill to the west and Avenida Máximo Gómez to the east, with Avenida Anacaona and Sarasota to the south, and it is characterized by its mainly residential areas and its very active nightlife.

Some notable residential areas are: "Naco", "Arroyo Hondo", "Piantini", "Urb. Fernández", "Ens. Julieta", "Paraíso", "Las Praderas", "Los Prados", "La Julia", "Bella Vista", "Los Cacicazgos", "Urbanización Real", "Mirador Sur", among other sectors, which consist mostly of expensive buildings and luxury homes, in contrast with other sectors on the outskirts of the city, such as Gualey and Capotillo, which are less economically developed.

Bella Vista and La Esperilla are currently the fastest-growing sectors, with large mega-projects. Gazcue belongs to the more traditional southeastern area of the city and is characterized by its buildings dating from the 1930s to the 1960s.

The city's shopping centers are located mainly on Avenida Winston Churchill, where there are plazas such as Acrópolis Center and Blue Mall, and the large supermarkets. It is also the headquarters of most of the commercial banks, such as Banco Popular Dominicano, Scotiabank, Citibank, Banco BHD León, Banco del Progreso, Banreservas, among others. Avenida 27 de Febrero is considered the most important avenue in the city. The oldest shopping plazas in the city are Plaza Central and Plaza Naco, the latter having served as the first shopping center in the city. Sambil is one of the most recent shopping centers built in the city, and it attracts many middle- and low-income families. The city has a stock exchange established in the late 1990s.

Panoramic view of the National District

Plazas and shopping centers

  • Acropolis Center
  • Ágora Mall
  • Bella Vista Mall
  • Blue Mall
  • Diamond Mall
  • Galería 360
  • Malecon Center
  • Megacentro
  • Novo-Centro
  • Plaza Central
  • Plaza Las Américas
  • Plaza Naco
  • Sambil
  • Silver Sun Gallery
  • Coral Mall
  • Downtown Center
  • Occidental Mall

Health

The Hospital General de la Plaza de la Salud is one of the most important health institutions in the city

There are several health centers in the city, both public and private.

Among the private ones are:

  • Centro de Diagnóstico, Medicina Avanzada y Telemedicina (CEDIMAT)
  • Centro de Medicina Avanzada Dr. Abel González
  • Centro de Oftalmología Avanzado y Cirugía Láser
  • Centro Médico Alcantara y González
  • Centro Médico Antillano
  • Centro Médico Corominas Pepin
  • Centro Médico del Caribe
  • Centro Médico Dominicano
  • Centro Médico Domínico-Cubano
  • Centro Médico Dr. Escaño
  • Centro Médico Gazcue
  • Centro Médico Moderno
  • Centro Médico Real
  • Centro Médico Richardson Cruz
  • Centro Médico UCE
  • Centro Médico Odont. Amer. Centrodom- Don Bosco
  • Centro Médico Odont. Amer. Centrodom- Paraíso
  • Clínica Abreu
  • Clínica Corazones Unidos
  • Clínica Gómez Patiño
  • Clínica Independencia
  • Clínica Rodríguez Santos
  • Clínica San Rafael
  • Grupo Médico San Martín
  • Servicios Dominicanos de salud and "Centro de Obstetricia y Ginecología"

Among the public ones are:

  • Hospital Central de las Fuerzas Armadas
  • Hospital Docente Padre Billini
  • Hospital Dr. Francisco Moscoso Puello
  • Hospital Dr. Luis E. Aybar (Morgan)
  • Hospital Infantil Dr. Robert Reid Cabral
  • Hospital de Maternidad Nuestra Señora de La Altagracia.
  • Hospital Dr. Dario Contreras.
  • Hospital de Maternidad de Los Mina.
  • Hospital Marcelino Velez de Herrera.

Non-profit health centers:

  • Clínica Dr. Cruz Jiminián
  • Hospital General de la Plaza de la Salud
  • Instituto Nacional de Diabetes Endocrinologia y Nutrición (INDEN)
  • Instituto Dermatológico y Cirugía de Piel Dr. Huberto Bogaert Díaz
  • Instituto Dominicano de Cardiología
  • Instituto de Oncología Dr. Heriberto Pieter
  • Hospital General Dr. Moscoso Puello

Education

East entrance of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, the main center of higher education in Santo Domingo.

Santo Domingo is home to several universities: the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD) is the main one in the city and the only public university in the country. Santo Domingo has the highest percentage of residents with a higher-education degree in the Dominican Republic.

Other centers of study are:

Transportation

Santo Domingo has a variety of informal transportation systems. These include motoconchos (motorcycles that carry one or two passengers), buses (known as voladoras or guaguas), and carros públicos or conchos (a kind of shared taxi that stops to pick up passengers on the streets). However, there is a government-provided bus service called the Oficina Metropolitana de Servicios de Autobuses (OMSA), which has a fleet of buses and designated stops, some with air conditioning. The service operates long routes that cross the metropolitan area and are very popular among the poor and the middle class. The city also has mass transit systems such as the Santo Domingo Metro with its 2 lines, the first running from Santo Domingo Norte to La Feria and the second from Kilómetro 9 on the Autopista Duarte; that is, this transportation system crosses the city from south to north and from east to west. In addition, a cable car system was recently installed as mass transit.

Road system

Santo Domingo is the terminus of four of the five national highways. The city is connected with the southwest of the Republic by highway RD-2 (Avenida George Washington/Autopista 30 de Mayo), and with the cities of the northwest of the country by RD-1 (Expreso Kennedy/Corredor Duarte), which serves as a direct link to the city of Santiago de los Caballeros. RD-3 (Expreso 27 de Febrero/Autopista de Las Américas) connects Santo Domingo directly with the east of the country, including the cities of San Pedro de Macorís, La Romana, and the main tourist sites such as Punta Cana and Bávaro, and with the province of Samaná (in the northeast) via the Samaná highway or RD-7. There is also the Autopista 6 de Noviembre or RD-6, which connects the city directly with San Cristóbal to the south, and national highway RD-4, which connects Santo Domingo with other cities such as Hato Mayor and El Seibo in the east of the country.

Main avenues

East-west:

  • Avenida John F. Kennedy: crosses the National District from east to west in the north-central part. The road is made up of a total of ten lanes, five on each side. The two center lanes of the road are express lanes that make it easier to travel across the city, and it has several crossings in the form of overpasses and underpasses.
Avenida 27 de Febrero
  • Avenida 27 de Febrero: crosses the National District from east to west in the central part of all of Santo Domingo. It begins at the Juan Bosch Bridge and runs through the whole city until it reaches the Plaza de la Bandera roundabout, where it extends into the municipality of Santo Domingo Oeste and ends at the Autopista Duarte. The road is made up of twelve lanes in total, six on each side. The four lanes in the center of the road are express lanes that make it easier to travel across the city from east to west, with several crossings in the form of overpasses, underpasses and tunnels. In addition, the lanes next to the sidewalks are exclusively for buses and the rest are local lanes.
  • Avenida Bolívar: extends from Parque Independencia to the intersection with Avenida Winston Churchill. Along its entire length, this avenue is made up of three one-way local lanes running east to west.
  • Avenida Independencia: extends from the intersection with the Autopista 30 de Mayo to Parque Independencia. The road is made up of a total of four lanes (two eastbound and two westbound) from the intersection with the Autopista 30 de Mayo to the intersection with Avenida Italia. From the intersection with Av. Italia to Parque Independencia, the avenue becomes a one-way eastbound road with only three lanes.
Av. George Washington
  • Avenida George Washington: is popularly known as "El Malecón" because it is the avenue that runs along the city's waterfront. The avenue extends from Calle Palo Hincado to the intersection with Av. Lincoln; from that point to the Haina River runs the Autopista 30 de Mayo. It also includes the Paseo Presidente Billini, which begins at Palo Hincado street and joins the Avenida del Puerto, which runs along the western bank of the Ozama River. Along its entire length the road is made up of four lanes (two on each side). On this avenue one can find the most exclusive hotels in the city, several casinos, the imposing mixed-use complex Malecon Center, the obelisk and the Parque Eugenio María de Hostos. It is very popular for the celebration of carnival.

North-south:

  • Avenida Winston Churchill: extends from Av. Kennedy to Av. 27 de Febrero, from where it continues as Avenida Jiménez Moya until it reaches the Centro de los Héroes and finally the Malecón. This road is distinguished by the date palms planted along its sidewalks. Along its entire length the road is made up of six lanes (three on each side) and a wide, tree-lined median popularly known as the "Bulevar de la Churchill", and within it the Bulevar de las Estrellas.
Av. Jiménez Moya at the Centro de los Héroes
  • Avenida Abraham Lincoln: extends from Av. Kennedy to the Malecón. The road is made up of six lanes (three on each side) and a median with cana palms. Along the length and breadth of this avenue are several buildings, clubs, restaurants and businesses.
  • Avenida Ortega y Gasset: extends from the Paseo de los Reyes Católicos to Av. 27 de Febrero. The road is made up of four lanes, two on each side. On this road are the Olympic Center and the Plaza de la Salud.
  • Avenida Luperón: extends from Av. Kennedy to the Autopista 30 de Mayo at the western end of Santo Domingo. The road is made up of eight lanes, four on each side, and a tree-lined median. Some places of interest located on this avenue include the Centro Gallístico, the Herrera industrial zone, and the Plaza de la Bandera.
  • Avenida Máximo Gómez: extends from the Puente Presidente Peynado to the Malecón. The road is made up of four lanes, two on each side. Important buildings and points of interest found on this road are the National Cemetery, the Plaza de la Cultura, which houses the National Theater, and the Palace of Fine Arts. The universities UTESA and UNAPEC are also located there, as well as the headquarters of Banco Popular and the five-star hotel "Hotel Barceló Santo Domingo".
  • Avenida Duarte: extends from the intersection of Avenida de los Mártires and Paseo de los Reyes Católicos to Calle Padre Billini in the Colonial Zone. The avenue is made up of three lanes in a one-way road running north to south, which becomes a single lane upon entering the Colonial Zone. This avenue is the main commercial thoroughfare for people of low economic means in the entire metropolitan area, with large department stores, restaurants, and shops offering goods and services at modest prices. On "la Duarte" (as it is popularly known) one can find the Mercado Nuevo, the Parque Enriquillo, the Plaza Comercial Duarte and the Chinatown of Santo Domingo.
  • Avenida Nicolás de Ovando: is located in the northern part of Santo Domingo, beginning at the roundabout in the Cristo Rey sector, and intersects with the avenues Ortega y Gasset, Máximo Gómez, Duarte and Arbert Thomas, among others, ending in the Simón Bolívar sector. This avenue is characterized by having many stalls selling mechanical spare parts.

Corredor Duarte

The Corredor Duarte is considered one of the most important infrastructure and vehicle-traffic-streamlining works for the city, at a cost of US$203 million. The Corredor Duarte project consists of the construction of six overpasses that will speed up vehicle traffic in both the National District and Santo Domingo Province.

The Corredor Duarte would facilitate the movement of more than 800 thousand vehicles through the intersections of the Autopista Duarte with the Carretera de Manoguayabo and Avenida Monumental; Avenida John F. Kennedy with Avenida Núñez de Cáceres and Calle Dr. Fernando A. Defilló; Avenida 27 de Febrero with Avenida José Ortega y Gasset; and Avenida Charles de Gaulle with Autopista de San Isidro.

Santo Domingo Cable Car

The Santo Domingo Cable Car, following an investment of three billion pesos, was opened to the public at the end of 2018. The modern transportation system, with a total of 5 kilometers, has four stations that benefit residents of Santo Domingo Norte, Santo Domingo Este and the National District, especially those who live in vulnerable areas near the Ozama River.

The first station, in the Gualey sector, connects with the Metro; it was built on land originally earmarked for the construction of a center to care for people with mental illnesses, a project of the Office of the First Lady. The second is in the Los Tres Brazos neighborhood, the third in Sabana Perdida and the fourth on Avenida Charles de Gaulle in the Municipality of Santo Domingo Norte. According to URBE, with this aerial cable system users can save 30 minutes of travel and 30% on the fare. It currently carries about 12,000 passengers daily on average and is an important feeder for the Metro, since with the same fare users can transfer to and from the Metro at no additional cost.[9]

Metro

Santo Domingo Metro
Metro

The Santo Domingo Metro is an underground and elevated mass transit system that will consist of six lines. The first and second lines are already in service and have a combined length of about 30 km. Line one begins elevated in Villa Mella (Santo Domingo Norte), running along Av. Hermanas Mirabal; it continues along Av. Máximo Gómez to Av. Correa y Cidrón and ends at the Centro de Los Héroes, near the Malecón.

The second line runs east-west beneath the Expreso Kennedy, from Av. San Vicente de Paul at the corner of Av. Mella, continuing along Av. Padre Castellanos, Expreso V Centenario, Av. John F. Kennedy to Km 9 of the Autopista Duarte at Av. Gregorio Luperón.

The third line will also run in an east-west direction, beneath the Expreso 27 de Febrero.

The Santo Domingo Metro carries more than 300 thousand passengers daily; however, there are high-demand working days on which it carries almost 400 thousand.

Port of Santo Domingo: Sans Souci

Don Diego Terminal

The Port of Santo Domingo is located on the banks of the Ozama River. Its location in the center of the Caribbean is perfect for planning flexible itineraries, as well as easy transfers and diverse accommodations, due to the excellent road and airport infrastructure in the Santo Domingo Region. The port is equipped for both homeport and transit operations.

The port has been completely renovated as part of an urban rehabilitation project aimed at integrating the port area with the Colonial City, in order to create an attractive destination for cruise ships, yachts and tourism in general.

Museums

Alcázar de Colón in the Colonial City

Santo Domingo is home to numerous museums dedicated to the history of the Dominican Republic. Most of them are within the Colonial Zone.

  • Museo Alcázar de Colón, dedicated to the conservation, exhibition and dissemination of the life of the Columbus family in the City of Santo Domingo and of the viceregal era
  • Altar de la Patria, the place where the remains of the three founding fathers of the Dominican nation rest
  • Museo Naval de las Atarazanas, whose mission is the conservation, exhibition and dissemination of the national artistic heritage of underwater archaeology
  • Museo de las Casas Reales, dedicated to the colonial era
  • Museo de Duarte, which summarizes and displays the history of the movement and struggle for independence
  • Museo de Historia Natural, devoted to the various fields of knowledge related to nature and its environment, with attention to Dominican biodiversity and ecology
  • Museo del Hombre Dominicano, devoted to the conservation, research, exhibition and dissemination of the artistic heritage and intangible heritage of national anthropology, pre-Columbian archaeology and national ethnology
  • Museo Mundo del Ámbar, whose mission is the exhibition and dissemination of the exploitation of national amber
  • Museo de Arte Moderno, dedicated to the conservation, research, exhibition and dissemination of the artistic heritage of modern and contemporary national visual arts
  • Museo Nacional de Historia y Geografía, dedicated to all of Dominican history, from the pre-Columbian era to the contemporary era

Monuments

Cathedral of Santa María La Menor (Primate Cathedral of the Americas).

Famous places in Santo Domingo include Calle El Conde, the Puerta de la Misericordia, the Cathedral of Santa María La Menor (Primate Cathedral of the Americas), and the Alcázar de Colón, all located in the city's Colonial Zone. This area was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1990.

Statue of Antonio de Montesinos.

In the center of the city, the Malecón area is a commercial zone and tourist center, with its main attraction being the obelisk located at the eastern end of Avenida George Washington.

Other places of interest are the Plaza de la Cultura, which houses the most important cultural venues in the city, such as the Teatro Nacional Eduardo Brito and the Museo de Arte Moderno; the Palacio de Bellas Artes, a neoclassical theater that is the permanent home of the National Symphony Orchestra; the Parque Mirador Sur, a six-square-kilometer park in the southwestern part of the city; and the Bulevar 27 de Febrero, a pedestrian promenade located on the busy Avenida 27 de Febrero, which displays numerous works of art by prominent Dominican artists and sculptors.

Another attraction is the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center, a sports complex in the heart of Santo Domingo. This complex was used to hold the 2003 Pan American Games.

Parks and recreational areas

National Botanical Garden of Santo Domingo.

Santo Domingo has several parks, three of which are Miradores and are located in the north, south and east of the city, respectively. Although these parks are relatively large, Santo Domingo still lacks sufficient recreational areas. The National District is surrounded by the Green Belt of Santo Domingo. Some parks and recreational places are:

  • Parque Enriquillo
  • Parque Mirador Sur, located in the southwestern section of the city
  • Parque Independencia, the place where the country's independence took place, located in the Colonial Zone
  • Parque Colón, dedicated to the Discovery, located in the Colonial Zone
  • Parque Metropolitano Las Praderas
  • El Malecón
  • National Botanical Garden
  • National Zoological Park
  • Chinatown of Santo Domingo
  • Parque Núñez de Cáceres

Media

Television

In Santo Domingo there are 15 television stations (in both UHF and VHF). The city has the largest number of television signals in the country, followed by Santiago.

VHF
UHF
  • Digital 15 (channel 15)
  • Quisqueya TV (channel 17)
  • Cinevisión (channel 19)
  • Antena 21 (channel 21)
  • Telefuturo (channel 23)
  • Telemedios dominicanos, S.A. (channel 25)
  • RNN (channel 27)
  • Teleuniverso (channel 29)
  • Telemicro Deportes (channel 31)
  • Supercanal (channel 33)
  • Sport Visión (channel 35)
  • CDN (channel 37)
  • Coral39 (channel 39)
  • Televida canal 41 (channel 41)
  • Teleradio América (channel 45)
  • Amé47 (channel 47)
  • Sistesur (channel 49)
  • TNI (channel 51)
  • Carivisión (channel 53)
  • Latin Music TV (channel 57)
  • Mango TV (channel 59)
  • Funglode TV (channel 61)
  • Digital Visión (channel 63)
  • CDN SportsMax (channel 67)
  • Santo Domingo TV (channel 69)

Additional cable TV channels are provided by companies such as Aster, Cable TV Dominicana, SKY, Telecable de Tricom, Exitovision, WIND telecom, and Claro Tv.

Radio

In Santo Domingo there are about 100 radio stations on the AM and FM bands.

FM
  • Primera (88.1)
  • Studio88 (88.5)
  • Escape (88.9)
  • Neon (89.3)
  • Renuevo (89.7)
  • Fuego 90 (90.1)
  • Estrella 90 (90.5)
  • La91 (91.3)
  • La Rocka (91.7)
  • Hits92 (92.1)
  • CDN 92.5 (92.5)
  • Pura Vida (92.9)
  • Independencia (93.3)
  • Radio alfa & omega (93.5)
  • Latidos (93.7)
  • Fidelity (94.1)
  • KQ94 (94.5)
  • Kiss (94.9)
  • Radio educativa dominicana (95.3)
  • La nota diferente (95.7)
  • Quisqueya FM (96.1)
  • Ritmo 96 (96.5)
  • Exa FM (96.9)
  • Radio Disney (97.3)
  • Radio higo (97.5)
  • Estación (97.7)
  • Radio Amanecer (98.1)
  • Rumba (98.5)
  • Dominicana FM (98.9)
  • Sonido suave (99.3)
  • Be 99.7 (99.7)
  • La 100.1 FM (100.1)
  • Cima 100 (100.5)
  • SuperQ (100.9)
  • Z101 (101.3)
  • Supra (101.7)
  • La X 102 (102.1)
  • Escándalo (102.5)
  • Raíces (102.9)
  • Los 40 Principales (103.3)
  • Power 103 (103.7)
  • Caliente (104.1)
  • Mixx (104.5)
  • Mortal (104.9)
  • Vida (105.3)
  • Fiesta (105.7)
  • Disco 106 (106.1)
  • Zol (106.5)
  • La voz de las Fuerzas Armadas (106.9)
  • Cadena Espacial (107.3)
  • Super 7 (107.7)
AM
  • Radio abc (540)
  • Radio cristal (570)
  • Radio Santo Domingo (620)
  • Radio universal (650)
  • Mixx (690)
  • HIZ (730)
  • Radio Global (760)
  • La voz del trópico (790)
  • HIJB AM (830)
  • Radio clarín (860)
  • Radio continental (890)
  • Radio 920 AM (920)
  • Radio popular (Circuito Corporán) (950)
  • Radioemisora La Voz Cultural de las Fuerzas Armadas (980)
  • Radio Cadena Comercial (1010)
  • CDN Radio (1040)
  • PIO Deportes (Cadena Sur, Radio RPQ) (1080)
  • Radio Metro (Politiro) (1120)
  • Onda Musical HIAS AM (1150)
  • Radio mil (1180)
  • Radio Ven Voz Evangelizadora (1210)
  • Radio Bemba (1220)
  • Radio Visión (1260)
  • Cadena Espacial (1280)
  • Radio TRA (1300)
  • Radio Visión Cristiana Internacional (1330)
  • Radio Listín (1360)
  • Radio Impactante (1440)
  • Radio villa (1480)
  • Radio pueblo (1510)
  • Radio Cadena Comercial (1540)
  • Radio amanecer (1570)
  • Radio Revelación en América (1600)

Telephone and internet service

Codetel (Compañía Dominicana de Teléfonos) was originally the provider of telephone service in the Dominican Republic from 1930. The company was later acquired by GTE (later Verizon). In 2004 the company was named Verizon Dominicana and was later sold to América Móvil, which renamed it Codetel again as a marketing strategy. The company used the name Claro for its cellular telephone division until 2011, when the brands were unified. The second company in residential telephone services is Tricom, followed by Orange and Viva, which specialize in mobile telephony.

The national area codes are 809, 829 and 849. In 2005 the 829 area code was created after 809 was exhausted, due to the increase in fax, mobile and telephone lines over the last decade. The Dominican Republic uses +1-809-XXX-XXXX and +1-829-XXX-XXXX as the official format for telephone numbers.

At the end of May 2009, INDOTEL proposed the idea of introducing a new area code (849), in order to increase the availability of line numbers in the country. The new area code came into effect in February 2010.

.do is the Internet domain of the Dominican Republic. The country has an estimated 2,000,000 Internet users.

Sports

Baseball

Baseball is the most popular sport throughout the country. Two of the six teams of the Dominican League are based in Santo Domingo:

  • Tigres del Licey, founded in 1907, winner of 22 national championships since 1951. It is the oldest team in the country and the winner of the most Caribbean Series, with 10, making the Dominican Republic the country with the most Caribbean Series won.
  • Leones del Escogido, founded in 1921, winner of 16 national championships since 1951. It is the third team with the most championships won. The team has 4 titles won in the Caribbean Series.

These two teams are based at the Estadio Quisqueya, located in Ensanche La Fe.

Basketball

Every year Santo Domingo hosts the National District Superior Basketball Tournament, in which several teams participate representing sectors and social clubs of the city.

Some of the teams participating in this tournament are:

  • Arroyo Hondo
  • Calero de Villa Duarte
  • Los Mina
  • Los Prados
  • Mauricio Báez
  • Mejoramiento social (BAMESO)
  • Naco
  • San Carlos
  • San Lázaro
  • Villa Francisca
  • Huellas del Siglo, Cristo Rey

Sports clubs

Ping pong at Club Naco
  • Club Arroyo Hondo
  • Club Casa de España
  • Club cultural de Villa Francisca
  • Club Los Mina
  • Club Los Prados
  • Club Mauricio Báez
  • Club Naco
  • Club Paraíso
  • Club San Carlos
  • Club San Lázaro
  • Club Santo Domingo
  • Club Sirio Palestino Libanés
  • Santo Domingo Country Club

Twin towns – sister cities

Santo Domingo has 34 sister cities designated by Sister Cities International:[10]

Other facts

References

  1. ↑ Perez, Cosme E. (December 20, 2011). Quisqueya: un pas̕ en el mundo: La Revelación̤ maya del 2012 (in español). Palibrio. p. 27. ISBN 978-1-4633-1368-5. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Expansión Urbana de las ciudades capitales de RD: 1988-2010" (in español). Santo Domingo: Oficina Nacional de Estadística. May 1, 2015. ISBN 978-9945-8984-3-9. Archived from the original on July 14, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: periodical has ISBN (link)
  3. ↑ Bona Rivera, Miguel Ramón (August 3, 2007). "Domingo 5 de agosto de 1948" (in español). Hoy. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  4. ↑ OpenStreetMap page containing the reference data. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Sitographics.com" (in español). Archived from the original on May 20, 2011.
  6. ↑ "World Weather Information Service–Santo Domingo". World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Santo Dominigo Climate Normals 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Informe de Análisis Socioeconómico de las Metrópolis" (PDF) (in español). Madrid: Ayuntamiento de Madrid. 2010. pp. 325–327. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
  9. ↑ "usuarios metro y teleferico santo domingo" (in español).
  10. ↑ Online Directory: Dominican Republic, Caribbean Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI)
  11. ↑ "Página en www.hoy.es" (in español).
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "La Guardia y Santo Domingo, dos ciudades hermanas" (in español).
  13. ↑ "Universidade norte-americana fará parceria com a Câmara Municipal de Manaus :: JusBrasil" (in português). Archived from the original on July 21, 2011.
  14. ↑ "Santo Domingo, Capital Americana de la Cultura en 2010" (in español).
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