Independencia Province

province of the Dominican Republic

Independencia (English: Independence) is a Dominican province, in the western part of the country, on the border with Haiti. Its capital city is Jimaní.

Independencia
Statue of the Taino Enriquillo.
Statue of the Taino Enriquillo.
Coat of arms of Independencia
Location of Independencia Province
Location of Independencia Province
Country Dominican Republic
Province since1948
Government
 • TypeSubdivisions
 • Body6 municipalities
6 municipal districts
 • Congresspersons1 Senator
2 Deputies
Area
 • Total2,006.44 km2 (774.69 sq mi)
Population
 (2014)
 • Total74,583
 • Density37/km2 (96/sq mi)
DemonymIndependenciano/a
Time zoneUTC-4 (EST)
Area code1-809 1-829 1-849
ISO 3166-2DO-10
Postal Code83000

Location

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The Independencia province is bordered to the north by the Elías Piña and Bahoruco provinces, to the east by Barahona and to the south by the Pedernales province. To the west Independencia borders the Republic of Haiti.

History

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It was created on 29 December 1948 but to start on 1 January 1950. It was part of the Bahoruco province before being elevated to the category of province. Its name remembers the national independence from Haiti on 27 February 1844.

The province was created with the municipalities of Jimaní, Duvergé and La Descubierta with Jimaní as capital of the province. Postrer Río became a municipality in 1982, Cristóbal in 2003 and Mella in 2004. Guayabal was made a municipal district in 1998, El Limón in 2001, La Colonia in 2004, Boca de Cachón and Vengan a Ver in 2005, and Batey 8 in 2006.[1]

Population

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In 2014 (last national census), there were 74,583 people living in the Independencia province, and 42,050 (56.4%) living in towns and cities. The population density was 37.2 persons/km², the second lowest in the country; only Pedernales has a lower population density.[2]

Its population represents 0.79% of the total population of the country and the province is ranked as the 31th (out of 31 plus the National District) more populated province.

As of 2016, the total estimated propulation of the province is 55,638 inhabitants.[3]

The largest city of the province is Jimaní, its head municipality or capital, with a population (in 2014) of 10,034 inhabitants.[2]

Geography

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The Independencia province has a total area of 2,007.4 km2 (775.1 sq mi).[2] It has 4.2% of the area of the Dominican Republic and it is ranked as the 8th (out of 31 plus the National District) largest province.

The Sierra de Bahoruco is in the southern part of the province, and the Sierra de Neiba runs across the northwestern part of the province, on the border with the Elías Piña province. The rest of the province is part of the Hoya de Enriquillo (or Neiba Valley). In this valley is the Lake Enriquillo, and about half of its area is part of the Independencia province.

The altitude of Jimaní, provincial capital, is 48 m (157 ft).[4]

There are few permanent rivers, with water all the time. The longest river is the Las Damas river 24 km (15 mi), which flows from Sierra de Bahoruco to the Lake Enriquillo.

The main protected areas in the province are the Parque Nacional Sierra de Baoruco ("National park Sierra de Baoruco") and the Parque Nacional Lago Enriquillo ("National park Enriquillo Lake").

Climate

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The climate of the province is a tropical climate, very hot and dry in the valley, but it is cooler on the mountains.

Municipalities

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There are 6 municipalities and 6 municipal districts (M.D.) in the province.[1] The municipalities and its municipal districts (M.D.) are:

 
Municipalities of Independencia Province
Municipalities of the Independencia province
Municipality
(code)
Municipal Districts (code) Population
(2010)
Area
(km2)
Density Altitude
(m)
Jimaní (100101) 10,034 200.6 50.0 48
El Limón (100102) 3,381 144.2 23.4 29
Boca de Cachón (100103) 3,095 201.8 15.3 15
Jimaní (100100) 16,510 546.6 30.2
Duvergé (100201) 9,321 353.3 26.4 8
Vengan a Ver (100202) 2,708 180.5 15.0 8
Duvergé (100200)) 12,029 533.7 22.5
La Descubierta (100301) 8,310 215.5 38.6 41
La Descubierta (100300) 8,310 215.5 38.6
Postrer Río (100401) 3,596 92.0 39.1 41
Guayabal (100402) 2,072 72.3 28.7 337
Postrer Río (100400)) 5,668 164.3 34.5
Cristóbal (100501) 2,501 0.6 4,168.3 17
Batey 8 (100502) 3,930 158.3 24.8 19
Cristóbal (100500)) 6,431 158.9 40.5
Mella (100601) 2,501 263.0 9.5 10
La Colonia (100602) 1,140 125.5 9.1 1
Mella (100600)) 3,641 388.5 9.4
Independencia province (100000) 52,589 2,007.4 26.2

Economy

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The main economic activity of the province is agriculture and the main products are plantain, cassava, coffee and cacao.

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References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 "División Territorial 2015" (in Spanish). Oficina Nacional de Estadística (ONE). October 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 November 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Consejo Nacional de Población y Familia. "Estamaciones y Proyecciones de la Población Dominicana por Regiones, Provincias, Municipios y Distritos Municipales, 2014" (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  3. "REPÚBLICA DOMINICANA: Población por año calendario, según sexo y grupos quinquenales de edad, 2015-2020" (in Spanish). Oficina Nacional de Estadística (ONE). Archived from the original (XLS) on 24 June 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
  4. "Jimaní". Geonames.org. Retrieved 27 October 2016.