San Juan Province (Dominican Republic)

province of the Dominican Republic

San Juan is a Dominican province, in the western part of the country. Its capital city is San Juan de la Maguana.

San Juan
Entrance to the town of San Juan.
Entrance to the town of San Juan.
Coat of arms of San Juan
Nickname: 
El Granero del Sur (The Barn of The South)
Location of the San Juan Province
Location of the San Juan Province
Coordinates: 18°53′25″N 71°16′00″W / 18.89028°N 71.26667°W / 18.89028; -71.26667
Country Dominican Republic
Province since1938
CapitalSan Juan de la Maguana
Government
 • TypeSubdivisions
 • Body6 municipalities
17 municipal districts
 • Congresspersons1 Senator
5 Deputies
Area
 • Total3,569.39 km2 (1,378.15 sq mi)
Population
 (2014)
 • Total317,293
 • Density89/km2 (230/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-4 (AST)
Area code1-809 1-829 1-849
ISO 3166-2DO-22
Postal Code72000

Name change

The province is named after its capital city, San Juan de la Maguana. San Juan is short for San Juan Bautista (Saint John the Baptist).

History change

Since colonial times, the territory was part of Azua province until the dictator, Rafael Trujillo, made this province in 1938 with the name Benefactor with the municipalities of Las Matas de Farfán y El Cercado. Bohechío was made a municipality in 1974, Vallejuelo in 1978 and Juan de Herrera in 1992.[1]

In 1998, Matayaya became a municipal district; Pedro Corto in 2000; Sabaneta, Arroyo Cano and Yaque in 2004; Carrera de Yeguas, Sabana Alta, El Rosario, Hato del Padre, Guanito, La Jagua, Derrumbadero and Batista in 2005; Las Maguanas-Hato Nuevo, Las Charcas de María Nova, Jinova and Jorjillo in 2006; and Las Zanjas in 2007.[1]

Location change

The San Juan province has Santiago Rodríguez and Santiago provinces to the north, Azua province (and a short part of La Vega) to the east, Baoruco province to the south and Elías Piña province to the west.

Population change

In 2014 (last national census), there were 317,293 people living in the San Juan province, and 139,620 (44%) living in towns and cities. The population density was 94.3 persons/km².[2]

Its population represents 3.36% of the total population of the country and the province is ranked as the 11th (out of 31 plus the National District) more populated province.

As of 2016, the total estimated propulation of the province is 226,484 inhabitants.[3]

The largest city of the province is San Juan de la Maguana, its head municipality or capital, with an urban population (in 2014) of 71,494 inhabitants.[2]

Geography change

The San Juan province has a total area of 3,363.8 km2 (1,298.8 sq mi).[2] It has 7% of the area of the Dominican Republic and it is ranked as the 1st (out of 31 plus the National District) largest province.

The altitude of the provincial capital, San Juan de la Maguana, is 418 m (1,371 ft) above sea level.[4]

Mountains change

The Cordillera Central ("Central mountain chain") is in the northern part of the province, and the Sierra de Neiba runs across the southern half. The area between those two mountain ranges is the San Juan valley, which the Taínos call Maguana, meaning "small valley".

The highest mountain in the province is Pico Duarte, with 3,087 m.[5] It is the highest mountain in the West Indies and is on the border with Santiago province.

Rivers change

The main rivers of the province are the San Juan and Yaque del Sur rivers.

Climate change

The climate of the province is a tropical climate, hot most of the year, but it is cooler in the mountains.

Municipalities change

There are 6 municipalities and 17 municipal districts (M.D.) in the province.[1]

 
Municipalities of San Juan Province
Municipalities of the San Juan province
Municipality
(code)
Municipal Districts (code) Population
(2010)
Area
(km2)
Density Altitude
(m)
San Juan de la Maguana (220101) 78,313 248.6 315.0 418
Pedro Corto (220102) 6,891 146.3 47.1 506
Sabaneta (220103) 5,621 480.4 11.7 706
Sabana Alta (220104) 3,241 31.4 103.2 368
El Rosario (220105) 7,426 204.9 36.2 381
Hato del Padre (220106) 5,811 58.8 98.8 470
Guanito (220107) 3,670 83.3 44.1 384
La Jagua (220108) 3,855 69.2 55.7 592
Las Maguanas-Hato Nuevo (220109) 5,192 72.1 72.0 523
Las Charcas de María Nova (220110) 3,166 86.8 36.5 545
Las Zanjas (220111) 8,991 246.0 36.5 79
San Juan de la Maguana (220100) 132,177 1,728.0 76.5
Bohechío (220201) 2,394 1.5 1,596.0 519
Arroyo Cano (220202) 3,109 61.3 50.7 625
Yaque (220203) 4,182 343.3 12.2 512
Bohechío (220200) 9,685 406.1 23.8
El Cercado (220301) 13,611 169.6 80.3 825
Derrumbadero (220302) 4,918 62.8 78.3 915
Batista (220303) 2,314 45.6 50.7 976
El Cercado (220300)) 20,843 278.0 75.0
Juan de Herrera (220401) 8,235 46.5 177.1 514
Jínova (220402) 4,827 46.4 104.0 478
Juan de Herrera (220400)) 13,062 92.9 140.6
Las Matas de Farfán (220501) 34,481 350.3 98.4 445
Matayaya (220502) 4,267 115.8 36.8 409
Carrera de Yeguas (220503) 5,415 170.9 31.7 490
Las Matas de Farfán (220500)) 44,163 637.1 69.3
Vallejuelo (220601) 9,725 151.5 64.2 643
Jorjillo (220602) 2,678 70.2 38.1 829
Vallejuelo (220600)) 12,403 221.7 55.9
San Juan (220000) 317,293 3,363.8 94.3

Economy change

The main economic activity of the province is farming; the main products are rice, maize, peanut, sorghum and beans.

References change

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "División Territorial 2015" (in Spanish). Oficina Nacional de Estadística (ONE). October 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 November 2015. Retrieved 27 November 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 November 2016.
  4. "San Juan de la Maguana". Geonames.org. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  5. De la Fuente, Santiago (1976). Geografía Dominicana (in Spanish). Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic: Editora Colegial Quisqueyana. p. 38.