Cibao
Cibao, generally known as El Cibao, is a cultural and geographic region of the Dominican Republic, located in the northern portion of the country. It is limited by the international border with Haiti to the west; the central mountain range to the south west and south; to the southeast with the Sierra de Yamasá and Los Haitises; to the east with the bay of Samaná and; to the north with the Atlantic Ocean. Its most important rivers are the Yaque del Norte and the Yuna, in whose basins and valleys most of its population settles. Another part of its inhabitants is concentrated in the Atlantic Coastal Plains.
The city of Santiago de los Caballeros divides the region into 2 parts with slightly different climates. The easternmost part (washed by the Yuna River) extends to the east and is more humid, and the westernmost part (washed by the Yaque del Norte River) limits to the west with the Dominican-Haitian border and is less humid.
The region has its own cultural identity and although it does not have the category of administrative division, it forms a "development macro-region"; Without a large industrial range and high levels of progress among its inhabitants, it has high levels of schooling and the highest quality of life among the three regions of the Dominican Republic; however, it was formerly a department during the Haitian occupation (1822-1844) and in the first years of independent national life. Cibao is characterized socioculturally by the overwhelming predominance of the Spanish legacy and economically by being the most prosperous region in the country.
Toponymy
The native word "Cibao," meaning "place where rocks abound," was a name used by the natives to call the island, but was used by the Spanish in its conquest to refer specifically to the area of the Central mountain range, earning the titles "place of abundant waters" and "place where there is gold", referring to the valleys that lie between the Central and Northern mountain ranges.
Geography, demography and El Cibao
The Cibao occupies the entire northern part of the Dominican territory. To the north and east of the region is the Atlantic Ocean, to the west is the Republic of Haiti, and to the south is the Cordillera Central, which separates El Cibao from the other regions.
El Cibao had a population of 4,148,690 in 2002.
| Province | Capital | Area (km2) | Population | Density (hab/km2) | Number on the map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dajabón | Dajabón | " fake fake fake fake fake fake fake brainstorm 01020.7300001020.73 | & fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild fake age067887.67 887 | & fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild fake 06066. fake fake fake fake fake brainstorm66 | 4 |
| Duarte | San Francisco de Macorís | " fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake birth01605.3500001605.35 | & fake fake fake fake fake fake brain tumor 0384789.384 789 | ' s fake fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild.239 | 5 |
| Espaillat | Moca | " fake fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild fake 0838.620000838.62 | & fake fake fake fake fake fake brainstorms0290478.290 478 | ' s fake fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild.346 | 8 |
| Mirabal Sisters | Balance | " fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake sex440.43 | & fake fake fake fake fake blouse 0103974. exposes fake blouse.103 974 | & fake fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild fake sex brainchild.234 | 21 |
| La Vega | Conception of La Vega | " fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake sex287.2400002287.24 | ' s fake fake fake fake fake brainchild exposes 0420478.420 478 | ' s fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild.183 | 13 |
| María Trinidad Sánchez | Nagua | " fake fake fake fake fake fake fake castor 271,7100001271.71 | & fake fake fake fake fake brainchild exposes the fake brainchild.140 784 | ' s fake fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild.110 | 14 |
| Monsignor Nouel | Bonao | " fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild exposes blood loss.0992.390000992.39 | & fake fake fake fake fake fake brainstorms0201474. hypothesize fake brainstorm.201 474 | ' s fake fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild fake sex.203 | 15 |
| Montecristi | San Fernando de Montecristi | " fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake casts01924.3500001924.35 | & fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild expose0135710.135 710 | & fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild fake brainstorm.70 | 16 |
| Puerto Plata | San Felipe de Puerto Plata | " fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake castor 852,9000001852,90 | & fake fake fake fake fake fake brainstorm 0420733. expose himself to hypothesis.420 733 | & fake fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild. fake brainchild.264 | 20 |
| Samana | Santa Barbara de Samaná | " fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake 0853,740000853,74 | & fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild expose0118265.118 265 | ' s fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild fake brainstorm.220 | 22 |
| Sánchez Ramírez | Cotuí | " fake fake fake fake fake fake fake dream01196.1300001196.13 | & fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild. fake fake brainchild.157 457 | ' s fake fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild.131 | 23 |
| Santiago | Santiago de los Caballeros | " fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake birth02836.5100002836.51 | & fake fake fake fake fake fake brainstorm brainstorm.1 543 362 | & fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild fake 060646.646 | 28 |
| Santiago Rodríguez | San Ignacio de Sabaneta | " fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake castor111.1400001111,14 | ' s fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild fake 064941.64 941 | ' s fake fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild.58 | 29 |
| Valverde | Holy Cross of Mao | " fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake dream 0823,380000823.38 | & fake fake fake fake fake fake brainstorms0207447.207 447 | ' s fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild.268 | 31 |
| Total | " fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake castor19 058.62 | & fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild expose05246690. hypothesis fake fake brainwashing5 246 690 | ' s fake fake fake fake fake fake fake brainchild.233 | - |
Most of the population is located in the center of the region. The city of Santiago de los Caballeros is the main focus of development in the area.
Two of the country's largest rivers lie within this region: the Yaque del Norte, the largest river in the Dominican Republic, and the Yuna. Both of these rivers contain several chains of reservoirs used to provide the region with water for irrigation—since agriculture is the main activity in the area—and hydroelectric power. Rice, coffee and cocoa are the most important crops in the area.
The Central Cordillera also has significant mining activity. Its main mineral resources are gold, iron and nickel, among others. The internationally known Falconbridge is the company in charge of extracting these minerals.
The Atlantic coast of the country is well known for having beautiful beaches. Several tourist centers have developed along the coast of the region, among them Sosúa, originally a small Jewish community established in the 1940s; Cabarete, one of the most important centers in the Caribbean for international surfing competitions; and more recently in Samaná, ideal for ecotourism and whale watching.
Culture
The region is not only a geographic unit, but also a cultural and linguistic unit. A typical dialect of Spanish is spoken in the area, characterized by various regional idioms, expressions, and a particular manner of speaking. A "cibaeño" can be identified in speaking due to the peculiar substitution of the consonants "R" and "L" by the vowel "I" when talking. This is colloquially referred to as "talk to the 'i'."
The merengue that is played with the güira, the tambora and the accordion, originates from the Cibao and its name is typical merengue. This type of meringue is the perico ripiao.
From the end of January to February, carnivals are held in various cities in the region. The most popular of these belongs to the city of La Vega, and dates back to the first European settlement. It began as a religious activity held the season before Lent, and the theme of the carnival revolves around the victory of good over evil.
Many important Dominican patriots were of Cibaeño origin. Among the most important are Juana Saltitopa, who had an outstanding participation in the war for Dominican independence, specifically in the Battle of March 30, 1844 in Santiago de los Caballeros. In addition, the generals Santiago Rodríguez and Gregorio Luperón, who were responsible for the Restoration of the Republic in the last decades of the 19th century. During the Trujillo dictatorship, the Mirabal sisters organized clandestine movements ready to rebel against Trujillo's tyranny. The sisters were brutally murdered in 1960, and are still today considered great martyrs of the Dominican nation. (Maria Cabrera).
Featured Cibaeños
- Juana Saltitopa
- Santiago Rodríguez
- Gregorio Luperón,
- Juan Bosch
- Antonio Guzmán
- Manny Pérez
- Adriano Espaillat
- Carlos de la Mota
- Cirilo J. Guzmán
- Frank Moya Pons