Santiago, Dominican Republic
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Santiago de los Cabelleros Santiago |
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| Santiago de los 30 Caballeros | ||
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Motto: English, The Heart City, The first Santiago of America; In Spanish, La ciudad corazón, Primer Santiago de America |
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 Santiago de los Cabelleros
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| Coordinates: 19°28′N 70°42′W / 19.467°N 70.700°WCoordinates: 19°28′N 70°42′W / 19.467°N 70.700°W | ||
| Country |
 Dominican Republic
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| Province | Santiago | |
| Municipality | Santiago de los Caballeros | |
| Founded | 1495 | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Abel Martínez | |
| • Senator | Julio Cesar Valentin | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 524.01 km2 (202.32 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 175 m (574 ft) | |
| Population (December 2010 −IX Census) | ||
| • Total | 691,262 | |
| • Density | 1,300/km2 (3,400/sq mi) | |
| • Urban | 550,753 | |
| • Demonym | Spanish: masculine: Santiaguero / feminine: Santiaguera | |
| Municipal districts | 5 | |
| Website | Ayuntamiento de Santiago | |
Motto: English, The Heart City, The first Santiago of America;
Santiago de los Caballeros or simply Santiago (English: Saint James of the Knights) is the second-largest city in the Dominican Republic, and the fourth-largest city in the Caribbean. It is the capital of the Santiago Province and the major metropolis in the north-central region of the country. Its urban population reaches 550,753 inhabitants, and if rural areas are included its population rises to 691,262. Santiago is located approximately 155 km (96 mi) northwest of Santo Domingo with an average altitude of 178 meters (584 ft).
Founded in 1495 during the first wave of European settlement in the New World, the city is the "first of the Americas". Today the city is one of the Dominican Republic's cultural, political, industrial, and financial centers. Due to its location in the fertile Cibao Valley it has a robust agricultural sector and is a leading exporter of rum, textiles, and cigars. Santiago is known as "La Ciudad Corazón" (the "Heartland City").
The colony originally was located in the city of Jacagua, which was founded in 1495, but when it was destroyed by an earthquake it was moved to its current location in 1506. In granting in 1508 the Royal Privilege of Concession de Armas to the Villa de Santiago of Hispaniola, the heraldic emblem that was included in his shield was venerated. The royal decree signed by King Ferdinand as administrator of the kingdoms of his daughter Joanna I of Castile.
The city was devastated by another earthquake in 1562. The survivors settled on land belonging to Petronila Jáquez of Minaya, adjacent to the Yaque del Norte, which is the current location of the city's river. The domination of the French during the Peace of Basel (which yielded the Spanish part of the island to France in 1795) left its mark on Santiago. During this era Santiago began its modern urban planning. European neoclassicism is represented at the Palace Hall, built between 1892 and 1895, by a Belgian architect named Louis Bogaert. The Victorian era was the zenith of architecture in the city. Numerous residences were built in this European style, which makes up the historic center of Santiago.
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Wikipedia