Santa Cruz de Barahona
Encyclopedia
Barahona, also known as Santa Cruz de Barahona, is the main city of the Barahona Province, in the south of the Dominican Republic
. It is one of the most important cities on the island, with a very active port and many ecotourism
attractions. The city is also a centre of sugar production and industry.
s. When Toussaint L'Ouverture
took the eastern part of the Hispaniola
island in the name of France
, he gave the order to create the town of Barahona in 1802 as part of the Ozama Department
. After the Independence
in 1844, Barahona was a military post of the Azua Province
.
In 1858, Barahona was elevated to the category of municipality
. When the province was created in 1881, Barahona was made its head municipality.
; the main product in the municipality is a very good coffee
("Barahona Type Coffee"), grown in the mountains of Eastern Bahoruco.
There are also some important industries, mainly to produce textile
s to send to other countries, and sugar
in the Ingenio Barahona ("Barahona Sugar Factory").
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
. It is one of the most important cities on the island, with a very active port and many ecotourism
Ecotourism
Ecotourism is a form of tourism visiting fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas, intended as a low impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial tourism...
attractions. The city is also a centre of sugar production and industry.
History
Since the 18th century, the region was occupied by fishermen and people that came here to cut treeTree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s. When Toussaint L'Ouverture
Toussaint L'Ouverture
François-Dominique Toussaint Louverture , also Toussaint Bréda, Toussaint-Louverture was the leader of the Haitian Revolution. His military genius and political acumen led to the establishment of the independent black state of Haiti, transforming an entire society of slaves into a free,...
took the eastern part of the Hispaniola
Hispaniola
Hispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west and Puerto Rico to the east, within the hurricane belt...
island in the name of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, he gave the order to create the town of Barahona in 1802 as part of the Ozama Department
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
. After the Independence
Independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....
in 1844, Barahona was a military post of the Azua Province
Azua Province
Azua is a province of the Dominican Republic.-Municipalities and municipal districts:The province as of June 20 2006 is divided into the following municipalities and municipal districts within them:...
.
In 1858, Barahona was elevated to the category of municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
. When the province was created in 1881, Barahona was made its head municipality.
Economy
The main economic activity of the province is agricultureAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
; the main product in the municipality is a very good coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
("Barahona Type Coffee"), grown in the mountains of Eastern Bahoruco.
There are also some important industries, mainly to produce textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
s to send to other countries, and sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
in the Ingenio Barahona ("Barahona Sugar Factory").
Notable natives and residents
- Julio LugoJulio LugoJulio Cesar Lugo is a Dominican professional baseball infielder but is currently a free agent. He bats and throws right-handed. Lugo is the older brother of baseball pitcher Ruddy Lugo....
, shortstop for the Boston Red SoxBoston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"... - Ruddy LugoRuddy LugoRuddy Joraider Lugo is a Dominican-American Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher in the Detroit Tigers organization. Lugo is the younger brother of Atlanta Braves shortstop Julio Lugo...
, relief pitcher for the Oakland AthleticsOakland AthleticsThe Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum.... - Maria MontezMaría MontezMaría Montez was a Dominican-born motion picture actress who gained fame and popularity in the 1940s as an exotic beauty starring in a series of filmed-in-Technicolor costume adventure films. Her screen image was that of a hot-blooded Latin seductress, dressed in fanciful costumes and sparkling...
, actress - Ludo VikaLudo VikaLudo Vika is a Dominican-born actress and comedian.Born in the Dominican Republic, Ludo came from a working middle-class family. At age nine, she and her family emigrated to Puerto Rico in search of better opportunities and a new life...
, actress/comedienne - Edison Volquez, pitcher for the Cincinnati RedsCincinnati RedsThe Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....