Santiago De Los Caballeros
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Santiago de los Caballeros (; '' en, Saint James of the Knights''), often shortened to Santiago, is the second-largest city in the
Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...
and the fourth-largest city in the
Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
by population. It is the capital of Santiago Province and the largest major metropolis in the
Cibao The Cibao, usually referred as "El Cibao", is a region of the Dominican Republic located at the northern part of the country. As of 2009 the Cibao has a population of 5,622,378 making it the most populous region in the country. The region constitu ...
region of the country, it is also the largest non-coastal metropolis in the
Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
islands. The city has a total population of 1,173,015 inhabitants. Santiago is located approximately northwest of the capital
Santo Domingo , total_type = Total , population_density_km2 = auto , timezone = AST (UTC −4) , area_code_type = Area codes , area_code = 809, 829, 849 , postal_code_type = Postal codes , postal_code = 10100–10699 (Distrito Nacional) , websi ...
with an average altitude of 178 meters (584 ft). Founded in 1495 during the first wave of European settlement in the
New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 3 ...
, the city is the "first
Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whose ...
of the Americas". Today it is one of the Dominican Republic's cultural, political, industrial and financial centers. Due to its location in the fertile
Cibao Valley The Cibao, usually referred as "El Cibao", is a region of the Dominican Republic located at the northern part of the country. As of 2009 the Cibao has a population of 5,622,378 making it the most populous region in the country. The region constitu ...
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"). Santiago de los Caballeros has historically been the capital of the country, and was an important strategic city in the
Dominican War of Independence The Dominican War of Independence made the Dominican Republic a sovereign state on February 27, 1844. Before the war, the island of Hispaniola had been united for 22 years when the newly independent nation, previously known as the Captaincy Gen ...
. The name of the city, Saint James of the Knights, refers to the Hidalgos de la Isabela, a group of knights who had come from
La Isabela La Isabela in Puerto Plata Province, Dominican Republic was the first Spanish town in the Americas. The site is 42 km west of the city of Puerto Plata, adjacent to the village of El Castillo. The area now forms a National Historic Park. ...
city to stay in Santiago. Sometimes the city is called Santiago de los 30 Caballeros (''English: Saint James of the 30 Knights'').


History

The name of the city (Saint James of the Knights) refers to the Hidalgos de la Isabela, a group of knights who had come from
La Isabela La Isabela in Puerto Plata Province, Dominican Republic was the first Spanish town in the Americas. The site is 42 km west of the city of Puerto Plata, adjacent to the village of El Castillo. The area now forms a National Historic Park. ...
to settle in Santiago. The colony originally was located in the town of San Francisco de Jacagua (now a suburb of the city) 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 Hispaniola (, also ; es, La Española; Latin and french: Hispaniola; ht, Ispayola; tnq, Ayiti or Quisqueya) is an island in the Caribbean that is part of the Greater Antilles. Hispaniola is the most populous island in the West Indies, and th ...
, 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 Joanna (6 November 1479 – 12 April 1555), historically known as Joanna the Mad ( es, link=no, Juana la Loca), was the nominal Queen of Castile from 1504 and Queen of Aragon from 1516 to her death in 1555. She was married by arrangement to Phi ...
. The city was devastated by another earthquake on December 2, 1562. The survivors settled on land belonging to Petronila Jáquez of Minaya, adjacent to the
Yaque del Norte The Yaque Del Norte River (Spanish, ''Río Yaque del Norte'') is the longest river in the Dominican Republic, as well as the second longest river on Hispaniola, behind the Artibonite River. It is 296 km long and flows northwest into the Atlanti ...
, which is the current location of the city's river. The domination of the French during the
Peace of Basel The Peace of Basel of 1795 consists of three peace treaties involving France during the French Revolution (represented by François de Barthélemy). *The first was with Prussia (represented by Karl August von Hardenberg) on 5 April; *The seco ...
(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 Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...
architect named Louis Bogaert. The late 1800s saw a peak of architecture in the city. Numerous residences were built in European styles, which make up the central core of Santiago.


Geography

Santiago de los Caballeros is located on a hilly terrain in the middle of the
Cibao Valley The Cibao, usually referred as "El Cibao", is a region of the Dominican Republic located at the northern part of the country. As of 2009 the Cibao has a population of 5,622,378 making it the most populous region in the country. The region constitu ...
in the Central Region of the
Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...
, one of the most fertile lands found in the island. The
Yaque del Norte River The Yaque Del Norte River (Spanish, ''Río Yaque del Norte'') is the longest river in the Dominican Republic, as well as the second longest river on Hispaniola, behind the Artibonite River. It is 296 km long and flows northwest into the Atlan ...
passes by Santiago which is in between the Cordillera Central and the Cordillera Septentrional, two of the three major mountain ranges on the island of
Hispaniola Hispaniola (, also ; es, La Española; Latin and french: Hispaniola; ht, Ispayola; tnq, Ayiti or Quisqueya) is an island in the Caribbean that is part of the Greater Antilles. Hispaniola is the most populous island in the West Indies, and th ...
, forming the
Cibao Valley The Cibao, usually referred as "El Cibao", is a region of the Dominican Republic located at the northern part of the country. As of 2009 the Cibao has a population of 5,622,378 making it the most populous region in the country. The region constitu ...
.


Climate

Santiago features a
tropical wet and dry climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry winter) and ''As'' (for a dry summer). The driest month has less than of p ...
under the
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
. The average temperature varies little in the city, because the tropical trade winds help mitigate the heat and humidity throughout the year. December and January are the coolest months and July and August are the warmest. Santiago and the rest of the country are in the Caribbean and have a
tropical climate Tropical climate is the first of the five major climate groups in the Köppen climate classification identified with the letter A. Tropical climates are defined by a monthly average temperature of 18 °C (64.4 °F) or higher in the cool ...
, which, when coupled with the city's altitude, 183 meters above sea level, causes cloudy conditions to persist through much of the year. While the city lies within the
Hurricane belt Hurricane Alley is an area of warm water in the Atlantic Ocean stretching from the west coast of northern Africa to the east coast of Central America and Gulf Coast of the Southern United States. Many hurricanes form within this area. The sea su ...
, Santiago is more sheltered than other parts of the country from hurricanes because of its location in the
Cibao Valley The Cibao, usually referred as "El Cibao", is a region of the Dominican Republic located at the northern part of the country. As of 2009 the Cibao has a population of 5,622,378 making it the most populous region in the country. The region constitu ...
.


Economy

Santiago's economy is mainly based by the commercialization and industrialization of its products and finished goods, production of goods in the free zones, and by commerce. The city has headquarters and branches of all the main stores, supermarkets, restaurants and financial entities of the country. The city also has several shopping centers and multinational companies. Since it is the second-largest city in the
Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...
, it currently produces the second highest percentage of the nation's GDP, while also having one of the highest incomes per capita, and a large middle-class population. Telecommunications, such as; wireless phones, cable service, internet service and other services are important for the local economy.
Tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...
, to a lesser extent, also accounts for a portion of the city's economy. Santiago, like most cities and towns in the
Cibao The Cibao, usually referred as "El Cibao", is a region of the Dominican Republic located at the northern part of the country. As of 2009 the Cibao has a population of 5,622,378 making it the most populous region in the country. The region constitu ...
valley, has historically benefited from the fertile lands of this region. This makes Santiago de los Caballeros an important area for farming and livestock. Santiago's industrial sector is also one of the most dynamic in the country. It has the concentration of 15% of domestic industries. This means 308 manufacturing companies, which in 2004 employed more than 14,000 people or 12% of the labor of Dominican manufacturing work. The products range from cigars, coffee, and alcoholic beverages, to concrete, plywood and sheet products. The Mercado Modelo on Calle del Sol is a shopping center where there are various stores of handicrafts and native articles made by hand.


Growth and development

Santiago has recently experienced an era of rapid growth and development. It has become a city of great importance for the nation and the region's development. The approximate population of Santiago was about 1,343,423 inhabitants as of 2021, making it the second most populous city in the Dominican Republic and the fourth-largest in the Caribbean (behind Santo Domingo, Havana, and Port-au-Prince), as well as the largest city that isn't a capital (although it once was).


Arts and culture


Architecture

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. The neo-classical gothic Cathedral of Santiago was built in 1895 by Onofre de Lora, an architect native to the city. The Hermanos Patiño Bridge is both the largest and oldest bridge in the city connecting the North and South sides of the city of Santiago. Its construction was started by Rafael Leónidas Trujillo and inaugurated in 1962, one year after his death. The bridge is named after the five brothers that died in an effort to end Trujillo's regime and dictatorship in the Dominican Republic in the mid 20th century. The anti-Trujillo legacy of the Patiño family did not begin with the brothers, but with their father who was killed in 1931 in the first anti-Trujillo insurrection of the Dominican Republic. On a hill overlooking Santiago is the city's tallest structure, a high marble monument named the
Monumento de Santiago The Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración (''Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration'') is a monument in the city of Santiago de los Caballeros in the Dominican Republic. It is the highest building in Santiago, and a major tourist attracti ...
. Construction of the monument began in 1944 on the orders of then-dictator
Rafael Trujillo Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina ( , ; 24 October 189130 May 1961), nicknamed ''El Jefe'' (, "The Chief" or "The Boss"), was a Dominican dictator who ruled the Dominican Republic from February 1930 until his assassination in May 1961. He ser ...
. Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración Trujillo was assassinated in 1961, after which the monument was renamed the ''Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración'' ("Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration" in English), in honor of the
Dominican Restoration War The Dominican Restoration War or the Dominican War of Restoration () was a guerrilla war between 1863 and 1865 in the Dominican Republic between nationalists and Spain, who had recolonized the country 17 years after its independence. The war r ...
of 1863, in which the Dominican Republic regained its independence from Spain.


Museums

Museums in the city include the which exhibits Santiago's Carnival culture, and displays some garments worn by ''lechones'' of Santiago Province in the Carnival, as well as those worn in other provinces. The museum is named after noted Santiago painter
Yoryi Morel Jorge Octavio Morel Tavárez (known as Yoryi Morel) was a Dominican painter, musician, and teacher born in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic; he is remembered as the leading costumbrista painter in the country and one of the early pr ...
. or The Tobacco Museum which shows manufacturing methods as well as the effect of the tobacco plantations along the city's history, the or Historic San Luis Fort Museum which previously served as a municipal prison., the or Restoration Heroes Museum is currently under construction and houses a display of pictures from the Restoration War from the 1863–1865 battles between the Dominican Government and the Spanish army. and which displays elements of the Caribbean and Dominican experience, natural Dominican history, and the evolution and culture of the indigenous
Taíno The Taíno were a historic Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, indigenous people of the Caribbean whose culture has been continued today by Taíno descendant communities and Taíno revivalist communities. At the time of European contact in the ...
peoples.


Sports

As much as the rest of the nation, Santiago residents enjoy baseball and look forward to the Dominican winter season with the local team being the Aguilas Cibaeñas. Besides baseball, basketball is also played at a professional level in the city of Santiago. The institution in charge of organizing these events is the ''Asociación de Baloncesto de Santiago de los Treinta Caballeros'' (ABASACA) Santiago de Los Caballeros is the most successful city in the Dominican Republic based on Dominican League teams. Águilas Cibaeñas is the most successful baseball team not only in the Dominican Republic, but in the Caribbean, this team has 22 National Championship, and 6 Caribbean titles. This is what causes what a lot of people call Baseballs most intense rivalry, which is a long historic Rivalry between Águilas Cibaeñas and Tigres del Licey, being "Licey" the most popular winter league baseball team in the world, and Águilas Cibaeñas being close second. Santiago's major baseball and basketball teams are Las Aguilas Cibaeñas and Los Metros de Santiago. Santiago has two stadiums, and the stadiums are The Estadio Cibao home of the Aguilas Cibaeñas and The
Gran Arena del Cibao The Gran Arena del Cibao Dr. Oscar Gobaira, formerly known as the Palacio de los Deportes, is a multi-purpose arena in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, built in 1978. The arena has a capacity of 8,768 seats, consisting of 7,000 reg ...
home of Los
Metros De Santiago Metros de Santiago is a professional basketball team based in Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago, Dominican Republic. The team currently plays in the Dominican top division Liga Nacional de Baloncesto. Championships Liga Nacional de Baloncesto ...
The Female Volleyball Team have claimed two bronze medals in the professional
Dominican Volleyball League The Dominican Republic Volleyball League ( es, Liga Dominicana de Voleibol LIDOVOLI) was a professional volleyball league in Dominican Republic. The competitions are organized by the Dominican Republic Volleyball Confederation (Confederación Do ...
. In early 2015, there was the official launch of Liga Dominicana de Fútbol in the Dominican Republic. Santiago is the first city in the country to hold a
FIFA FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...
Certified Stadium, which was built in the campus of the Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra and became the home of the major and first city soccer team
Cibao FC Cibao Fútbol Club is a Dominican professional football team based in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, founded in 2015. The team plays in the Liga Dominicana de Fútbol. History Cibao Futbol Club was founded on January 1, 201 ...
from
Liga Dominicana de Fútbol The Liga Dominicana de Fútbol is the first professional football league in Dominican Republic, it was launched in March 2015. For sponsorship reasons it is known as ''LDF Banco Popular''. History Prior to the league's establishment, football i ...
.


Education

Principal entrance of Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM) Santiago is home of several universities including the prestigious
Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra The Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra ''(Mother and Teacher Pontifical Catholic University)'', named after Pope John XXIII's encyclical ''Mater et magistra'', which means ''Mother and Teacher'', (PUCMM for its Spanish acronym), i ...
(PUCMM) and Universidad Tecnológica de Santiago (UTESA). Other higher learning institutions present in Santiago are: ''Universidad Organización & Método'' (O&M), ''Universidad Abierta para Adultos'' (UAPA), ''Universidad Nacional Evangélica'' and one regional campus belonging to the
Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo The Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD) (Autonomous University of Santo Domingo) is the public university system in the Dominican Republic with its flagship campus in the Ciudad Universitaria (lit. University City) neighborhood of San ...
Santiago is also home to a Binational Center, the Centro Cultural Domínico-Americano (CCDA), which was founded in 1962 by a group of Dominicans and Americans living in Santiago. At the beginning, the CCDA set about providing English language courses. Later, the library was opened and included the lending of overhead projectors and documentary films. These last two were sponsored by the American Embassy. CCDA is located on Estrella Sadhalá Avenue. These facilities of the CCDA were opened on July 23, 1962. Throughout its 50 years of existence, the CCDA has taught English language courses, painting classes and manual activities.


Transportation

] Santiago has
share taxi Share may refer to: * Share, to make joint use of a resource (such as food, money, or space); see Sharing * Share (finance), a stock or other financial security (such as a mutual fund) * Share, Kwara, a town and LGA in Kwara State, Nigeria Share m ...
s (often called ''carros públicos'' or ''conchos'') and private and independent bus owners who form their own routes according to their demands. The city has private bus transportation to other cities. Bus companies include Dioni, Metro, Caribe Tours, Transporte Espinal, and Aetra Bus. The Autopista Juan Pablo Duarte highway, officially known as
DR-1 DR-1 is a dual carriageway highway that forms part of the five designated national highways of the Dominican Republic. DR-1 provides a fast connection between Santo Domingo, the capital, on the southern coast, and the second city Santiago and the ...
, passes by the city center and connects the city directly to
Santo Domingo , total_type = Total , population_density_km2 = auto , timezone = AST (UTC −4) , area_code_type = Area codes , area_code = 809, 829, 849 , postal_code_type = Postal codes , postal_code = 10100–10699 (Distrito Nacional) , websi ...
. Other minor highways connect the city to Puerto Plata, Samaná, and the northwestern region of the country. The
Cibao International Airport Cibao International Airport ( es, Aeropuerto Internacional del Cibao, links=no) , also known as Santiago Airport, is located in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic's second-largest city. It is the country's third-busiest airport by pas ...
serves mostly Dominicans living in the United States and other Caribbean islands like Cuba, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Puerto Rico, as well as Panama. The airport of the city was the
Santiago Municipal Airport Santiago Municipal Airport was a both passenger and military airport located in the Center of Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic. This airport served this city with daily flights to San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Juan in Puerto Rico, Port ...
, a regional airport that closed in March 2002. It serves destinations such as San Juan, Port-au-Prince, New York City, Miami and Santo Domingo with regular services. On March 30, 2022, President
Luis Abinader Luis Rodolfo Abinader Corona (; born 12 July 1967) is a Dominican economist, businessman, and politician who is serving as the 54th president of the Dominican Republic since 2020. He served as the Modern Revolutionary Party candidate for Presi ...
formally commenced construction of the first
rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be c ...
system in Santiago De Los Caballeros. The
Monorail A monorail (from "mono", meaning "one", and "rail") is a railway in which the track consists of a single rail or a beam. Colloquially, the term "monorail" is often used to describe any form of elevated rail or people mover. More accurately, ...
project will be the first of its kind in the
Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
and
Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
. Completion is estimated at the end of 2024.


Health

Facilities include Hospital Cabral y Baez, Clínica Corominas, Hospital De Especialidades Medicas Materno Infantil, Union Médica, and Hospital Metropolitano De Santiago (HOMS), being the largest hospital in all of the
Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...
and in all the
Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
.


Sites

* Estadio Cibao *
Estadio Cibao FC Cibao FC Stadium is a football stadium in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic. It is currently used for football matches and hosts the home games of Cibao FC of the Liga Dominicana de Fútbol. The stadium holds 8,000 spectators. T ...
* Gran Arena del Cibao Dr. Oscar Gobaira *
Monumento de Santiago The Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración (''Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration'') is a monument in the city of Santiago de los Caballeros in the Dominican Republic. It is the highest building in Santiago, and a major tourist attracti ...
* Gran Cibao Hotel – 11 stories high, it is the largest hotel in the Cibao region. It has also been an on hold project for several years. * Light Rail in Santiago – A Light Rail development in the city's metro area has been proposed. If completed it will be the second city In the nation to have a mass transit system and would be longer than the Metro of Santo Domingo. The Light Rail will have 12 stops, its route will be from the Cemetery to the Airport. Construction was scheduled to begin in October 2007 but currently the project has been delayed and on Hold. * Electric "Highway" from Santo Domingo – Santiago's power comes from Puerto Plata, but the government commenced the building of the Electric "Highway" that will feed Santiago electric energy from Santo Domingo's generators. construction started in February 2007. * Parque Central de Santiago The industrialists of Santiago have defended the project since it is considered to be a solution to the lack of green spaces suitable for relaxation in the city. Nevertheless, it has been argued that the granting of contracts for the different phases from this project violate the frame of transparency and legality. In the Strategic Plan of Santiago it is indicated that the construction of the Metropolitan Park would increase the Santiagos green area from its currently 1.1% to 4%. * Santiago Inteligente and Santiago Massive Training Program (SMART)-An initiative launched by Eddy Martinez Manzueta during his tenure at the Center for Exports and Investment of the Dominican Republic (CEI-RD, 2004-2012), and the Plan Estrategico de Santiago seeking to foster the new regional economic development and branding strategy and the promotion of Santiago as a knowledge-based production center in both conventional and emerging sectors, including Health Tourism, ITES-BPO, biotechnology and agro-business, as well as High-value manufacturing and Fashion (textiles and apparel, footwear), among others.


Recreation

Some of the recreational places found in Santiago are: *Centro Español: located in the ''Panamericana Avenue'', this place is heavily frequented during the summer by Santiago's local population and tourists. Many activities take place in it, such as sports; swimming, basketball, baseball, softball, football, golf, table games, and children summer camps. They also host parties with famous Dominican and international artists. Its access is restricted to registered members only. *Gurabito Country Club: Another popular club located in ''Panamericana Avenue'', it is another recreational center. They have sports activities, such as baseball and basketball. Parties with Dominican artist take place periodically in this club as well as some pool parties with Dominicans singers. Access is restricted to members only. *Mundo Acuático: Located in ''Hispanoamericana Avenue'' too, is a water theme park. This locale is open to the general public. Renamed from Kaskada Park to Mundo Acuatico.


Notable people from Santiago de los Caballeros


Actors, artists, musicians, writers

*
Johnny Pacheco Juan Pablo Knipping Pacheco (25 March 1935 – 15 February 2021), known as Johnny Pacheco, was a Dominican musician, arranger, composer, bandleader, and record producer who in the 1970s became one of the leading exponents of salsa as well in t ...
– musician * Fernando Cabrera – poet, visual artist and songwriter *
Aisha Syed Castro Aisha Syed Castro (born September 15, 1989) is a Dominican Republic violinist and a member of the Yehudi Menuhin School orchestra. Biography Aisha was born in Santiago, Dominican Republic, the daughter of Saifuddin Syed, of Pakistani descent and ...
– violinist * Laura García-Godoy – actress *
Eddy Herrera Eduardo José Herrera de los Ríos (born 30 April 1964 in Santiago de los Caballeros), also known as Eddy Herrera, is a Dominican people (Dominican Republic), Dominican Merengue music, merengue singer and winner of more than seven Casandra Award ...
Merengue singer *
Krisspy Krisspy, real name Juan de los Santos, is a Dominican ''merengue tipico'' musician. Discography *''El Bombazo Típico'' (2004) *''Tipico Live 2004'' *''Yo Soy el Flow'' (2006) *''El guto ta aqui'' (2012) *''Homenajes Tipico'' (2013) *''Palo ...
Merengue singer *
Clara Ledesma Clara Ledesma Terrazas (5 March 1924 – 25 May 1999)''Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014''. Social Security Administration. was an artist from the Dominican Republic. Early years and education Born in Santiago de los Caballeros, she at ...
– painter *
Ñico Lora Francisco Antonio Lora Cabrera (1858 in Maizal, Santiago – 1971 in Bisonó (Navarrete)) popularly known as Ñico Lora was a folk musician from the Dominican Republic. He is considered one of the fathers of merengue. - '' El padre del merengue ...
Merengue music Merengue is a type of music and dance originating in the Dominican Republic, which has become a very popular genre throughout Latin America, and also in several major cities in the United States with Latino communities. Merengue was inscribed ...
ian *
La Materialista Yameiry Infante Honoret (born March 19, 1985), known in show business as ''La Materialista'', is a Dominican people (Dominican Republic), Dominican singer, songwriter, rapper, actress and model. In 2011, she was elected by Luz García's ''Noche ...
– rapper and actress *
Manny Pérez Manuel Pérez "Manny" Batista (born May 5, 1969) is a Dominican American actor who has appeared in the television series ''Third Watch'' and in the film '' Washington Heights''. He is the cousin of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Junot Diaz. L ...
– actor *
Frank Perozo Francisco Ernesto Perozo is a Dominican film actor, assistant director and producer. and also he had a relationship with Denise Quiñones Miss Universe 2001 Miss Universe 2001, the 50th anniversary of the Miss Universe pageant, was held on ...
– actor *
Mu-Kien Adriana Sang Mu-Kien Adriana Sang Ben (born 8 September 1955) is a historian, essayist, analyst, political scientist and academic from the Dominican Republic. Sang is Vice-Rector of the Madre y Maestra Pontifical Catholic University. The daughter of a Canto ...
– historian, essayist, analyst, political scientist, and academic * Luis VargasBachata singer *
Julio Vega Batlle Julio Vega Batlle (May 6, 1899 – April 23, 1973) was a Dominican Republic, Dominican writer, publishing both plays and novels, and a diplomat. He was born in Santiago de los Caballeros, and graduated from the University of Santo Domingo. He beca ...
– author and diplomat *
Miguel Vila Luna Miguel Eduardo "Micky" Vila Luna (July 7, 1943 – April 1, 2005) was an architect and painter from the Dominican Republic. Miguel Vila Luna was born in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic on July 7, 1943. His parents were Ramón Vila ...
– architect and painter *
Natti Natasha Natalia Alexandra Gutiérrez Batista (born December 10, 1986), better known by her stage name Natti Natasha, is a Dominican singer. She was signed to Don Omar's label Orfanato Music Group. Her debut EP, ''All About Me'', was released on March ...
– musician *
Clarissa Molina Clarissa Molina (born Clarissa María Molina Contreras; September 23, 1991) is a Dominican model and beauty queen who won Miss Dominican Republic 2015 and represented the Dominican Republic at the Miss Universe 2015 pageant. She later won the ti ...
– actress


Athletes

* Edward Cabrera – baseball player for the
Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The franc ...
* Luis Felipe Lopez – 1st Dominican born player drafted in the 1st round of the 1998
NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
Draft *
Reyes Moronta Reyes Armando Moronta (born January 6, 1993) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher in the Texas Rangers organization. Moronta signed with the San Francisco Giants as an international free agent in 2010. He has played in Major League Baseb ...
– baseball pitcher for the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
*
Franquelis Osoria Franquelis Antonio Osoria (born September 12, 1981) is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. Career Osoria made his Major League Baseball debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 7, . In December , he was claimed off waivers by the Pittsbu ...
– baseball player *
Francisco Peña Francisco Peña (Pegna) (born at Villarroya de los Pinares, near Saragossa, about 1540; died at Rome, in 1612) was a Spanish canon lawyer. Life He devoted himself to the study of law at Valencia. Later Philip II of Spain appointed him auditor ...
– baseball player for the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
; son of
Tony Peña Antonio Francisco Peña Padilla (; born June 4, 1957) is a Dominican former professional baseball player, manager and coach. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Pirates, Cardinals, Red Sox, Indians, White Sox, and Astros. ...
and brother of Tony Peña Jr. *
Ramón Peña Ramón Arturo Peña Padilla (born May 5, 1962) is a Dominican former professional baseball relief pitcher who played one season for the Detroit Tigers of the Major League Baseball (MLB). He is the brother of former MLB catcher Tony Peña and the ...
– former baseball relief pitcher and member of the famous baseball Pena family * Tony Peña Jr. – baseball player *
Jhonny Peralta Jhonny Antonio Peralta (born May 28, 1982) is a Dominican former professional baseball shortstop and third baseman who played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). The Cleveland Indians signed him as an amateur free agent in his native D ...
– baseball player *
Hipólito Pichardo Hipólito Antonio Pichardo Balbina (born August 22, 1969) is a Dominican former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for three teams between and . He batted and threw right-handed. Pichardo filled various pitching roles, as ...
– former baseball of the
Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...
,
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
and the
Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
*
Luis Polonia Luis Andrew Polonia Almonte (born December 10, 1963) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and designated hitter. He currently resides in Santiago, in the Dominican Republic, his hometown. Signed by the Oakland Athletics as an amateur fr ...
– baseball player *
Luis Pujols Luis Bienvenido Pujols Toribio (born November 18, 1955) is a Dominican former professional baseball player coach and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher from to , most prominently as a member of the Houston Astros whe ...
– former baseball player * José Cabrera
MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
player for the Houston Astros,
Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
and the
Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
*
José Lima José Desiderio Rodriguez Lima (September 30, 1972 – May 23, 2010) was a Dominican right-handed pitcher who spent 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Detroit Tigers (1994–1996, 2001–2002), Houston Astros (1997–2001), Kan ...
– baseball player *
Ángel Berroa Ángel Maria Berroa Selmo (born January 27, 1977) is a Dominican professional baseball coach and former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees ...
– baseball player * Jose Reyes – baseball player for the New York Mets *
Joaquín Benoit Joaquín Antonio Benoit Peña (born July 26, 1977) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays, Detroit Tigers, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, Toronto ...
– baseball player *
Rafael Belliard Rafael Leonidas Belliard Matias (born October 24, 1961) is a retired professional baseball shortstop who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1982 to 1998 with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Atlanta Braves. He was a member of Atlanta's 1995 W ...
– baseball player and cousin of
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
2B
Ronnie Belliard Ronald Belliard (born April 7, 1975) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1998 to 2010 for the Milwaukee Brewers, Colorado Rockies, Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Cardin ...
*
Carlos Almanzar Carlos Manuel Almánzar Girón (born November 6, 1973) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds, and Texas Rangers ...
– baseball player *
Bill Castro William Radhames Castro Checo (born March 29, 1952) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher and former pitching coach for the Milwaukee Brewers of both the American League and National League. He was the interim pitching coach with t ...
MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
player for the Milwaukee Brewers,
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
, and the
Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...
; pitching coach of the Milwaukee Brewers *
Carlos Gómez Carlos Argelis Gómez Peña, nicknamed Go-Go, (born December 4, 1985) is a Dominican former professional baseball outfielder. He played for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays ...
– baseball player for the Texas Rangers * Leonardo Cruz – boxer *
Bernie Castro Bernabel "Bernie" Castro (born July 14, 1979) is a former Major League Baseball second baseman. He played two major league seasons, one each with the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles. Career The New York Yankees signed Castro as an in ...
– baseball player * Winston Llenas – former baseball player *
Al Alburquerque Alberto Jose Alburquerque (; born June 10, 1986) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Los An ...
– baseball player * Víctor Díaz – baseball player for the
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
* Leo Garcia – former baseball player *
Robinson Checo Robinson Pérez Checo (born September 9, 1971, in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic) is a former pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from through . He batted and threw right-handed. A well-traveled pitcher, Checo never was ...
– former baseball player * Rudy Hernández – former baseball player * Victor Martinez – IFBB bodybuilder, runner-up many years for
Mr. Olympia Mr. Olympia is the title awarded to the winner of the professional men's bodybuilding contest at Joe Weider's Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend—an international bodybuilding competition that is held annually by the International Federation ...
* Marcos Diplan
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
*
Victor Estrella Burgos The name Victor or Viktor may refer to: * Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname Arts and entertainment Film * Victor (1951 film), ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film * Victor (1993 film), ...
– tennis player, first Dominican to win an ATP tournament, first Dominican on the ATP top 100 * Luis Silverio – former baseball player who is now a coach *
Alfredo Simón Alfredo Simón Cabrera, also known as The Big Pasta, (born May 8, 1981) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers and Cincinnati Reds. From 2001 thr ...
– baseball player for the
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
*
Julián Tavárez Julián Tavárez Carmen (born May 22, 1973) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played for 11 franchises over the course of a 17–season Major League Baseball (MLB) career from 1993 to 2009. Listed at and , he threw right-h ...
– baseball player *
Carlos Triunfel Carlos Manuel Triunfel Marquez (born February 27, 1990) is a Dominican former professional baseball shortstop. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Dodgers. Professional career Seattle Mariners ...
– baseball for the
Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...
organization * Carlos Villanueva
MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
player for the
Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
* Ramon Antonio Nery – boxer


Politicians

*
Joaquín Balaguer Joaquín Antonio Balaguer Ricardo (1 September 1906 – 14 July 2002) was a Dominican politician, scholar, writer, and lawyer. He was President of the Dominican Republic serving three non-consecutive terms for that office from 1960 to 1962 ...
– Dominican President *
Salvador Jorge Blanco José Salvador Omar Jorge Blanco (July 5, 1926 – December 26, 2010) was a politician, lawyer and a writer. He was President of the Dominican Republic, from 1982 to 1986. He was a Senator running for the PRD party. He started his political care ...
– Dominican President, lawyer and a writer *
Rafael Filiberto Bonnelly Rafael Filiberto Bonnelly Fondeur (August 22, 1904 – December 28, 1979) was a lawyer, scholar, diplomat, and, from 1962 until 1963, the President of the Dominican Republic. Before he became president, he was vice president of the country fro ...
– Dominican President, lawyer, scholar and diplomat *
Ulises Francisco Espaillat Ulises Francisco Espaillat Quiñones (February 9, 1823 – April 25, 1878) was a Dominican author and politician. He served as president of the Dominican Republic from April 29, 1876 to October 5, 1876. Espaillat Province is named after him. ...
– Dominican President, and author * Rafael Estrella Ureña – Dominican President *
Antonio Guzmán Fernández Silvestre Antonio Guzmán Fernández (February 12, 1911 – July 4, 1982), best known as Antonio Guzmán, was a Dominican businessman and a politician. He was President of the Dominican Republic, from 1978 to 1982. Early life Antonio Guzm ...
– Dominican President *
Hipólito Mejía Rafael Hipólito Mejía Domínguez (born 22 February 1941) is a Dominican politician who served as President of the Dominican Republic from 2000 to 2004. During his presidential term in office the country was affected by one of its worst econ ...
– Dominican President *
Francisco Augusto Lora Francisco Augusto Lora González (1910–1993), was a vice president of the Dominican Republic and presidential candidate in 1966, 1970, 1974 and 1978. As vice-president, he was a member of President Joaquín Balaguer's Reformist Party (PR). When ...
– Dominican Vice President, Ambassador to Washington, USA, lawyer


Other

* Miguel Cocco – businessman *
Martha Heredia Martha Heredia Rivas (born February 1, 1991) also known as La Baby (''The Baby'') is a Dominican Republic, Dominican singer and winner of the Latin American Idol (Season 4), fourth and last season of the singing competition television series ''La ...
Latin American Idol ''Latin American Idol'' was the Hispanic American edition of the popular British franchise of '' Idols'', well known for its American version ''American Idol''. The show aimed to discover the pop idol of the Hispanic American region. The show was ...
*
Amelia Vega Amelia Vega Polanco (born 7 November 1984) is a Dominican model, actress, author, singer and beauty queen. At the age of 18, she won the Miss Universe 2003 pageant, becoming the first ever Miss Universe from the Dominican Republic, as well as ...
– Miss Dominican Republic 2002,
Miss Universe 2003 Miss Universe 2003, the 52nd Miss Universe pageant, was held on June 3, 2003 at the Figali Convention Center in Panama City, Panama. Amelia Vega of the Dominican Republic was crowned by Justine Pasek of Panama as her successor at the end of the ...
*Mons. Agripino Núñez Collado – former rector of
Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra The Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra ''(Mother and Teacher Pontifical Catholic University)'', named after Pope John XXIII's encyclical ''Mater et magistra'', which means ''Mother and Teacher'', (PUCMM for its Spanish acronym), i ...
*
Clarissa Molina Clarissa Molina (born Clarissa María Molina Contreras; September 23, 1991) is a Dominican model and beauty queen who won Miss Dominican Republic 2015 and represented the Dominican Republic at the Miss Universe 2015 pageant. She later won the ti ...
– Miss Dominican Republic 2015 - Nuestra Bellaza Latina VIP 2016


Twin towns – sister cities

Santiago has twinning agreements with the following
sister cities A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...
: *
Fort Myers, Florida Fort Myers (or Ft. Myers) is a city in southwestern Florida and the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 92,245 in 20 ...
(
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
) *
Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.
(
Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
) *
Santiago de Compostela Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great, now the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, as the destination of the Way of St ...
(Spain) *
San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the jur ...
(
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
) *
Mayagüez, Puerto Rico Mayagüez (, ) is a city and the eighth-largest municipality in Puerto Rico. It was founded as Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria de Mayagüez, and is also known as ''La Sultana del Oeste'' (The Sultaness of the West), ''Ciudad de las Aguas Pura ...
(
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
)


Photo gallery

File:A view of Santiago de los Caballeros Historical Center.jpg, Houses in Santiago's Old Historic Center File:Iglesia Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia.jpg, Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia Catholic Church File:Centro de Bellas Artes.jpg, Gran Teatro del Cibao File:Santiago Northeast.jpg, A view of the Northeastern section of Santiago File:Palacio de los deportes de Santiago de los Caballeros..jpg, Gran arena del cibao


See also

* Santiago Province * Cibao region *
List of cities in the Dominican Republic A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Organizations * List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America * SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
*
Dominican War of Independence The Dominican War of Independence made the Dominican Republic a sovereign state on February 27, 1844. Before the war, the island of Hispaniola had been united for 22 years when the newly independent nation, previously known as the Captaincy Gen ...
*
History of the Dominican Republic The recorded history of the Dominican Republic began in 1492 when the Genoa-born navigator Christopher Columbus, working for the Crown of Castile, happened upon a large island in the region of the western Atlantic Ocean that later came to be kno ...


References


External links


Official site of the Santiago City Council
{{DEFAULTSORT:Santiago De Los Caballeros Populated places in Santiago Province (Dominican Republic) Municipalities of the Dominican Republic 1495 establishments in the Spanish West Indies Populated places established in the 1490s Populated places established in 1506