Samaná (old spelling: Xamaná), in full Santa Bárbara de Samaná, is a town and municipality in northeastern
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...
and the capital of
Samaná Province
Samaná () is a Provinces of the Dominican Republic, province of the Dominican Republic in the Samaná Peninsula located in the eastern region. Its Capital (political), capital is Samaná (town), Santa Bárbara de Samaná, usually known as Samaná ...
. It is on the northern coast of
Samaná Bay. The town is an important tourism destination and the main center for
whale-watching tours in the Caribbean region.
The town has three municipal districts:
El Limón,
Las Galeras, and
Arroyo Barril. According to the 2012 population and housing census, the municipality has a total population of 108,179.
Geography
Samaná is on a small plain close to the coast but most of the town is in the hills that enclose the plain.
It is the largest municipality of the province. It has a total area of 412.11 km² (almost 49% of the total area of the province), including the three municipal districts that are part of the municipality.
Most of the territory is occupied by the
Sierra de Samaná, a short mountain range with steep slopes but no high mountains. The highest mountain is Monte Mesa (605 m).
Population
The
demonym
A demonym (; ) or 'gentilic' () is a word that identifies a group of people ( inhabitants, residents, natives) in relation to a particular place. Demonyms are usually derived from the name of the place ( hamlet, village, town, city, region, ...
for the inhabitants of Samaná, both the city and the province, is ''Samanés'' (men and women). It is also possible to use ''Samanense''.
History
The town of Santa Barbara of Samaná sits on the
Samaná Peninsula
The Samaná Península is a peninsula in Dominican Republic situated in the province of Samaná. The Samaná Peninsula is connected to the rest of the state by the isthmus of Samaná; to its south is Samaná Bay. The peninsula contains many beach ...
which came first into written history on 13 January 1493, when
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...
made here the last stop of his first voyage to the
New World
The term "New World" is used to describe the majority of lands of Earth's Western Hemisphere, particularly the Americas, and sometimes Oceania."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: ...
. He landed on what today is known as the
Rincón Beach, where he met the
Ciguayos who presented him with the only violent resistance he faced during this visit to
the Americas
The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.'' Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sin ...
. The Cigüayos had refused to trade their bows and arrows that Columbus's pathfinders wanted. In the ensuing clash, two
Amerindian
In the Americas, Indigenous peoples comprise the two continents' pre-Columbian inhabitants, as well as the ethnic groups that identify with them in the 15th century, as well as the ethnic groups that identify with the pre-Columbian population of ...
s were wounded. Because of the Ciguayos' use of arrows, the Admiral called the inlet the
Bay of Arrows (or Gulf of Arrows). Columbus took on board four natives to show in Spain, but only one survived. For most of the
colonial period, the Spanish did not settle here, opening the place for runaways and privateers.
In 1756, under the direction of Spanish governor Francisco Rubio y Peñaranda, families from the
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...
founded the village and named it ''Santa Bárbara de Samaná.'' It was named ''Santa Bárbara'' after the Queen
Bárbara de Braganza, wife of King
Ferdinand VI of Spain
Ferdinand VI (; 23 September 1713 – 10 August 1759), called the Learned (''el Prudente'') and the Just (''el Justo''), was King of Spain from 9 July 1746 until his death in 1759. He was the third ruler of the Spanish Bourbon dynasty. He was the ...
. They also settled on the other side of the bay, in
Sabana de la Mar. As part of 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 s ...
's accords, the entire Santo Domingo colony passed over to the French in 1796. But in 1807, a small force from the British
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
raided Samaná and turned it back to the Spanish creoles who were fighting against the last French bastion on the island. In 1822, after the Haitians had occupied the entire island, a French vessel threatened a renewal of the French-Haitian hostilities. After a small encounter called the Samaná Affair, the French retired, taking with them various families that had resettled here after the
Haitian Revolution
The Haitian Revolution ( or ; ) was a successful insurrection by slave revolt, self-liberated slaves against French colonial rule in Saint-Domingue, now the sovereign state of Haiti. The revolution was the only known Slave rebellion, slave up ...
.
In 1824, Haitian President
Jean-Pierre Boyer
Jean-Pierre Boyer (; 15 February 1776 – 9 July 1850) was one of the leaders of the Haitian Revolution, and the president of Haiti from 1818 to 1843. He reunited the north and south of the country into the Republic of Haiti in 1820 and also ann ...
invited
United States Blacks to migrate to Haiti, which by then ruled the entire island of
Hispaniola
Hispaniola (, also ) is an island between Geography of Cuba, Cuba and Geography of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean. Hispaniola is the most populous island in the West Indies, and the second-largest by List of C ...
. Various U.S. families settled in Samaná and prospered. Their descendants are known as
Samaná Americans
The Samaná Americans () are a minority cultural sub-group of African American descendants who inhabit the Samaná Province in the eastern region of Dominican Republic.
History
Most of the Samaná Americans are descendants of African American ...
. With the creation of the Samaná Maritime District (an old division similar to a province) in 1865, the city was elevated to the category of municipality.
Economy
The main economic activities of the municipality are tourism, agriculture and fishing. The largest boost to local economy takes place from January to March with the annual migration of thousands of North Atlantic humpback whales that come to the Samaná Bay to give birth. Samaná is the center of the country's tourism during these months.
Climate
The mean annual rainfall in Samaná is 2,349.8 mm and the mean annual temperature is 26.5 °C.
Notable people
*
Manny Albam (1922-2001), jazz saxophonist
*
Wily Peralta (b. 1989), baseball pitcher for the
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...
*
Hanley Ramírez
Hanley Ramírez (born December 23, 1983) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball shortstop. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Florida / Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Cleveland Indians. Ram� ...
(b. 1983), baseball first baseman for the
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) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
.
*
Fernando Rodney
Fernando Rodney (born March 18, 1977) is a Dominican– American professional baseball pitcher for the Hamilton Cardinals of the Intercounty Baseball League (IBL). He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers ...
(b. 1977), baseball pitcher for the
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners 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 ...
.
*
Yordano Ventura (1991-2017), baseball pitcher for 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) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
.
*
Théodore Chassériau
Théodore Chassériau (; ; September 20, 1819 – October 8, 1856) was a Dominican-born French Romantic painter noted for his portraits, historical and religious paintings, allegorical murals, and Orientalist images inspired by his travels to A ...
(1819-1856), a French painter, was born in
El Limón in 1819.
*
Brayan Bello (b. 1999), baseball pitcher for the
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) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
.
Transport
There are two commercial airports: the international
Samaná El Catey International Airport
Samaná El Catey International Airport , also called Aeropuerto Internacional Presidente Juan Bosch (AISA), is an international airport that opened on 6 November 2006, serving the province of Samaná in the Dominican Republic. The airport is ...
, 40 miles by road from the city, and the domestic
Arroyo Barril Airport, 10 miles from the city by car.
References
External links
*
Genealogy of the families of Samaná, history from Samaná
{{DEFAULTSORT:Samana
Populated places in Samaná Province
Municipalities of the Dominican Republic
Ports and harbours of the Atlantic Ocean
Populated places established in 1756