View source for Provinces of the Dominican Republic

{{Short description|First-level administrative divisions of the Dominican Republic}}
[[File:Mapa Republica Dominicana.tif|thumb|right|260px|Provinces of the Dominican Republic map.]]
The [[Dominican Republic]] is divided into thirty-one {{lang|es|provincias}} ([[province]]s; singular {{lang|es|provincia}}), while the [[Capital (political)|national capital]], [[Santo Domingo]], is contained within its own [[Distrito Nacional]] ("National District"; "D.N." on the map below).

The division of the country into provinces is laid down in the constitution (Title I, Section II, Article 5)<ref name="Constitution">{{cite web |url=http://pdba.georgetown.edu/Constitutions/DomRep/domrep02.html|title=CONSTITUCION DE LA REPUBLICA DOMINICANA|author=Asamblea Nacional|language=es|access-date=2007-03-11}}</ref> and enacted by law. The latter is currently Law 5220 on the Territorial Division of the Dominican Republic ({{lang|es|Ley No. 5220 sobre División Territorial de la República Dominicana}}), issued 1959 and frequently amended to create new provinces and lower-level administrative units.

==The provinces as administrative divisions==

The provinces are the first-level [[Administrative division|administrative subdivision]]s of the country. The headquarters of the central government's regional offices are normally found in the capital cities of provinces. The president appoints an administrative governor ({{lang|es|Gobernador Civil}}) for each province but not for the Distrito Nacional (Title IX of the constitution).<ref name="Constitution"/>

The provinces are divided into [[Municipalities of the Dominican Republic|municipalities]] ({{lang|es|[[municipio]]s}}), which are the second–level political and administrative subdivisions of the country.<ref name="Constitution"/>

The [[Distrito Nacional]] was created in 1936. Prior to this, the Distrito Nacional was the old Santo Domingo Province, in existence since the country's independence in 1844. It is not to be confused with the new [[Santo Domingo Province]], which split off from it in 2001. While it is similar to a province in many ways, the Distrito Nacional differs in its lack of an administrative governor and consisting only of one municipality, [[Santo Domingo]], the city council ({{lang|es|[[ayuntamiento]]}}) and mayor ({{lang|es|[[síndico]]}}) which are in charge of its administration.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.informejudicial.com/leyes/Division%20Territorial/Ley%20163-01,%20crea%20Provincia%20Santo%20Domingo%20y%20Modifica%20Articulos%201%20y%202%20Ley%205220.htm|title=Ley No. 163-01 que crea la provincia de Santo Domingo, y modifica los Artículos 1 y 2 de la Ley No. 5220, sobre División Territorial de la República Dominicana.|author=EL CONGRESO NACIONAL|language=es|access-date=2007-03-08 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070518042944/http://www.informejudicial.com/leyes/Division+Territorial/Ley+163-01,+crea+Provincia+Santo+Domingo+y+Modifica+Articulos+1+y+2+Ley+5220.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 2007-05-18}}</ref>

==The provinces as constituencies==
The provinces are also constituencies for the elections to the [[bicameral]] [[Congress of the Dominican Republic|National Congress]] ({{lang|es|Congreso de la República}}). Each province elects one member of the [[Senate of the Dominican Republic|Senate]] ({{lang|es|Senado}}) and a guaranteed minimum of two members of the [[Chamber of Deputies of the Dominican Republic|Chamber of Deputies]] ({{lang|es|Cámara de Diputados}}).<ref name="Constitution"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://pdba.georgetown.edu/Electoral/DomRep/ley97.html|title=Ley Electoral, No. 275-97|author=EL CONGRESO NACIONAL|language=es|access-date=2007-03-11}}</ref>

==Statistics==
The following is a table of the provinces and their capital cities. The population figures are from the 2021 population estimate.<ref name=censusvol1>{{cite web|url=http://one.gob.do/Estadisticas/8/proyecciones-de-poblacion|format=PDF|title=Estamaciones y Proyecciones de la Población Dominicana por Regiones, Provincias, Municipios y Distritos Municipales, 2021|author=Consejo Nacional de Población y Familia|language=es|access-date=2021-06-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170102090940/http://one.gob.do/Estadisticas/8/proyecciones-de-poblacion|archive-date=2017-01-02|url-status=dead}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right; font-size:95%;"
! Coat Of Arms
! Province<br />National District
! Capital
! Region
! Department
! Area
(km<sup>2</sup>)<ref>{{cite news |title=Provincias Dominicanas - Portal Oficial del Estado Dominicano |url=http://www.gob.do/index.php/e-municipios/e-localidades/2014-12-16-20-41-38 |access-date=1 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170101162641/http://www.gob.do/index.php/e-municipios/e-localidades/2014-12-16-20-41-38 |archive-date=1 January 2017 }}</ref>
! Population
2021<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://one.gob.do/Estadisticas/8/proyecciones-de-poblacion |title=Oficina Nacional de Estadística |journal=Estimaciones y proyecciones de la población total por año calendario, según región y provincia, 2000–2030 |access-date=31 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170102090940/http://one.gob.do/Estadisticas/8/proyecciones-de-poblacion |archive-date=2 January 2017}}</ref>
! Density
! Map
!Establishment year
|-
| align="left"| [[File:Escudo de la provincia de Azua de Compostela.jpg|70px]] 
| align="left"| [[Azua Province|Azua]]
| {{center|[[Azua de Compostela|Azua]]}}
| align="left"| South
| align="left"| Valdesia
| 2,531.77 || 222,610 || 86.59 
|[[File:Azua in Dominican Republic.svg|100px]]
|1844
|-
| align="left"| 
| align="left"| [[Baoruco Province|Baoruco]]
| {{center|[[Neiba]]}}
| align="left"| South
| align="left"| Enriquillo
| 1,282.23 || 101,306 || 77.40 
|[[File:Baoruco in Dominican Republic.svg|100px]]
|1943
|-
| align="left"|
| align="left"| [[Barahona Province|Barahona]]
| {{center|[[Santa Cruz de Barahona]]}}
| align="left"| South
| align="left"| Enriquillo
| 1,739.38 || 189,100 || 108.49 
|[[File:Barahona in Dominican Republic.svg|100px]]
|1881
|-
| align="left"| 
| align="left"| [[Dajabón Province|Dajabón]]
| {{center|[[Dajabón]]}}
| align="left"| [[Cibao]]
| align="left"| Cibao Noroeste
| 1,020.73 || 66,675 || 63.95 
|[[File:Dajabon in Dominican Republic.svg|100px]]
|1938
|-
| align="left"| 
| align="left"| [[Duarte Province|Duarte]]
| {{center|[[San Francisco de Macorís]]}}
| align="left"| [[Cibao]]
| align="left"| Cibao Nordeste
| 1,605.35 || 299,583 || 183.70 
|[[File:Duarte in Dominican Republic.svg|100px]]
|1896
|-
| align="left"| 
| align="left"| [[El Seibo Province|El Seibo]]
| {{center|[[Santa Cruz de El Seibo]]}}
| align="left"| East
| align="left"| Yuma
| 1,786.80 || 94,049 || 63.58 
|[[File:El Seibo in Dominican Republic.svg|100px]]
|1844
|-
| align="left"| 
| align="left"| [[Elías Piña Province|Elías Piña]]
| {{center|[[Comendador, Elías Piña|Comendador]]}}
| align="left"| South
| align="left"| El Valle
| 1,426.20 || 63,303 || 35.51 
|[[File:Elias Pina in Dominican Republic.svg|100px]]
|1942
|-
| align="left"| 
| align="left"| [[Espaillat Province|Espaillat]]
| {{center|[[Moca, Espaillat|Moca]]}}
| align="left"| [[Cibao]]
| align="left"| Cibao Norte
| 838.62 || 240,428 || 281.97 
|[[File:Espaillat in Dominican Republic.svg|100px]]
|1885
|-
| align="left"| 
| align="left"| [[Hato Mayor Province|Hato Mayor]]
| {{center|[[Hato Mayor del Rey]]}}
| align="left"| East
| align="left"| Higuamo
| 1,329.29 || 85,747 || 64.37 
|[[File:Hato Mayor in Dominican Republic.svg|100px]]
|1984
|-
| align="left"| 
| align="left"| [[Hermanas Mirabal Province|Hermanas Mirabal]]
| {{center|[[Salcedo, Hermanas Mirabal|Salcedo]]}}
| align="left"| [[Cibao]]
| align="left"| Cibao Nordeste
| 440.43 || 92,045 || 209.78 
|[[File:Hermanas Mirabal in Dominican Republic.svg|100px]]
|1952
|-
| align="left"| 
| align="left"| [[Independencia Province|Independencia]]
| {{center|[[Jimaní]]}}
| align="left"| South
| align="left"| Enriquillo
| 2,006.44 || 58,951 || 27.73 
|[[File:Independencia in Dominican Republic.svg|100px]]
|1948
|-
| align="left"| 
| align="left"| [[La Altagracia Province|La Altagracia]]
| {{center|[[Salvaleón de Higüey]]}}
| align="left"| East
| align="left"| Yuma
| 3,010.34 || 360,874 || 104.61 
|[[File:La Altagracia in Dominican Republic.svg|100px]]
|1944
|-
| align="left"| 
| align="left"| [[La Romana Province|La Romana]]
| {{center|[[La Romana, La Romana|La Romana]]}}
| align="left"| East
| align="left"| Yuma
| 653.95 || 274,894 || 397.59 
|[[File:La Romana in Dominican Republic.svg|100px]]
|1944
|-
| align="left"| 
| align="left"| [[La Vega Province|La Vega]]
| {{center|[[Concepción de La Vega]]}}
| align="left"| [[Cibao]]
| align="left"| Cibao Sur
| 2,287.24 || 412,469 || 176.64 
|[[File:La Vega in Dominican Republic.svg|100px]]
|1844
|-
| align="left"| 
| align="left"| [[María Trinidad Sánchez Province|María Trinidad Sánchez]]
| {{center|[[Nagua]]}}
| align="left"| [[Cibao]]
| align="left"| Cibao Nordeste
| 1,271.71 || 140,954 || 111.17 
|[[File:Maria Trinidad Sanchez in Dominican Republic.svg|100px]]
|1959
|-
| align="left"| 
| align="left"| [[Monseñor Nouel Province|Monseñor Nouel]]
| {{center|[[Bonao]]}}
| align="left"| [[Cibao]]
| align="left"| Cibao Sur
| 992.39 || 174,959 || 171.51 
|[[File:Monsenor Nouel in Dominican Republic.svg|100px]]
|1991
|-
| align="left"| 
| align="left"| [[Monte Cristi Province|Monte Cristi]]
| {{center|[[San Fernando de Monte Cristi]]}}
| align="left"| [[Cibao]]
| align="left"| Cibao Noroeste
| 1,924.35 || 117,736 || 59.22 
|[[File:Monte Cristi in Dominican Republic.svg|100px]]
|1879
|-
| align="left"| 
| align="left"|[[Monte Plata Province|Monte Plata]]
| {{center|[[Monte Plata]]}}
| align="left"| East
| align="left"| Higuamo
| 2,632.14 || 191,447 || 71.68 
|[[File:Monte Plata in Dominican Republic.svg|100px]]
|1991
|-
| align="left"| 
| align="left"| [[Pedernales Province|Pedernales]]
| {{center|[[Pedernales, Dominican Republic|Pedernales]]}}
| align="left"| South
| align="left"| Enriquillo
| 2,074.53 || 35,280 || 16.12 
|[[File:Pedernales in Dominican Republic.svg|100px]]
|1957
|-
| align="left"| 
| align="left"| [[Peravia Province|Peravia]]
| {{center|[[Baní]]}}
| align="left"| South
| align="left"| Valdesia
| 792.33 || 198,499 || 241.62 
|[[File:Peravia in Dominican Republic.svg|100px]]
|1944
|-
| align="left"| 
| align="left"|[[Puerto Plata Province|Puerto Plata]]
| {{center|[[Puerto Plata province|Puerto Plata]]}}
| align="left"| [[Cibao]]
| align="left"| Cibao Norte
| 1,852.90 || 333,940 || 177.29 
|[[File:Puerto Plata in Dominican Republic.svg|100px]]
|1850
|-
| align="left"| 
| align="left"| [[Samaná Province|Samaná]]
| {{center|[[Santa Bárbara de Samaná]]}}
| align="left"| [[Cibao]]
| align="left"| Cibao Nordeste
| 853.74 || 113,036 || 125.62 
|[[File:Samana in Dominican Republic.svg|100px]]
|1867
|-
| align="left"| 
| align="left"| [[San Cristóbal Province|San Cristóbal]]
| {{center|[[San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic|San Cristóbal]]}}
| align="left"| South
| align="left"| Valdesia
| 1,265.77 || 643,595 || 505.93 
|[[File:San Cristobal in Dominican Republic.svg|100px]]
|1932
|-
| align="left"| 
| align="left"| [[San José de Ocoa Province|San José de Ocoa]]
| {{center|[[San José de Ocoa]]}}
| align="left"| South
| align="left"| Valdesia
| 855.4 || 53,833 || 45.11 
|[[File:San Jose de Ocoa in Dominican Republic.svg|100px]]
|2000
|-
| align="left"|
| align="left"| [[San Juan de la Maguana Province|San Juan]]
| {{center|[[San Juan de la Maguana]]}}
| align="left"| South
| align="left"| El Valle
| 3,569.39 || 220,264 || 266.12 
|[[File:San Juan in Dominican Republic.svg|100px]]
|1938
|-
| align="left"| [[File:Escudo de San Pedro de Macoris (En cuadrilongo).svg|75px]]
| align="left"| [[San Pedro de Macorís Province|San Pedro de Macorís]]
| {{center|[[San Pedro de Macorís]]}}
| align="left"| East
| align="left"| Higuamo
| 1,255.46 || 306,002 || 83.66 
|[[File:San Pedro de Macoris in Dominican Republic.svg|100px]]
|1907
|-
| align="left"| 
| align="left"| [[Sánchez Ramírez Province|Sánchez Ramírez]]
| {{center|[[Cotuí]]}}
| align="left"| [[Cibao]]
| align="left"| Cibao Sur
| 1,196.13 || 151,888 || 121.09 
|[[File:Sanchez Ramirez in Dominican Republic.svg|100px]]
|1952
|-
| align="left"| 
| align="left"| [[Santiago de los Caballeros Province|Santiago]]
| {{center|[[Santiago de los Caballeros]]}}
| align="left"| [[Cibao]]
| align="left"| Cibao Norte
| 2,836.51|| 1,052,088 || 355.30 
|[[File:Santiago in Dominican Republic.svg|100px]]
|1844
|-
| align="left"| 
| align="left"| [[Santiago Rodríguez Province|Santiago Rodríguez]]
| {{center|[[San Ignacio de Sabaneta]]}}
| align="left"| [[Cibao]]
| align="left"| Cibao Noroeste
| 1,111.14 || 57,209 || 51.71 
|[[File:Santiago Rodriguez in Dominican Republic.svg|100px]]
|1948
|-
| align="left"| 
| align="left"| [[Santo Domingo Province|Santo Domingo]]
| {{center|[[Santo Domingo Este]]}}
| align="left"| South
| align="left"| Ozama
| 1,301.84 || 2,955,339 || 2036.08 
|[[File:Santo Domingo in Dominican Republic.svg|100px]]
|2001
|-
| align="left"| [[File:Escudo del Municipio Mao.svg|75px]]
| align="left"| [[Valverde Province|Valverde]]
| {{center|[[Santa Cruz de Mao|Mao]]}}
| align="left"| [[Cibao]]
| align="left"| Cibao Noroeste
| 823.38 || 177,865 || 207.06 
|[[File:Valverde in Dominican Republic.svg|100px]]
|1959
|-
| align="left"| [[File:Escudo del Municipio Santo Domingo.svg|75px]]
| align="left"| [[Distrito Nacional]]
| {{center|[[Santo Domingo]]}}
| align="left"| East
| align="left"| Ozama
| 104.44 || 1,049,567 || 9,651.45 
|[[File:Distrito_Nacional_in_Dominican_Republic_(special_marker).svg|100px]]
|1932
|}

==Map==

{{Dominican Republic Labelled Map|float=center}} 

==See also==
*[[Geography of the Dominican Republic]]
*[[Demographics of Dominican Republic]]
*[[ISO 3166-2:DO]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{in lang|es}} [http://www.one.gob.do/ Oficina Nacional de Estadística (National Statistics Office)]. Official statistics portal of the Dominican Republic.
* {{in lang|es}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20090822155815/http://www.dominikan.com/blog/ Blog of the Dominican Republic, videos, news, culture and music]

{{Lists of Provinces of the Dominican Republic}}
{{Provinces of the Dominican Republic}}
{{Articles on first-level administrative divisions of North American countries}}
{{Americas topic|Administrative divisions of}}
{{Dominican Republic topics}}

[[Category:Provinces of the Dominican Republic| ]]
[[Category:Subdivisions of the Dominican Republic]]
[[Category:Lists of administrative divisions|Dominican Republic, Provinces]]
[[Category:Administrative divisions in North America|Dominican Republic 1]]
[[Category:Second-level administrative divisions by country|Provinces, Dominican Republic]]
[[Category:Dominican Republic geography-related lists]]