Independencia Province

Independencia (English: Independence) is a Dominican province, in the western part of the country, on the border with Haiti. Its capital city is Jimaní.

Location
The Independencia province is bordered to the north by the Elías Piña and Bahoruco provinces, to the east by Barahona and to the south by the Pedernales province. To the west Independencia borders the Republic of Haiti.

History
It was created on 29 December 1948 but to start on 1 January 1950. It was part of the Bahoruco province before being elevated to the category of province. Its name remembers the national independence from Haiti on 27 February 1844.

The province was created with the municipalities of Jimaní, Duvergé and La Descubierta with Jimaní as capital of the province. Postrer Río became a municipality in 1982, Cristóbal in 2003 and Mella in 2004. Guayabal was made a municipal district in 1998, El Limón in 2001, La Colonia in 2004, Boca de Cachón and Vengan a Ver in 2005, and Batey 8 in 2006.

Population 
In  (last national census), there were  people living in the Independencia province, and 42,050 () living in towns and cities. The population density was  persons/km², the second lowest in the country; only Pedernales has a lower population density.

Its population represents  of the total population of the country and the province is ranked as the 31th (out of 31 plus the National District) more populated province.

, the total estimated propulation of the province is 55,638 inhabitants.

The largest city of the province is Jimaní, its head municipality or capital, with a population (in ) of 10,034 inhabitants.

Geography
The Independencia province has a total area of . It has   of the area of the Dominican Republic and it is ranked as the 8th (out of 31 plus the National District) largest province.

The Sierra de Bahoruco is in the southern part of the province, and the Sierra de Neiba runs across the northwestern part of the province, on the border with the Elías Piña province. The rest of the province is part of the Hoya de Enriquillo (or Neiba Valley). In this valley is the Lake Enriquillo, and about half of its area is part of the Independencia province.

The altitude of Jimaní, provincial capital, is .

There are few permanent rivers, with water all the time. The longest river is the Las Damas river , which flows from Sierra de Bahoruco to the Lake Enriquillo.

The main protected areas in the province are the Parque Nacional Sierra de Baoruco ("National park Sierra de Baoruco") and the Parque Nacional Lago Enriquillo ("National park Enriquillo Lake").

Climate
The climate of the province is a tropical climate, very hot and dry in the valley, but it is cooler on the mountains.

Municipalities
There are 6 municipalities and 6 municipal districts (M.D.) in the province. The municipalities and its municipal districts (M.D.) are:

Economy
The main economic activity of the province is agriculture and the main products are plantain, cassava, coffee and cacao.

Related pages
 Provinces of the Dominican Republic
 Development regions of the Dominican Republic

References

Provinces of the Dominican Republic
1948 establishments in North America
1940s establishments in the Dominican Republic