Monseñor Nouel is a province of the Dominican Republic. It is in the central part of the country. Its capital city is Bonao.
The province was created in 1982. It was a municipality of the La Vega province before being elevated to the category of province.
The province was named after Archbishop Adolfo Alejandro Nouel, who was President of the Dominican Republic in 1912-1913.
The valley where is the province was named by the Spanish conquistadors as "Sabana de Bonao" ("Bonao Savanna"; Bonao was the Taíno name of the region.
Bartholomew Columbus, younger brother of Christopher Columbus, founded here a fort in 1495-1497 and Bonao became one of the most important city of the Hispaniola island during the first years of the Spanish colony.
Later, the city was abandoned and was founded again during the Haitian occupation with the name of "Paraje del Yuna". In 1859, it became a military post in the municipality of La Vega. In 1936, it became a municipality of La Vega province under the name of Monseñor Nouel.
The province was created in 1982 with the municipality of Monseñor Nouel and the municipal districts of Piedra Blanca and Maimón. In 2005, the name of the municipality of Monseñor Nouel was changed to Bonao even if the name had been changed since 1960.
In 1982, Maimón became a municipality and in 1991 Piedra Blanca became the third municipality of the province. Villa Sonador became a municipal district in 1999, Sabana del Puerto in 2000, Juan Adrián in 2001, Juma Bejucal in 2004, and Arroyo Toro-Masipedro and Jayaco in 2006.
The Monseñor Nouel province is bordered to the north and the west by the La Vega province, to the east by the Juan Sánchez Ramírez and Monte Plata provinces and to the south by the San Cristóbal and San José de Ocoa provinces.
In (last national census), there were people living in the Monseñor Nouel province, and 112,305 () living in towns and cities. The population density was persons/km².
Its population represents of the total population of the country and the province is ranked as the 17th (out of 31 plus the National District) more populated province.
, the total estimated propulation of the province is 171,040 inhabitants.
The largest city of the province is Bonao, its head municipality or capital, with a population (in ) of 76,241 inhabitants.
The Monseñor Nouel province has a total area of . It has of the area of the Dominican Republic and it is ranked as the 24th (out of 31 plus the National District) largest province.
The altitude of Bonao, provincial capital, is above sea level.
The province is mainly in a valley surrounded by mountains: the "Cordillera Central" ("Central mountain range" by the north, west and south, and by the "Sierra de Yamasá" ("Yamasá mountain range"), a branch of the Cordillera Central, by the east.
The most important river is the Yuna, one of the largest of the Dominican Republic and of the Hispaniola island.
The climate of the province is a tropical climate, hot most of the year.
There are three municipalities and seven municipal districts (M.D.) in the province.
The main economic activities in the province are farming and mining (mainly surface mining of nickel).
It is a province with an important production of rice. Cattle raising is also important, mainly for milk.
Monte Cristi Province
Monte Cristi is a province in the north-west of the Dominican Republic. The capital city is San Fernando de Monte Cristi (usually simply Monte Cristi). The spelling Montecristi is also seen.
When Christopher Columbus visited for the first time the northern coast of the Hispaniola island, he saw on 4 January 1493 a mountain with the shape of a dromedary and named it as "Monte Cristo" or "Monte Christi" ("Mountain of Christ") to this mountain now known as "El Morro", close to the city of San Fernando de Monte Cristi.
Nicolás de Ovando founded a small fishing hamlet in the place where is now Monte Cristi. In 1533, Juan de Bolaños brought a group of 60 families from the Canary Islands to live in the place. In 1545, other 30 families to live here.
The town was destroyed in 1606 by order of the Spanish Crown and the inhabitants were moved, together with the inhabitants of Puerto Plata inhabitants, away from the northern coast to form the new town of Monte Plata. In 1751, Monte Cristi was founded again by order of Ferdinand VI, king of Spain.
Monte Cristi was made as a Maritime District (a special administrative category similar to a province and that has been abandoned) in 1879. The 1907 Dominican Constitution changed its status to province. It was part of the Santiago province before being elevated to the category of province.
Guayubín is a municipality since 1855, Villa Vásquez since 1938, Pepillo Salcedo since 1949, Castañuelas since 1974 and Las Matas de Santa Cruz since 1985. Villa Elisa and Hatillo Palma became municipal districts in 1997, Cana Chapetón in 1999 and Palo Verde in 2002.
The Monte Cristi province is bordered to the north and est by the Atlantic Ocean, to the east by the Puerto Plata and Valverde provinces and to the south by the Dajabón and Santiago Rodríguez provinces.
In (last national census), there were people living in the Monte Cristi province, and 58,224 () living in towns and cities. The population density was persons/km².
Its population represents of the total population of the country and the province is ranked as the 21st (out of 31 plus the National District) more populated province.
, the total estimated propulation of the province is 114,624 inhabitants.
The largest city of the province is Monte Cristi, its head municipality or capital, with a population (in ) of 24,644 inhabitants.
The Monte Cristi province has a total area of . It has of the area of the Dominican Republic and it is ranked as the 9th (out of 31 plus the National District) largest province.
The altitude of San Fernando de Monte Cristi, provincial capital, is above sea level.
The Monte Cristi province is in the northwestern part of the Cibao Valley; this part is also called the "Yaque del Norte Valley" or "Línea Noroeste" and is very dry because it does not rain much here.
The most important river in the province is the Yaque del Norte, the longest river of the Dominican Republic. Other rivers are Guayubín and Maguaca, tributaries of the Yaque del Norte.
The "Cordillera Septentrional" ("Northern mountain range") runs along the northern coast of the province; there are not high mountains, only low hills. At the western end of this mountain range is the "El Morro" mountain, forming a headland or a small peninsula.
The climate of the province is a tropical climate, hot most of the year.
There are six municipalities and four municipal districts (M.D.) in the province.
The main economic activity in the province is farming and banana and rice are grown here. Fishing and salt production is also important in the capital city of San Fernando de Monte Cristi.
Monte Plata Province
Monte Plata is a province of the Dominican Republic; its capital city has the same name, Monte Plata. It was split from San Cristóbal in 1982.
The province was given the name of the capital city, Monte Plata. In colonial times, people from Monte Cristi and Puerto Plata came to live to this region by orders of the Spanish king and gave to the town a new name that comes from the two original towns, "Monte Plata".
After the Dominican independence from Haiti in 1844, this region was part of the old Santo Domingo Province. During the Restoration War against Spain (1861 - 1865), there were several important battles in the region.
In 1932, the region was made part of the new San Cristóbal province and then it was made a province with the name of "Monte Plata" but soon the name was changed to "Monseñor Meriño" after the Archbishop Fernando Arturo de Meriño, who was President of the Dominican Republic in 1880-1882.