San Fernando de Monte Cristi

**San Fernando de Monte Cristi**, usually just _Monte Cristi_, is a city in the Dominican Republic and the head municipality of the Monte Cristi province, in the northwest of the nation.

## Name

The name comes from the name given by Columbus on 4 January 1493 to the mountain known now as _El Morro_: _Monte Cristo_ or _Monte Christi_ ("Mountain of Christ").

The name of the city has been written of different ways: _Monte Cristi_ (Columbus), _Monte Cristo_ (Ferdinand Columbus), _Monte Christi_ or _Monte Christo_ (Las Casas), _Monte Cristy_ and _Montecristi_. But the name most used is Monte Cristi.

When the city was founded again in 1751, the name was changed to the present one, _San Fernando de Monte Cristi_, after Ferdinand VI, King of Spain.

## Population

The municipality had, in , a total population of 24,644: 12,892 men and 11,752 women. The urban population was  of the total population.

## History

The city was founded by Juan de Bolaños in 1533; but Rodríguez says that it was in 1545 by Francisco Mesa. Some families from the Canary Islands came to live here. Because it was too dry and hot, there was not possibility of any kind of farming, except some cattle raising, and the city was developed as a port.

The town was destroyed in 1606 by order of the Spanish government 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 the king Ferdinand VI of Spain.

## Geography

Monte Cristi is in the northwestern end of the Cibao Valley, near the Montecristi Bay. The city is just to the north of the mouth of the River Yaque del Norte.

To the north of the city is the western end of the _Cordillera Septentrional_ ("Northern mountain range"); the last mountain of this range is _El Morro_.

The municipality has a total area of  535.87. The region around the city is very dry and hot.

The altitude of the city of Monte Cristi is  above sea level.

### Climate

Monte Cristi has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen-Geiger classification: **As**) with a pronounced dry season on summer, and an wet season on winter.

The average amount of rainfall for the year in the city is . The month with the most precipitation on average is November with  of rainfall, followed by December with .

The driest season is summer. The month with the least rainfall on average is July with an average of  followed by August, .

Monte Cristi is in a warm region; the average temperature for the year is . The warmest month, on average, is August with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of .

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## Economy

The most important economic activities in the municipality are fishing and salt production. Farming is important near the River Yaque del Norte, and the main crops are bananas and rice.

Tourism is also important here, with the different beaches near the city and people that come here for fishing.

## Infobox (settlement)

- **name**: Monte Cristi
- **official name**: San Fernando de Monte Cristi
- **settlement type**: Municipality
- **image skyline**: El Zapato.jpg
- **image caption**: _El Zapato_ ("Small shoe"), El Morro, Monte Cristi
- **pushpin map**: Dominican Republic
- **pushpin relief**: 1
- **subdivision type**: Country
- **subdivision name**: Dominican Republic
- **subdivision type1**: Provinces of the Dominican Republic, Province
- **subdivision name1**: Monte Cristi Province, Monte Cristi
- **established title**: Founded
- **established date**: 1533
- **established title2**: Municipality since
- **established date2**:
1822
- **area total km2**: 517.4
- **area urban km2**: 11.40
- **elevation m**: 16
- **population total**: 24644
- **total type**: Total
- **population urban**: 15141
- **population density km2**: auto
- **population demonym**: Montecristeño
(female, montecristeña)
- **timezone**: Atlantic Standard Time Zone, AST
- **utc offset**: -4
- **timezone dst**: Atlantic Standard Time Zone, AST
- **utc offset dst**: -4
- **blank name**: Distance to
 – Santo Domingo
- **blank info**:

- **blank name sec1**: Distance
- **blank info sec1**: to Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago
 to Santo Domingo