Guaymate

**Guaymate** is a town in the La Romana Province of the Dominican Republic.

## Etymology

Its name comes from the most common tree in the area that is called guamate, the inhabitants of the region, mostly descendants of Haitians, added the letter "y" in the name and finally ended up being called Guaymate.

## History

Guaymate or gueimate as it was originally known became known by this name in the chiefdom of Higuey who commanded the eastern region, whose king or chiefdom belonged to that of Cayacoa and then Iguanoma and finally Cotubanamá.

The Indians lived in the vicinity of streams and rivers, as a form of maintenance in their daily lives.

It is from there, then, where, according to historians, they point out that the name Guaymate comes from a stream called in this way near the Chavon river. At present, this stream is known as the "los cabreras" stream, as this is one of the families that came to Guaymate and stayed near it.

This stream was planted by the natives with bamboos and from there, a vine was born with hard and shiny seeds, hence its name ¨ Guaymate development ¨ which with the passing of time acquired the name of Guaymate.

Guaymate began to have historical relevance, from the year 1851, when the pier was installed in La Romana, which served as a starting point for merchandise such as wood and products that were exported. Decree 230 of the Buenaventura Báez government declared international trade open.

It is from there, that the Seibanos, using the shortest route to reach the port in the now province of La Romana, chose the Guaymate stream as a resting point and spend the night, and then continue their journey to their final destination.

With the arrival in La Romana of North American and German citizens in order to buy land to make a sugarcane plantation, by 1910 the Puerto Rico sugar company announced that the company needed people to be employed and settle in Guaymate. Then several families began to arrive from different parts of the country, where even foreigners arrived as in the case of Puerto Ricans, English, and Chinese, among other cases.

It is then that from the year 1918, when Guaymate began to develop as an equidistant point between the neighboring towns when the Puerto Rico Sugar Company again announced the need to hire workers for the second time.

When the city of La Romana was chosen as a province by law 697 of September 14, 1944, with the characteristic that the territory of Higuey was part of the province of Altagracia and the head or main municipality was the municipality of La Romana el On January 1, 1945, said law was put into effect, and the town of Guaymate, which was a place, was elevated to a section of La Romana.

On August 9, 1961, through law no.5597, the national congress approved raising the category of the municipality to the Guaymate section, which was promulgated by Dr. Joaquín Balaguer on August 16, 1961, 1962.

It was declared a municipality on February 27, 1963, as a dependency of the Province of La Romana by the National Congress of the Dominican Republic .

This city is built on land donated by the Central Romana Corporation LTD.

## Geography

Guaymate is located at 18.5897° N, 68.9785° W. According to the ONE, the town has a total land area of 309.8 square kilometers (119.61 square miles). The territory includes a municipal district, **Guaymate** (center). The municipality is bordered by the city of El Seibo on the northwest, the city of Higüey on the east, the city of La Romana on the southeast, the town of Villa Hermosa on the southwest, and the town of Ramón Santana on the west.

## Economy

This municipality has a very active agricultural economy given its extensive sugar cane crops on land owned by the Central Romana Corporation. The main economic activity of this municipality is the production of sugar cane and its derivatives, in addition to producing livestock and minor fruits.

### Tourism

Its main tourist attractions are the spas of the Chavón and Arroyo Hondo rivers.

## Culture and Heritage

Its population, which are mostly black descendants of Haitians, have filled this municipality with cultures and folklore of all kinds, that is, African, Haitian, Dominican, Taino, and Spanish culture, among others.

Its patron saint festivities are held every year from **March 11** to **19** in honor of San José Obrero.

## References

Guaymate [1]

Guaymate [2]

Between the balance and the river [3]