Baní

**Baní** is a city in the Dominican Republic and the seat of Peravia Province. At the 2014 census it had a population of 145,595. The city contains several villages (one of which is also named Baní) within its boundaries. Baní is the region's commercial center for its banana and coffee crops, but it is known worldwide as the "Capital of the Mango", since this fruit is cultivated in this area all year round.

## Baní"*Capital of the South*""*Capital of the Mango*"

### Region

Valdesia
Peravia Province

## About

Baní is located in the Peravia Valley, approximately 65 kilometers (*40 miles*) southwest of Santo Domingo and 5 km (*3 miles*) from the coast of the Caribbean Sea. Also known as "the Capital of the South", Baní is the most important city in the Peravia province.

This municipality has seven municipal districts: **Catalina, Paya, Las Barías, El Carretón, El Limonal, Villa Fundación and Villa Sombrero**.

## Etymology

Baní is a Taíno word that means "water in abundance", since the indigenous people used it to refer to places where it presented a large amount of water. The area was named after the Taíno leader of the town of Maguana who was one of Caonabo's most loyal allies.

## History

### Precolumbian era

According to Oviedo and Las Casas, during the division of the chiefdoms, Baní was a nitainato belonging to the Maguana chiefdom. According to the French chronicler Pierre François Xavier de Charlevoix, a nitaíno was a nobleman with the functions of adviser or assistant in the cacique's work, who also governed territories within their respective chiefdom, on behalf of the chief.

### Colonial period

The settlement by the colonizers in the plain of Baní, has its origin in the early sixteenth century, during the beginning of sugar production. In its vicinity there were several sugar mills in the vicinity of the Nizao and Ocoa rivers. One of the most important mills was founded by the lawyer Alonso de Suazo, judge of the Royal Court of Santo Domingo, on the banks of the Ocoa River.

According to S. Inchásticategui, in the census taken in 1606 by Governor Osorio, they indicate the herds of Cerro Gordo and Sabana de Pedro del Paso, whose owner was Sabina de Salís. Gonzalo de Villegas and Juan Romero each had herds called de Baní; and Pedro Caballero y Bazán owned the herd in Nizao that Alonso de Suazo had. According to Larrazábal Blanco in History of Santo Domingo, he points out that from 1680 to 1684 families from the Canary Islands spread through the fields of Santo Domingo, especially through the present-day Baní.

The city of Baní was founded on **March 3, 1764** under the rule of the Spanish Captain, Field Marshal, Manuel de Azlor and Urries, when a group of neighbors concerned about their safety gathered to buy the property called **Cerro Gordo** to build their own town. According to historians, the amount of the purchase was 370 strong pesos. In this negotiation, Don Manuel Franco de Medina (the parish priest) participated representing the owners, while General Pablo Romero represented the neighbors.

By that year the area had about 700 neighbors who had cattle herds. The first authority was Juan Ruíz, appointed governor of the valley in 1740. According to Joaquín Inchásticategui , by the years 1789 Baní had 100 houses and 2,000 inhabitants. The first cemetery in Baní was located where Santomé and Libertad streets intersect and it was in operation until 1828 (more or less). After this date the dead were buried in the old cemetery (next to the softball stadium).

In 1805, after the Siege of Santo Domingo by Haitian General Jean-Jacques Dessalines in an attempt to occupy the eastern part of the island, he set fire to the city of Baní, in his retreat to the south. Partially rebuilt, in 1810 its first town hall was installed. From 1822 to 1844 Baní was part of the Department of Ozama, which in 1843 through articles 43 to 47 of the decree on Division of the territory established that Baní was a commune belonging to the canton of Azua.

### Independence of the Republic

In 1844, the Central Government Board established a territorial division of the Republic. In 1844, Baní was the headquarters of the “Ocoa Battalion” unit of the Dominican Army, made up of veterans from the region and made up of two Companies of Riflemen and one of Hunters.

Baní is linked to Santo Domingo by the so-called Royal Road, being a narrow road mostly used in the transport of animals or on foot, in a trip that lasted around 12 hours, which accessed the south of the country through the communities of Sombrero, Matanzas, Sabana Buey and El Palmar de Ocoa. For the transport of goods, the sea was used by schooners, through coastal ports that existed along the coast.

On November 11, 1932, through Law No. 39744, Baní with the territorial category of common head was transferred from the Santo Domingo province to the Trujillo Province (current San Cristóbal ). Through the law Law no. 747 of November 23, 1944, it became the capital of the José Trujillo Valdez Province.

In Baní, one of the first irrigation channels was built, called "Juan Caballero", and a regola that irrigated the lands from north to south. After the death of the dictator Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina , Baní suffered migration from rural areas, with new urban sectors and marginalized neighborhoods.

On Baní stands out the Work of manners Baní or Engracia y Antoñita , from 1892 by the writer Francisco Gregorio Billini , where his custom and way of life of the time stands out.

### 250th anniversary

On March 3, 2014, the 250th anniversary of the Foundation of the town of Baní, at that time, 1764, was celebrated, founded under the jurisdictional condition of Villa. A tedeum mass was celebrated in the Nuestra Señora de Regla Cathedral, in the presence of the President of the Republic Danilo Medina Sánchez and the Apostolic Nuncio Jude Thaddeus Okolo as well as provincial and military authorities.

On June 28, 2014, the Olympic day was celebrated with a march led by the top leadership of the Dominican Republic Olympic leadership, the Banileja Sports Union and Mayor Nelson Camilo Landestoy, sports teams and hundreds of people, in relation to the events of the Baní's 250th anniversary.

On 25 October 2014 the singer Maridalia Hernandez and Cuban singer Silvio Rodriguez performed a mass concert at the Ballpark Luis Maria Herrera on the occasion of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of Bani

"All the children of Cuba know Baní, because here the Dominican liberator Máximo Gómez Báez was born."

Silvio Rodríguez, October 2014

From October 25 to November 2, the Tenth Regional Book Fair Peravia 2014 was held, under the slogan Reading Starts at Home, with the participation of the Provinces of Azua de Compostela, Bahoruco, Barahona, Elías Piña, Independencia, Pedernales, San Cristóbal, San José de Ocoa and San Juan.

The activities of the 250th ended on 21 November 2014.

## Geography

Baní is located at 18.2802° N, 70.3368° W. According to the ONE, the town has a total area of 642.75 square kilometers (248.17 Sq.mi). Baní is situated at the eastern end of the Cordillera Central, between its foothills and the coast. It is bordered by the San Cristóbal towns of Los Cacaos on the north and Cambita Garabitos and Yaguate on the east, the town of Nizao on the southeast, the city of Azua, AZ on the west, and the city of San José de Ocoa (Ocoa Province) on the northwest.

### Neighborhoods

Popularly, the *Banilejos* call it Pueblo Arriba, Pueblo Abajo and the Center for all the people in general. Due to urban growth, some old places and communities are already being considered as neighborhoods of Baní.

### Climate

Baní's climate is due to its location south of the Cordillera Central in the lee, which prevents the passage of the humid trade winds that come from the north. For this reason, the vegetation in Baní and the Peravia province consists of Xerófilas, Guayacan, Bayahonda, Cambrón, Baitoa, Cactus and Guazábaras plants, where the Guano de Baní or Guano Barrigón Coccothrinax spissa , endemic in the area, stands out.

The plain of Baní is a long and narrow strip of land that encompasses the entire southern portion of the province. In this plain you can see small elevations or mogotes of limestone rocks in the shape of a cone due to the erosive processes of the wind. A serious problem facing Baní and the Peravia Province is the shortage of drinking water and drought, coupled with low rainfall and the scourge of deforestation in the Baní, Nizao and Ocoa rivers.

## Economy

Baní's economy is based on agribusiness. In Baní different products are processed such as coffee, tomato, corn, pigeon pea, onion, coconut, mango, banana, cashew, lechoza and salt. The main industries are Peravia Industrial (La Famosa), Industrias Banilejas (Induban), La Fosforera del Caribe, the Banileja free zone and the Punta Catalina Thermoelectric Power Plant. There are also different industries in the construction sector.

The retail trade is also part of the banileja economy. The main shopping centers are the La Maravilla network of stores, the Retail Association Supermarket, La Sirena and the El Bravo Supermarket. In the services sector, the Las Dunas Restaurant, La Casona Restaurant, Yarey Restaurant and Pizzeria, Fiesta del Chivo Restaurant, as a hotel in the city is the Hotel D "Pravia, the Hotel Caribaní and as a beach hotel is the Hotel Salinas and Hotel Ibiza. The tourism sector is under development in the province with the construction of two major tourism projects.

In 2005 it was named "Capital of Mango ".

## Tourism and Recreation

In this city, you can visit and learn about its history through different museums. There is the **Máximo Gómez Museum**, in the park of the same name; and the **Historical Archive Museum of Baní César González Celado**, where important documents about the history of Baní and the Dominican Republic are kept.

## Culture and Heritage

**La Saranduga** is a manifestation of religious devotion to San Juan Bautista. It is out of love and fear of this saint that year after year they organize his party. The sarandunga or festival of the sarandunga is the festive motive.

The **Regional Carnival** is a manifestation of joy and happiness of the southern people, which is celebrated in Baní on the last Sunday of **March** of each year. In it, their communities and other provinces such as Azua, San José de Ocoa and Monsignor Nouel participate.

**Patronal festivals** are celebrated in honor of the Virgin of Regla in the municipality of Baní and in honor of the Virgin Inmaculada Concepción in town sombrero celebrated every year with religious origin.

The Virgen de Regla is the patron saint of the Banilejos, whose patron saint festivities are celebrated every year on **November 21**, sponsored by the Baní Municipal Council. The image of the Virgen de Regla is in the Nuestra Señora de Regla Cathedral located in the center of the city.

The **Mango Expo** is a fair that is held to celebrate the Dominican mango harvest which began in 2005. Its objective is to promote the the mango, highlighting its social, economic and cultural value, and that of Baní and the Dominican Republic. Baní is known as "The Capital of Mango" due to its outstanding mango production, where the Dominican Mango Cluster stands out. The banilejo mango (Mangifera indica L.) is the best known and most exported mango.

## References

Baní [1]

Baní [2]