La Mata

**La Mata** (also called **Villa La Mata**) is a town in the Sánchez Ramírez Province of the Dominican Republic. It is one of the youngest towns in the country. The population was 42,785 at the 2012 census. Part of the town is within the boundaries of Aniana Vargas National Park.

## La Mata

### Region

Sánchez Ramírez Province
Cibao S

## Etymology

Its name comes from a mango bush that was commonly used by morradores to tie their goats.

## History

The history of Villa La Mata dates back to the time of the Restoration War when the area was known as *El Higüero* or *Higüerito*. It was no more than a small hamlet on the road between the towns of La Vega and Cotuí.

By the middle of the 20th century, this area had a great boost with the introduction of irrigation canals for rice production, resulting in massive immigration. An overproduction of rice in this area accelerated economic development, attracting a considerable number of inhabitants from the South and Northwest regions of the country, especially from the fields of San Juan de la Maguana and Monte Cristi.

## Geography

La Mata is located at 19.1009° N, 70.1679° W. According to the ONE, the town has a total land area of 187.66 square kilometers (72.46 square miles). It is bordered by the Duarte Province towns of Las Guáranas and Pimentel on the north, the city of Cotuí on the east, the town of **La Mata** on the east, the city of Cotuí on the south and east, and the town of Fantino on the west. It is located in the northern part of the province. La Mata has 4 municipal districts; **La Mata** (town center), **Angelina**, **La Bija**, and **Hernando Alonzo**.

### Topography

With regard to its relief, it occupies a flat territory almost entirely. These plains are the result of the proximity to the Yuna River due to the effect of its floods. In the urban area, the greatest depression that exists is the area known as La Joya, a name referring to the largest canyon of Yuna.

The predominant soil in the municipality is the clay-silty type, mainly the entire rice strip. Without going unnoticed the coastline of the Yuna River, whose texture and structures are different; basically composed of fine particles of silt and sand.

The hydrographic networks of La Mata are almost all artificial. They have been created for agricultural or consumption purposes, except for the Yuna River and the Guamita, Pontón, Yaquesillo and Bomita streams. The existence of a quantity of groundwater is verified. The waters present a high degree of contamination as a result of the uses of herbicides, pesticides, fertilization in agricultural work and the contamination created by sulfides from the exploitation of the gold mine in Cotuí.

### Climate

The climate of this region is characteristic of its relief and rain regime. The humid tropical microclimate surrounds it with an approximate average regime of 1600 mm (*63 inches*) per year. This area experiences almost 100 mm (*4 in.*) more rainfall per year than the rest of the entire country due to the presence of the trade winds and the proximity of Los Haitises National Park.

## Economy

Although rice cultivation is the main economic activity in Villa La Mata, there are also small plantations of banana, cocoa and citrus.

## Heritage

Its patron saint festivities are celebrated every year in **September** in honor of the Virgen de las Mercedes.

## References

La Mata [1]

La Mata [2]

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