Piedra Blanca

**Piedra Blanca** (*English: "Whitestone"*) is a town in the Monseñor Nouel Province of the Dominican Republic. Within its boundaries is the Montaña La Huemeadora National Park. The population was 23,511 at the 2002 census.

## Piedra Blanca

### Region

Cibao S
Monseñor Nouel Province

## Etymology

The name *Piedra Blanca* comes from a famous gigantic stone of that color that served as a reference for the delivery of correspondence, messages and served as a meeting point for inhabitants of the time.

It is said that the stone was washed away by the Maimon River when Hurricane San Zenón visited on September 3, 1930.

## History

Piedra Blanca was elevated from a section to a municipal district by Law 2-88. It was declared a municipality on November 30, 1991 according to Law # 39-9.

## Geography

Piedra Blanca is located at 18.8417° N, 70.3167° W. According to the ONE, the town has a total land area of 237.95 square kilometers (91.87 square miles). The territory includes three municipal districts; **Piedra Blanca** (center), **Juan Adrián**, and **Villa Sonador**. Piedra Blanca is bordered by the town of Maimón on the northeast, the Monte Plata Province town of Yamasà on the east, the San Cristóbal Province towns of Villa Altagracia on the southeast and Los Cacaos on the south, the Ocoa Province town of Rancho Arriba on the southwest, and the city of Bonao on the west and northwest.

## Economy

Piedra Blanca was known for its exploitation of ferronickel by the Falconbridge Dominicana company, which employed a large number of workers from throughout the central region of the Dominican Republic.

The municipality's economy is based on the agricultural industry, especially subsistence agriculture and its poultry industry and the raising of livestock for the production of dairy products (cheese and yogurt) and sweets. Also, there are crops of cassava, banana, corn, beans and citrus. During the Trujillo era, the economy was based on the extraction of rubber from an extensive wooded area where this tree predominates.

## Lifestyle

As a result of the expansion of the Juan Pablo Duarte Highway, the municipality was affected by several evictions and relocation of the villages in the eastern part of the municipality, leading many to emigrate to other towns or simply to other places within it. municipality. The **El Caucho** neighborhood was created after the flooding and destruction caused by tropical storm Noel on October 29, 2007, which caused the death of about 10 people and the near elimination of the Barrio Centenario due to the flooding of the Maimon river that also crosses the municipality.

## Festivities

During the government of Rafael Leónidas Trujillo, the patron saint festivities were held in honor of San Rafael for 9 days until the end of October 29, but when the tyrant was executed and the town was elevated to a municipality, the date was changed because it was considered against the law since the praise of the former tyrant was prohibited and it was changed to celebrate the Holy Archangels San Miguel, San Rafael and San Gabriel, for 9 days culminating on September 29. The church and the town hall did not agree with the popular festivals and since the beginning of the new 21st century, popular festivals have been held at the end of November by the Municipal Council and religious festivals in September.