Higüey (Higüey)
Higüey, or in full Salvaleón de Higüey, is the capital city of the eastern La Altagracia Province, in the Dominican Republic, and the eighth largest city of that country. The Yuma River flows through the urban areas of Higüey.
Higüey is also the name of a former native chiefdom in Hispaniola's easternmost end when Christopher Columbus arrived. It is now one of the country's economically fastest-developing cities, sometimes nicknamed the Capital of Dominican Tourism or the Capital of Stockbreeding. As of 2006, over 150,000 people lived in Higüey. The city thrives chiefly on tourism, with many of its inhabitants employed in the hotel complexes of Punta Cana a few kilometers away, or selling tourist products.
The most important monuments in the city are the Basilica of La Altagracia and the Church of San Dionisio (Saint Denis), from the 16th century. The current mayor of the city is Rafael Baron Duluc.
According to some authors, GUEY or HUIOU is the sun in the Arawakan language of the island's native Taíno people. Perhaps coincidentally, Higüey is located at the island's eastern end, that is to say, in the region that first receives the rays of the sun. Thus the name Higüey might mean land where the sun is born.
Higüey is also the name of a former native chiefdom in Hispaniola's easternmost end when Christopher Columbus arrived. It is now one of the country's economically fastest-developing cities, sometimes nicknamed the Capital of Dominican Tourism or the Capital of Stockbreeding. As of 2006, over 150,000 people lived in Higüey. The city thrives chiefly on tourism, with many of its inhabitants employed in the hotel complexes of Punta Cana a few kilometers away, or selling tourist products.
The most important monuments in the city are the Basilica of La Altagracia and the Church of San Dionisio (Saint Denis), from the 16th century. The current mayor of the city is Rafael Baron Duluc.
According to some authors, GUEY or HUIOU is the sun in the Arawakan language of the island's native Taíno people. Perhaps coincidentally, Higüey is located at the island's eastern end, that is to say, in the region that first receives the rays of the sun. Thus the name Higüey might mean land where the sun is born.
Map - Higüey (Higüey)
Map
Country - Dominican_Republic
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| Flag of the Dominican Republic | |
The native Taíno people had inhabited Hispaniola before the arrival of Europeans, dividing it into five chiefdoms. They had constructed an advanced farming and hunting society, and were in the process of becoming an organized civilization. The Taínos also inhabited Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and the Bahamas. The Genoese mariner Christopher Columbus explored and claimed the island for Castile, landing there on his first voyage in 1492. The colony of Santo Domingo became the site of the first permanent European settlement in the Americas and the first seat of Spanish colonial rule in the New World. It would also become the site to introduce importations of enslaved Africans to the Americas. In 1697, Spain recognized French dominion over the western third of the island, which became the independent state of Haiti in 1804.
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| DOP | Dominican peso | $ | 2 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| ES | Spanish language |