La Vega, Dominican Republic
La Vega, is the third largest city and municipality of the Dominican Republic. It is in La Vega Province. The city is known as the heart of the Dominican Republic for its geographical position and its large agricultural production methods throughout its province.
History
built a small fort near present-day La Vega, in 1494, intended to guard the route to the interior gold deposits of the Cibao valley. A Spanish settlement known as Concepción de la Vega gradually grew up around the fort. After 1508, when gold was found in quantity there, Concepción became the first gold boomtown in the island.By 1510 it was one of the largest and most important European cities in the hemisphere. The town was destroyed and buried by an earthquake on December 2, 1562, and the survivors moved to the present site on the banks of the Camú River. The site of the ruined town remained largely farmland until a small part of the original city was bought by the Dominican government in the mid-1970s and renamed as Pueblo Viejo National Park.
Sectors
- Arenoso
- Brache Batista
- Barrio Guarionex
- Barrio Loteria
- Barrio Militar
- Barrio X
- Bayacanes
- Carmelitas
- Camboya
- Centro Ciudad
- Conani
- Cutupú
- Don Bosco
- Don Pedro
- El Bolsillo
- El Paraiso
- El Campito
- El Cerro
- El Ensueño
- El Napoles
- El Riito
- Ensanche Duarte
- Gamundi
- Guaigui
- La Arboleda
- La Boca Del Lobo
- Las Carolinas
- La Enramada
- La Cigua
- La Planta
- La Riviera
- Las Marias
- Licey
- Los Pomos
- Los Robles
- Los Multi-Familiares
- Palmarito
- Parque Hostos
- Ponton
- Puerto Rico
- Rancho Abajo
- Residencial Chimbin
- Residencial Coral
- Río Verde Abajo
- Río Verde Arriba
- San Antonio
- San Martin
- San Miguel
- Santo Domingo Sabio
- Soto
- Villa Carolinas
- Villa Olga
- Villa Francisca
- Villa Francisca II
- Villa Margarita
- Villa Mera
- Villa Real
- Villa Hollywood
- Villa Lora
- Villa Rosa
- Zafaraya
Government
Economy
The local industries are based upon cacao, coffee, tobacco, rice, and cattle production. There is also a small but very famous brewery called Cervecería Vegana known for its pilsener-style beers, named Quisqueya and Soberana. There is a factory known for making the famous sausage Induveca.Geography
La Vega is bounded on the north by the Camú River. This river flows about 100 kilometers before emptying into Yuna River. South of the city is the Cordillera Central, the largest mountain system of the Dominican Republic. El Ponton Field, a local airport, bounds the city on the east. To La Vega's west are the Camú River again and Montellano.Climate
La Vega has a tropical rainforest climateReligion
The shrine of Our Lady of Mercy called Santo Cerro is located in the place where Virgin Mary appeared to Christopher Columbus during a battle.Education
There is an extension of the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña and there is the Universidad Católica Tecnológica del Cibao. Since 2005 the national and local governments are planning to build an extension of the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo, but there are some conflicts and the project is behind schedule. This city also has one of the most expensive schools in the country, the famous Colegio Agustiniano, which is the only in the country.Private, public, and high schools
Private Schools & High schools | Public Schools & High Schools |
Agustiniano | Arenoso School |
Cardenal Sancha | Don Pepe Alvarez High School |
La Vega Christian School | Del Carmen School |
Don Luis Despradel | Garcia Godoy |
Eugenio Maria De Hostos | Mercedez Morel |
Immacualada Concepción | Mitila Grullón |
Nuveluz Elementary Private School | Mercedez Morel |
Padre Fantino Bilingual School | Padre Lamarche |
Santo Tomás De Aquino | San Miguel Elementary School |
U.N.P.H.U. | San Antonio Public school |
Vega Nueva | San Martín De Porres |
Laura vicuña
The Book Fair
Annually, the famous Feria del Libro de República Dominicana takes place in the city of La Vega. In this fair most of the famous books and literary works from Dominicans writers such as Juan Bosch, Joaquín Balaguer,, among others, and international writers such as Gabriela Mistral, Rubén Darío, Gabriel García Márquez, among others,are sold, and some theatrical works are shown to the public. The fair is celebrated each year in the month of September, lasting about one week, and brings to this city all the editors from all around the country, selling many kinds of books, theatrical works, etc.
Transportation
There are many bus companies which travel between La Vega other cities like: Santo Domingo, Santiago, Samana, Puerto Plata, and others. There is also El Ponton Field, which serves domestics flights.Sports
Each year between the months of October and December a basketball tournament is held in this city, it is called in Spanish Torneo Superior de Baloncesto de La Vega in English Superior Basketball Tournament of La Vega, This tournament started in October 1994. One team is still active, the other disappearing.1994 - 2002 | Club DOSA | Club Enriquillo | Club La Matica | Club Parque Hostos | Club Villa |
1994 | did not compete | disqualified | Champion | disqualified | runner up |
1995 | did not compete | disqualified | disqualified | Champion | runner up |
1996 | did not compete | canceled | canceled | disqualified | disqualified |
1997 | did not compete | disqualified | disqualified | runner up | Champion |
1998 | Champion | disqualified | runner up | disqualified | disqualified |
1999 | disqualified | disqualified | Champion | disqualified | Runner up |
2000 | disqualified | disqualified | Champion | disqualified | Runner up |
2001 | Runner up | disqualified | disqualified | Champion | disqualified |
2002 | disqualified | disqualified | Runner up | Champion | disqualified |
2003 - 2012 | Angelitos del DOSA | Guerreros del Enriquillo | Potros de La Matica | Tigres del Parque Hostos | Villanos de La Villa |
2003 | disqualified | Champion | disqualified | Runner up | disqualified |
2004 | disqualified | disqualified | Runner up | Champion | disqualified |
2005 | disqualified | disqualified | Runner up | Champion | disqualified |
2006 | disqualified | disqualified | Runner up | Champion | disqualified |
2007 | disqualified | disqualified | Runner up | Champion | disqualified |
2008 | Champion | disqualified | disqualified | Runner up | disqualified |
2009 | Runner up | disqualified | disqualified | Champion | disqualified |
2010 | Runner up | disqualified | Champion | disqualified | disqualified |
2011 | disqualified | disqualified | Champion | disqualified | Runner up |
2012 | Champion | Runner up | disqualified | disqualified | disqualified |
2013 & 2014 | Angelitos del DOSA | Rebeldes del Enriquillo | Potros de La Matica | Tigres del Parque Hostos | Villanos de La Villa |
2013 | Runner up | disqualified | disqualified | Champion | disqualified |
2014 | Champion | disqualified | disqualified | Runner up | disqualified |
2015–present | Angelitos del DOSA | Rebeldes del Enriquillo | Potros de La Matica | Tigres del Parque Hostos | Fieras de La Villa |
2015 | disqualified | disqualified | disqualified | Runner up | Champion |
2016 | disqualified | Champion | disqualified | disqualified | Runner up |
2017 | Champion | Runner up | disqualified | disqualified | disqualified |
2018 | disqualified | disqualified | disqualified | Champion | Runner up |
2019 | Runner up | Champion | disqualified | disqualified | disqualified |
- El Parque Hostos is the most winning team with ten crowns and five times as runner up.
- La Matica is the second most winning team with five crowns, six times as first runner up and qualified to the finals in 1996 but that year's finale was eventually canceled.
- DOSA is the third most winning team with five crowns and five times as first runner up.
- Enriquillo is the fourth most winning team with three crowns, and two time as first runner up and qualified to the finals in 1996 but that year's finale was eventually canceled.
- La Villa is the fifth most winning team with two crowns and five times as runner up.
- In the tournament number 19 was the first time in the history of this tournament that none of the most winning teams Club La Matica & Club Parque Hostos didn't advance to the final.
Notable people
- Edward Concepcion: professional baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball.
- Juan Bosch: famous writer, former President of the Dominican Republic, from February 27, 1963 to September 24, 1963, and for decades a top, national political leader
- Juan Carlos Payano: boxer
- Victoriano Sosa: Boxer
- Antonio Guzmán Fernández: former President of the Dominican Republic, 1978–1982
- Larimar Fiallo: Miss Dominican Republic 2004
- Federico García Godoy: famous writer
- Francisco Moncion: ballet dancer, charter member of the New York City Ballet and choreographer
- Carlos de la Mota: Televisa actor
- Vielka Valenzuela: Miss Dominican Republic 1994
- Carola Durán: Miss Dominican Republic 2012 DETHRONED
- Jonathan Villar: professional baseball shortstop for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball.
- Antonio Eugenio Robinson: inventor, holder of multiple US patents who sought refuge 1950 in NYC from the political strife of the Trujillo era died in 2014 at age 102
Photo gallery