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San Pedro de Macorís is a province of the Dominican Republic. The area
was only slowly populated, with its tiny settlements from the Spanish colonial
period seeing increases in their population as people fled the Haitian occupation.
Known also as ‘Misquitisol’, the province is famous for its savage
mosquitos and hot tropical sun.
One of the groups that settled the area, the ‘cocolos’, introduced
practices of harvest festivities associated with the churches that they built.
The ‘guloya’ festival, which takes place between 22nd December and
16th January, is a remnant of this heritage. The historical legacy of the area
is also found in the regional cooking. Some of the specialties are ‘yaniqueque’,
a type of flour bread, and the sweet little ‘domplin’. Macorís
produces a local drink, Guadaberry, from the fruit of the araijan tree, traditionally
consumed at Christmas.
The province’s capital, San Pedro de Macorís, has its origins
as a port town that was dependant on the fruits provided by the capital during
the Spanish colonial era. The first mayor was nominated in 1815, and in 1852,
with the construction of a military post, the city began to grow. San Pedro
de Macorís city was decreed a Community in 1865, during the Second Republic,
and its port was opened to foreign imports in 1867. The sugar industry was established
in 1879.
The city’s economic growth was accompanied by a cultural development,
with newspapers being established and schools constructed. During the 1920s,
this was the Dominican Republic’s third most populated city. Today, its
population totals about 217,000, and it is still one of the nation’s most
important ports.
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