Monte Plata

Coordinates: 18°48′36″N 69°47′24″W / 18.81000°N 69.79000°W / 18.81000; -69.79000
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Monte Plata
Municipality
Coat of arms of Monte Plata
Monte Plata is located in the Dominican Republic
Monte Plata
Monte Plata
Coordinates: 18°48′36″N 69°47′24″W / 18.81000°N 69.79000°W / 18.81000; -69.79000
CountryDominican Republic
ProvinceMonte Plata
Founded1606
Municipality since
1844
Municipal DistrictsBoyá, Chirino, Don Juan
Area
 • Total264.4 km2 (102.1 sq mi)
 • Urban3.34 km2 (1.29 sq mi)
Elevation56 m (184 ft)
Population
 (2014)[1]
 • Total24,192
 • Density91/km2 (240/sq mi)
 • Urban
16,115
Demonym(s)Monteplateño
(female, monteplateña)
Time zoneUTC-4 (AST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (AST)
Distance53 km (33 mi) to Santo Domingo

Monte Plata is a Dominican city and head municipality of the Monte Plata province.

The town was founded with people from Monte Cristi and Puerto Plata; they took the words "Monte" from the first town and "Plata" from the second town to form the name of the new town: "Monte Plata".

History[change | change source]

The city was founded in 1606 when the Spanish Governor Antonio Osorio destroyed, by orders of King Phillip III of Spain, the towns of Monte Cristi and Puerto Plata. The people and the cattle were moved to a new town that was given the name of Monte Plata to remember those two towns that were destroyed.

When the province of Monte Plata was created in 1982, the city was made the head municipality of this province.

Population[change | change source]

The municipality had, in 2014, a total population of 26,192: 13,288 men and 12,904 women. The urban population was 61.5% of the total population.[1]

Geography[change | change source]

Monte Plata is in the northwestern part of the Llano Costero del Caribe (in English, "Caribbean Coastal Plain"), a large prairie with many important savannas.

The Sierra de Yamasá is found to the northeast of the municipality. Los Haitises is a karst region with many small hills; it is to the northwest of Monte Plata.

It has a total area of 264.4 km2 (102.1 sq mi) and has three municipal districts (a municipal district is a subdivision of a municipality); these are Boyá, Chirino and Don Juan.[4]

The altitude of the city of Monte Plata is 56 m (184 ft) above sea level.[3]

The municipality of Monte Plata has the municipality of Sabana Grande de Boyá to the north, the municipality of Bayaguana to the east, the Santo Domingo province to the south and the municipality of Yamasá to the west.

Climate[change | change source]

Monte Plata has a tropical wet climate (Köppen-Geiger classification: Af) with no dry or cold season as it is constantly moist (rainfalls during the whole year).[5]

The average amount of rainfall for the year in the city is 2,058.8 mm (81.1 in). The month with the most precipitation on average is August with 327.6 mm (12.9 in) of rainfall, followed by May with 256.1 mm (10.1 in).

The driest season is winter. The month with the least rainfall on average is January with an average of 60.9 mm (2.4 in) followed by December with an average of 67.2 mm (2.6 in).

Monte Plata is in a warm region; the average temperature for the year is 26.3 °C (79 °F). The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of 27.75 °C (81.9 °F). The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of 24.15 °C (75.47 °F).

Climate data for Monte Plata (1961–1990)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 29.5
(85.1)
30.1
(86.2)
31.3
(88.3)
32.3
(90.1)
32.6
(90.7)
33.0
(91.4)
33.1
(91.6)
33.0
(91.4)
32.9
(91.2)
32.2
(90.0)
31.0
(87.8)
29.5
(85.1)
31.7
(89.1)
Daily mean °C (°F) 24.2
(75.6)
24.6
(76.3)
25.7
(78.3)
26.5
(79.7)
27.2
(81.0)
27.7
(81.9)
27.8
(82.0)
27.7
(81.9)
27.5
(81.5)
27.0
(80.6)
25.8
(78.4)
24.5
(76.1)
26.4
(79.4)
Average low °C (°F) 18.8
(65.8)
19.1
(66.4)
20
(68)
20.7
(69.3)
21.8
(71.2)
22.3
(72.1)
22.4
(72.3)
22.3
(72.1)
22.1
(71.8)
21.8
(71.2)
20.6
(69.1)
19.4
(66.9)
20.9
(69.7)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 60.9
(2.40)
78.1
(3.07)
102.3
(4.03)
120.1
(4.73)
256.1
(10.08)
232.3
(9.15)
232.0
(9.13)
327.6
(12.90)
252.4
(9.94)
211.7
(8.33)
118.1
(4.65)
67.2
(2.65)
2,058.8
(81.06)
Source 1: NOAA[6]
Source 2: Climatemps.com[5]

Administrative division[change | change source]

The municipality of Monte Plata has three municipal districts:[4]

Municipal districts of Monte Plata
Code Municipal district Population
(2010)
290102 Don Juan 7,313
290103 Chirino 7,951
290104 Boyá 5,267

Economy[change | change source]

Because there are many savannas, and by its history, the most important economic activity in the municipality is cattle raising is also important, mainly for milk.

Farming is also an important activity. Some crops are sugar cane and fruits like orange.

References[change | change source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Consejo Nacional de Población y Familia. "Estamaciones y Proyecciones de la Población Dominicana por Regiones, Provincias, Municipios y Distritos Municipales, 2014" (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  2. "Expansión Urbana de las ciudades capitales de R.D. 1988-2010. Informe Básico" (PDF) (in Spanish). Oficina Nacional de Estadística. April 2015. p. 80. Retrieved 10 December 2016.[permanent dead link]
  3. 3.0 3.1 De la Fuente, Santiago (1976). Geografía Dominicana (in Spanish). Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic: Editora Colegial Quisqueyana.
  4. 4.0 4.1 "División Territorial 2015" (in Spanish). Oficina Nacional de Estadística (ONE). October 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 November 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  5. 5.0 5.1 "Monte Plata Climate & Temperature". Climatemps.com. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  6. "Monte Plata Climate Normals 1961-1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 17 November 2016.


Provincial capitals of the Dominican Republic Flag of the Dominican Republic
AzuaBaníBarahonaBonaoComendadorCotuíDajabónEl SeiboHato MayorHigüeyJimaníLa RomanaLa VegaMaoMocaMonte CristiMonte PlataNaguaNeibaPedernalesPuerto PlataSabanetaSalcedoSamanáSan CristóbalSan Francisco de MacorísSan José de OcoaSan Juan de la MaguanaSan Pedro de MacorísSantiago de los CaballerosSanto DomingoSanto Domingo Este