Nagua

Coordinates: 19°22′48″N 69°51′0″W / 19.38000°N 69.85000°W / 19.38000; -69.85000
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nagua
Municipality
A street in Nagua
A street in Nagua
Nagua is located in the Dominican Republic
Nagua
Nagua
Coordinates: 19°22′48″N 69°51′0″W / 19.38000°N 69.85000°W / 19.38000; -69.85000
CountryDominican Republic
ProvinceMaría Trinidad Sánchez
Municipal Districts3
Municipality since1938
Area
 • Total47.6 km2 (18.4 sq mi)
 • Urban12.77 km2 (4.93 sq mi)
Elevation3 m (10 ft)
Population
 (2014)[1]
 • Total40,611
 • Density850/km2 (2,200/sq mi)
 • Urban
38,540
Time zoneUTC-4 (AST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (AST)
Distance70 km (43 mi) to San Francisco de Macorís
180 km (110 mi) to Santo Domingo

Nagua is a Dominican city and the head municipality of the María Trinidad Sánchez province, on the northeast (Atlantic) coast of the country. It was a town of fishermen that became a city in the second half of the 20th century. The city of Nagua is almost at sea level.

Population[change | change source]

The municipality had, in 2014, a total population of 40,611: 20,055 men and 20,556 women. The urban population was 94.9% of the total population.[1]

History[change | change source]

Nagua was a small town close to the place where the river Nagua gets into the sea and that is the reason of its old name: Boca de Nagua (in English, "Nagua's Mouth"); it was part of the old municipality of Matanzas, Duarte province.

It was created a municipality in 1938 with the name Villa Julia Molina (Julia Molina was the mother of the dictator Rafael Trujillo). On 4 August 1946 there was a tsunami that destroyed the city of Matanzas and Villa Julia Molina became the main city of the region.[4]

In 1945 the municipality became part of the Samaná province. With the creation of the new province of "Julia Molina" (now María Trinidad Sánchez), Villa Julia Molina became the head municipality of the province. The name of the city was changed to Nagua in 1961, after Trujillo's death.[5]

Geography[change | change source]

The municipality of Nagua has a total area of 47.6 km2 (18.4 sq mi). It has three municipal districts (a municipal district is a subdivision of a municipality). These are San José de Matanzas, Las Gordas and Arroyo al Medio.[6]

Nagua is at 180 km (112 mi) to the northwest of Santo Domingo and at 70 km (43 mi) to the north of San Francisco de Macorís. The altitude of the city of Nagua is 3 m (10 ft) above sea level.[3]

The municipality has the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Samaná province to the southeast, the municipality of El Factor to the south, the Duarte province to the west and the municipalities of Cabrera and Río San Juan to the north.

The Cordillera Septentrional (in English, "Northern mountain range") runs along the western half of the municipality. Even if the mountains are not too high, most people live along the coast.

In the southwestern part of the municipality, on the border with the Samaná province, there is a region with swamps.

Rivers in Nagua are short; one of them is the river Nagua. The city and the region is named after this small river.

Climate[change | change source]

Nagua 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).[7]

The average amount of rainfall for the year in the city is 1,926.3 mm (75.8 in). The month with the most precipitation on average is November with 253.6 mm (10.0 in) of rainfall, followed by May with 230.3 mm (9.1 in).

The driest season is winter. The month with the least rainfall on average is February with an average of 97.2 mm (3.8 in) followed by March, 99.2 mm (3.9 in).

Nagua is in a warm region; the average temperature for the year is 25.7 °C (78 °F). The warmest month, on average, is September with an average temperature of 26.95 °C (80.5 °F). The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of 24.3 °C (75.74 °F).

Climate data for Nagua (1961–1990)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 28.5
(83.3)
28.9
(84.0)
29.5
(85.1)
29.9
(85.8)
30.2
(86.4)
30.8
(87.4)
30.8
(87.4)
31.0
(87.8)
31.3
(88.3)
30.8
(87.4)
29.8
(85.6)
28.8
(83.8)
30.0
(86.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) 24.3
(75.7)
24.6
(76.3)
25.1
(77.2)
25.5
(77.9)
25.9
(78.6)
26.5
(79.7)
26.5
(79.7)
26.8
(80.2)
27.0
(80.6)
26.6
(79.9)
25.8
(78.4)
24.7
(76.5)
25.8
(78.4)
Average low °C (°F) 20.1
(68.2)
20.2
(68.4)
20.6
(69.1)
21.0
(69.8)
21.5
(70.7)
22.2
(72.0)
22.2
(72.0)
22.5
(72.5)
22.6
(72.7)
22.3
(72.1)
21.7
(71.1)
20.5
(68.9)
21.5
(70.6)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 137.9
(5.43)
97.2
(3.83)
99.2
(3.91)
146.0
(5.75)
230.3
(9.07)
111.7
(4.40)
118.0
(4.65)
155.3
(6.11)
146.1
(5.75)
216.1
(8.51)
253.6
(9.98)
214.9
(8.46)
1,926.3
(75.85)
Source 1: NOAA[8]
Source 2: Climatemps.com[7]

Administrative division[change | change source]

The municipality of Nagua has three municipal districts:[6]

Municipal districts of Nagua
Code Municipal district Population
(2010)
140102 San José de Matanzas 10,586
140103 Las Gordas 15,359
140104 Arroyo al Medio 10,437

Economy[change | change source]

Farming, cattle raising (mainly for milk), and fishing are very important around the city. Some important products are rice, coconut, and cacao.

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. 50. 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. Concepción, J. Agustín (1980). Corografía dominicana (in Spanish). La Vega, Dominican Republic: Amigo del Hogar. pp. 71–72.
  5. Félix, Werner D. (2004). División Político-Territorial Dominicana 1944-2004 (in Spanish). Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic: CONAU. ISBN 999349391-0.
  6. 6.0 6.1 "División Territorial 2015" (in Spanish). Oficina Nacional de Estadística (ONE). October 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 November 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  7. 7.0 7.1 "Nagua Climate & Temperature". Climatemps.com. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  8. "Nagua Climate Normals 1961-1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 7 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