Santo Domingo de Guzman

Santo Domingo

(From Dominican Explorer ) Santo Domingo is the Capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 2,253,437 in 2006  The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River. Founded by Bartholomew Columbus in 1496,It lies within the boundaries of the Distrito Nacional(D.N.; “National District”), itself bordered on three sides by Santo Domingo Province.

Santo Domingo skyline is a mixture of old houses and apartment buildings and new high rise tower development and shopping malls.

Today, Santo Domingo is the Dominican Republic’s major metropolis, and is the largest city in the Caribbean by population

The city is the center of economic activity in the Dominican Republic. Many national and international firms have their headquarters or regional offices in Santo Domingo. The city attracts many international firms and franchises due to its geographic location, stability, and vibrant economy.

The infrastructure is adequate for most business operations; however, power outages continue to be a problem in certain parts of the city. A key element that has helped the city thrive and compete globally is the telecommunications infrastructure. For many years the Dominican Republic has enjoyed a modern and state of the art telecommunications system, due to its privatization and integration with the US system.

Santo Domingo contains a wide variety of incomes, ranging from the extremely poor to the highly rich. Areas of high income families are found in the central Polygon of the city, which is bordered by the Avenida John F. Kennedy (“Avenida” = “Avenue”) to the north, Avenida 27 de Febrero to the south, Avenida Winston Churchill to the west and Avenida Máximo Gómez to the east, and is characterized by its mostly residential area and its distinguished nightlife.