Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo | |
|---|---|
| Santo Domingo de Guzmán | |
| Motto(s): "Ciudad Primada de América" (in Spanish) ("First City of America") | |
| Coordinates: 18°27′45″N 69°56′10″W / 18.46250°N 69.93611°W | |
| Country | Dominican Republic |
| District | National District |
| Founded | 5 August 1496 (529 years ago) |
| Founder | Bartholomew Columbus |
| Named after | Saint Dominic de Guzmán |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Carolina Mejía |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,502 km2 (580 sq mi) |
| • Metro | 2,770.00 km2 (1,069.50 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 14 m (46 ft) |
| Population (November 2022) | |
• Total | 1,029,110 |
| • Density | 680/km2 (1,800/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 1,029,110 |
| • Metro | 4,274,651 |
| Demonym | Spanish: Capitaleño (fem. Capitaleña) |
| Metro area GDP (PPP, constant 2015 values) | |
| • Year | 2023 |
| • Total | $73.7 billion |
| • Per capita | $20,900 |
| Time zone | UTC−04:00 (AST) |
| Postal codes | 10100–10699 (Distrito Nacional) |
| Area codes | 809, 829, 849 |
| Website | adn (in Spanish) |
| Official name | Colonial City of Santo Domingo |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | ii, iv, vi |
| Designated | 1990 (14th session) |
| Reference no. | 526 |
| Region | Latin America and the Caribbean |
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Santo Domingo, formerly known as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic and the largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean by population. As of 2022, the city center had a population of 1,029,110 while its Metropolitan area, the Greater Santo Domingo, had a population of 4,274,651. The city is coterminous with the boundaries of the Distrito Nacional (D.N.), itself bordered on three sides by Santo Domingo Province.
Santo Domingo was founded in 1496 by the Spanish Empire and is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the Americas. It was the first seat of Spanish colonial rule in the New World, the Captaincy General of Santo Domingo. Santo Domingo is the site of the first university, cathedral, castle, monastery, and fortress in the New World. The city's Colonial Zone was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Santo Domingo was called Ciudad Trujillo (Spanish pronunciation: [sjuˈðað tɾuˈxiʝo]), from 1936 to 1961, after the Dominican Republic's dictator, Rafael Trujillo, named the capital after himself. Following his assassination, the city resumed its original designation.
Santo Domingo is the cultural, financial, political, commercial and industrial center of the Dominican Republic, with the vast majority of the country' industries being located within the city. Santo Domingo also serves as the chief seaport of the country. The city's harbor at the mouth of the Ozama River accommodates the largest vessels, and the port handles both heavy passenger- and freight traffic.