Samana Province Dominican Republic

Samana is one of 32 provinces in the Dominican Republic and is located in the northeast of the country, occupying the entire peninsula of Samana.  Its capital is Santa Barbara de Samana.  It was created on June 4^th 1867 as a Maritime District. The constitution of 1907 (effective in 1908) it became the province to eliminate the category of Maritime District.

The Atlantic Ocean borders the peninsula (and province) to the north and east. On the south by the Bay of Samana and Monte Plata province (in the Southwest) and the west by the provinces Duarte and Maria Trinidad Sanchez.

History
The province was visited by Christopher Columbus in January 1493, during his first voyage to the Americas. At that time, it was occupied by Samana settlers called ciguayos and was the first hostile encounter between the Europeans and the natives.

During XVI and XVII (and early XVIII), Samana was virtually uninhabited with just a few maroons (escaped slaves) living there, plus a few European settlers who tried to colonize the region.   The beaches were used to repair and clean up (careening) boat hulls for the English and French and there were also craft fairings by buccaneers and filibusters. “Carenero” remains a place name in Samana.

Every so often, but not continuously, the Spanish colonial authorities made expeditions to evict the French who were attempting to occupy the region. They maintained two galleys on Cayo Galeras, the current town Las Galeras.   In 1756, the city of Santa Barbara de Samana was founded with families from the Canary Islands, in the place called Carenero Grande. The village was incorporated as a parish of La Vega’s Party, within the territorial division that was then the Santo Domingo Espanol.
When the Spanish Santo Domingo became, by the Treaty of Basle, dominated by the French, the French governor Ferrand tried to develop the region of Samana, installing French colonists fleeing the revolution in Haiti, including the family of Theodore Chasseriau. These settlers were engaged in cutting down woods for export and the cultivation of coffee.  Toponymic Samana still retains some of the surnames of those families: Tessan; Add “Arrendel”; “Clara Clarac”; or French words, such as Las Terrenas “The terrienne, “the landowner”.

With the Reconquista, Samana became part of the game in the East, together with Bayaguana, Monte Plata, Boya and Sabana de la Mar and El Seibo as party head. Haitian occupation (1822-1844) brought a new political divide betweem Samana and the Department of the Cibao.   The Haitian president Jean Pierre Boyer formed a stronghold in Cacaos, east of Santa Barbara de Samana for better control of the Bay of Samana, as well as a small fort in El Limon, on the north coast.

Boyer sent Haitian families to Samana.  These families settled in Teson.  He also sent to the region about 200 former American slaves, although many returned, some stayed, while retaining their language and traditions.

During the First Republic (1844-1861), a common Samana Province was that of El Seibo. With annexation to Spain, Samana El Seibo was separated and became a government similar to the existing provinces. The Restoration restored a territorial division.  The Constitution of 1865 created the District Maritime Samana with the military government, which later became the province of Samana in the Constitution of 1907.  It ceased to recognize the districts at sea level.

The province has changed much during its existence, although it has always belonged to the entire peninsula.  It was covering both sides of the Bay of Samana but then Sabana de la Mar became the province of El Seibo.  It then occupied the entire northeast coast, to Cabrera.  In 1958 the province became Julia Molina (now Maria Trinidad Sanchez) and Samana was removed from most of its territory. The last reduction was made in 1959 when it was separated from Trujillo Yuna (Yuna’s current Water St) to pass to the municipality of Villa Riva in Duarte Province.

Administrative division

According to the 2002 Population Census, the population of the province was 91.875 persons.  (46.738 men and 45.137 women).

Relief

Virtually the entire province is occupied by the Sierra de Samana, just west of Sanchez. Land is flat, much employed by the Greater Estero. The Sierra de Samana reaches the coast, except in places where there the beaches are attractions. The highest mountain in the Sierra de Samana (and province) is located in the eastern portion and is called the plateau, at 650m of altitude.

Climate

Its climate is a tropical moist forest, with a temperature of 25.9 degrees celcius. Annual precipitation in the Sierra de Samana is over 2000mm.

Water Resources

There are many rivers and streams, but all are short. This province is the final part of the Yuna River, which flows into the western end of Samana Bay.

Business

Agriculture is very limited, it is the largest producer of coconut in the country but the demand for the product has been declining.  Also fishing has been declining over time by increased sediment in the Bay of Samana provided by the Rio Yuna. There is a small mining operation, producing marble. Tourism is becoming the main economic activity in the province.

Tourism

Although Samana is one of the main tourist resorts in the country, it has not yet been able to develop the full potential it has with its many beaches. During the winter and early spring, the activity of observing the humpback whales are becoming an increasingly important activity for generating income for the province.