View source for Place:Santo Domingo

{{Short description|Capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic}}
{{hatnote|Note: "D.N." (Distrito Nacional) strictly refers to the city proper, i.e. excluding the surrounding Santo Domingo Province.}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Santo Domingo
| settlement_type    = Capital city
| official_name      = ''Santo Domingo de Guzmán''
| named_for          = Saint Dominic
| image_skyline      = File:Santo Domingo montage.JPG
| imagesize          = 300px
| image_caption      = '''From top to bottom, from left to right:''' Panoramic Image of the City, Fortaleza Ozama, Parque a Colón, Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD), Obelisk of George Washington Avenue (the Malecón), The National Palace of the Dominican Republic, Las Américas International Airport.
| motto              = "Ciudad Primada de América"&nbsp;{{in lang|es}}<br/>{{resize|95%|("First City of America")}}
| image_flag         = 
| image_shield       = Coat of Arms of Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic).svg
| pushpin_map        = Dominican Republic#Caribbean#North America
| pushpin_relief     = 1
| pushpin_map_caption = Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.
| mapsize            = 
| leader_title       = Mayor
| leader_name        = Carolina Mejía
| coordinates        = {{coord|18|28|N|69|57|W|region:DO|display=inline}}
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = {{flag|Dominican Republic}}
| subdivision_type1  = Province
| subdivision_name1  = National District
| established_title  = Founded
| established_date   = 5 August 1496 ({{years ago|1496}} years ago)
| established_title2 = Founder
| established_date2  = Bartholomew Columbus
| area_total_km2     = 1502
| area_metro_km2     = 2770.00
| footnotes          = {{designation list | embed=yes
   | designation1 = WHS
   | designation1_offname = Colonial City of Santo Domingo
   | designation1_date = 1990 <small>(14th [[Organization:World Heritage Committee|session]])</small>
   | designation1_type = Cultural
   | designation1_criteria = ii, iv, vi
   | designation1_number = [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/526 526]
   | designation1_free1name = Region
   | designation1_free1value = Latin America and the Caribbean
  }}
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="listado">{{in lang|es}} ''Superficies a nivel de municipios'', [http://one.gob.do/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=63&Itemid=283 Oficina Nacional de Estadística] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141117024714/http://one.gob.do/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=63&Itemid=283 |date=17 November 2014 }}</ref>
| elevation_m        = 14
| elevation_footnotes = <ref>{{cite book |last=De la Fuente |first=Santiago |title=Geografía Dominicana |publisher=Editora Colegial Quisqueyana |year=1976 |location=Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |language=es}}</ref>
| population_total   = 1,029,110<ref name="Oficina Nacional de Estadistica">{{Cite web |url=https://www.one.gob.do/media/vrxlx3jv/infografia-xcnpv.pdf |title=Provincias Dominicanas |access-date=18 September 2023 }}</ref>
| population_urban   = 1,029,110
| population_metro   = 4,274,651{{efn|The metro area is defined as the municipalities belonging to the '''Commonwealth of the Greater Santo Domingo''' (Mancomunidad del Gran Santo Domingo). <br/> These municipalities are: Distrito Nacional, Santo Domingo Este, Santo Domingo Norte, Santo Domingo Oeste, Los Alcarrizos, Boca Chica, Pedro Brand, San Antonio de Guerra, San Cristóbal, Bajos de Haina, and San Gregorio de Nigua.<ref>{{Cite web |publisher=Ayuntamiento de Santo Domingo Norte |url=https://alcaldiasdn.gob.do/carlos-guzman-es-electo-como-presidente-de-la-mancomunidad-del-gran-santo-domingo/ |title= Carlos Guzmán es electo como presidente de la Mancomunidad del gran Santo Domingo |access-date=1 February 2024 |language=es}}</ref>}}<ref name="2022census">{{Cite web |url=https://www.one.gob.do/publicaciones/2023/informe-basico-xcnpv/|title= Informe básico XCPV |access-date=1 February 2024}}</ref>
| population_as_of   = November 2022
| population_demonym = {{nowrap|{{lang-es|link=no|Capitaleño}} (fem. ''Capitaleña'')}}
| demographics_type1       = [[Finance:GDP|GDP (PPP, constant 2015 values)]]
| demographics1_footnotes  = 
| demographics1_title1     = Year
| demographics1_info1      = 2023
| demographics1_title2     = Total
| demographics1_info2      = $73.7&nbsp;billion<ref name="TelluBase">{{cite web|url=https://tellusant.com/repo/tb/tellubase_factsheet_dom.pdf|publisher=Tellusant|title=TelluBase—Dominican Rep. Fact Sheet (Tellusant Public Service Series)| access-date = 2024-01-11}}</ref>
| total_type         = Total
| population_density_km2 = auto
| timezone           = AST (UTC −4)
| area_code_type     = Area codes
| area_code          = 809, 829, 849
| postal_code_type   = Postal&nbsp;codes
| postal_code        = 10100–10699 (Distrito Nacional)
| website            = {{URL|http://adn.gob.do/}}<br />{{small|{{in lang|es}}}}
}}

'''Santo Domingo''' ({{IPA-es|ˈsanto ðoˈmiŋɡo}} meaning "Saint Dominic"), once known as '''Santo Domingo de Guzmán''', known as '''Ciudad Trujillo''' between 1936 and 1961, is the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic and the largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean by population.<ref>[http://www.citymayors.com/government/caribbean-local-government.html City Mayors: Local government in the Caribbean<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> {{As of|2022|post=,}} the city and immediate surrounding area (the Distrito Nacional) had a population of 1,029,110 while the total population is 3,798,699 when including Greater Santo Domingo (the "metropolitan area"). The city is coterminous with the boundaries of the Distrito Nacional ("D.N.", "National District"), itself bordered on three sides by Santo Domingo Province.

Founded by the Spanish in 1496, on the east bank of the Ozama River and then moved by Nicolás de Ovando in 1502 to the west bank of the river, the city is the oldest continuously inhabited [[History:European colonization of the Americas|European settlement in the Americas]], and was the first seat of the [[Place:Spanish Empire|Spanish colonial rule]] in the [[Earth:New World|New World]], the Captaincy General of Santo Domingo. It is the site of the first university, cathedral, castle, monastery, and fortress in the [[Earth:New World|New World]]. The city's Colonial Zone was declared as a World Heritage Site by [[Organization:UNESCO|UNESCO]].<ref>[https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/526 Colonial City of Santo Domingo – UNESCO World Heritage Centre<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.unesco.org/nac/geoportal.php?country=DO&language=S Comisiones Nacionales: UNESCO<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Santo Domingo was called '''Ciudad Trujillo''' ({{IPA-es|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's most important 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.

==History==
[[File:SD-037.jpg|thumb|Tomb that housed the remains of Christopher Columbus until 1795 (at the cathedral).]]
Prior to the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492, the native Taíno people populated the island which they called ''Quisqueya'', '''Kiskella''' (mother of all lands) and ''Ayiti'' (the land of the high mountains), and which Columbus later named Hispaniola, including the territory of today's Republic of Haiti. At the time, the island's territory consisted of five chiefdoms: Marién, Maguá, Maguana, Jaragua, and Higüey.<ref name="Perez2011">{{cite book|last=Perez|first=Cosme E.|title=Quisqueya: un país en el mundo: La Revelacin̤ Maya Del 2012|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AkDQoaMzrk0C&pg=PA27|access-date=4 June 2012|date=20 December 2011|publisher=Palibrio|isbn=978-1-4633-1368-5|page=27}}</ref> These were ruled respectively by ''[[Social:Cacique|cacique]]s'' (chiefs) Guacanagarix, Guarionex, Caonabo, Bohechío, and Cayacoa.
[[File:SD RD 03 2017 2065.jpg|thumb|right|The Ozama Fortress is one of the surviving sections of the Walls of Santo Domingo, which is recognized by UNESCO as being the oldest military construction of European origin in the Americas.<ref name="whc.unesco.org">{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/526|title=Colonial City of Santo Domingo. Outstanding Universal Value|website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre website}}</ref>]]
Dating from 1493, when the Spanish settled on the island, and officially from 5 August 1498, Santo Domingo became the oldest European city in the Americas. Bartholomew Columbus founded the settlement and named it La Nueva Isabela, after La Isabela, an earlier settlement in the north named after the Queen of Spain Isabella I.<ref name="Greenberger2003">{{cite book|last=Greenberger|first=Robert|title=Juan Ponce de León: The Exploration of Florida and the Search for the Fountain of Youth|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ov7PNM3NcC0C&pg=PA35|access-date=4 June 2012|date=1 January 2003|publisher=The Rosen Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-8239-3627-4|page=35}}</ref> In 1495 it was renamed "Santo Domingo", in honor of Saint Dominic. Santo Domingo came to be known as the "Gateway to the Caribbean" and the chief town in Hispaniola from then on.<ref name="BoltonMarshall2005">{{cite book|last1=Bolton|first1=Herbert E.|last2=Marshall|first2=Thomas Maitland|title=The Colonization of North America 1492 to 1783|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YN64ri8RH80C&pg=PA17|access-date=4 June 2012|date=30 April 2005|publisher=Kessinger Publishing|isbn=978-0-7661-9438-0|page=17}}{{Dead link|date=January 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Expeditions which led to Ponce de León's colonization of Puerto Rico, Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar's colonization of Cuba, Hernando Cortes' conquest of Mexico, and Vasco Núñez de Balboa's sighting of the Pacific Ocean were all launched from Santo Domingo.
{{multiple image|perrow=2|total_width=240
|image1=Santo Domingo - Museo de las Casas Reales 0298.JPG
|image2=Santo Domingo - Museo de las Casas Reales 0431.JPG
|image3=Santo Domingo - Museo de las Casas Reales 0362.JPG
|image4=Santo Domingo - Museo de las Casas Reales 0354.JPG
|footer=Colonial era weapons and armor in Museum of the Royal Houses.}}
[[File:Wall surrounding Santo Domingo (3796294208).jpg|thumb|''Colonial Wall surrounding Santo Domingo'', in 1899, Allison V. Armour Expedition]]

In June 1502,<ref name="Clayton2011">{{cite book|last=Clayton|first=Lawrence A.|title=Bartolom de Las Casas and the Conquest of the Americas|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NP1WfJFLePsC&pg=PA19|access-date=4 June 2012|date=25 January 2011|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-4051-9427-3|page=19}}</ref> Santo Domingo was destroyed by a major hurricane, and the new Governor Nicolás de Ovando had it rebuilt on a different site on the other side of the Ozama River.<ref>Meining 1986:9</ref><ref name="Floyd">{{cite book|last1=Floyd|first1=Troy|title=The Columbus Dynasty in the Caribbean, 1492–1526|date=1973|publisher=University of New Mexico Press|location=Albuquerque|pages=55, 73}}</ref> The original layout of the city and a large portion of its defensive wall can still be appreciated today throughout the Colonial Zone, declared a World Heritage Site by [[Organization:UNESCO|UNESCO]].

Diego Columbus, Christopher Columbus' son,  arrived in 1509, assuming the powers of Viceroy and admiral. In 1512, Ferdinand established a Real Audiencia with Juan Ortiz de Matienzo, Marcelo de Villalobos, and Lucas Vazquez de Ayllon appointed as judges of appeal.  In 1514, Pedro Ibanez de Ibarra arrived with the Laws of Burgos.  Rodrigo de Alburquerque was named ''repartidor de indios'' and soon named ''visitadores'' to enforce the laws.<ref name=Floyd/>{{rp|143–144,147}}

The first major slave revolt in the Americas occurred in Santo Domingo during 1521, when enslaved Africans led an uprising on Diego Colombus's sugar plantation. In 1586, the privateer Sir Francis Drake captured the city and held it for ransom.<ref name=loc3>{{cite web |url=http://countrystudies.us/dominican-republic/3.htm |title=Dominican Republic – THE FIRST COLONY |access-date=2009-03-18 |publisher=Library of Congress}}</ref> A report which reached the English government in May 1586 states that from Santo Domingo he took away 1,200 Englishmen, Frenchmen, Flemings, and "Provincials out of prison, besides 800 of the countrey people".<ref>Public Record Office, SP 12/189, 42, letter of Nicholas Clever to Nicholas Turner, merchant, 26 May 1586.</ref> Drake's successful capture signaled the decline of Spain's dominion over Hispaniola, which was accentuated in the early 17th century by Spanish policies that resulted in the depopulation of most of the island outside of the capital. An expedition sent by Oliver Cromwell in 1655 attacked the city of Santo Domingo, but the English force was repulsed by a smaller force of local militias<ref>{{cite book |title=America and the Americas: The United States in the Western Hemisphere |publisher=University of Georgia Press |url=https://archive.org/details/americaamericas00lang|url-access=registration |page=[https://archive.org/details/americaamericas00lang/page/5 5] |isbn = 9780820311036|last1 = Langley|first1 = Lester D.|date = January 1989}}</ref>{{efn|The English troops withdrew and took the less guarded colony of Jamaica instead.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rdvp3cGJUZoC&q=%22Santo+Domingo%22+1655+Penn+Venables&pg=PA148 |title=Wars of the Americas |last=Marley |first=David |publisher=ABC-CLIO |year=1998 |isbn=9780874368376 |pages=148–149}}</ref>}} and Santo Domingo suffered only 25 dead.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bradley |first1=Peter T |title=British Maritime Enterprise in the New World: From the Late Fifteenth to the Mid-eighteenth Century |page=152}}</ref> In 1697, the Treaty of Ryswick included the acknowledgement by Spain of France's dominion over the Western third of the island, now Haiti. During the 18th century, privateers from Santo Domingo patrolled the Caribbean, capturing numerous enemy [[Engineering:Merchant ship|merchantment]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Ricourt|first1=Milagros|title=The Dominican Racial Imaginary: Surveying the Landscape of Race and Nation in Hispaniola|date=2016|publisher=Rutgers University Press|page=57}}</ref>
<!--This activity proved very beneficial to the Dominican privateers, as evidenced by the fact that Captain Lorenzo Daniel, aka Lorencin, captured more than 70 ships from [[Place:Kingdom of Great Britain|Britain]] during the Anglo-Spanish War of 1762–1763.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Roorda |first1=Eric Paul |title=Historical Dictionary of the Dominican Republic |date=2016 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |location=Lanham, MD |page=174}}</ref>

The French imported slaves to work on plantations in their colonies in Saint-Domingue, and they were exploited until the {{wipe|French Revolution}} of 1789. Former plantation slave Toussaint L'ouverture led an uprising of slaves in 1791, arming them with French weapons.{{cn}} They allied with Spain and raided the colony from Santo Domingo, but in 1794 the French revolutionary government capitulated to Toussaint and made him a Brigadier-General. The Haitian revolutionaries, now allied with France, fought against attempts by the Spanish military to capture Saint-Domingue amidst the confusion.{{cn}}

However, the French failed to consolidate this cession, mainly because of the continued presence of British troops in Saint-Domingue (they remained until 1798). As the news of Santo Domingo's cession became known on the island, many Dominicans had sided with Britain against France, welcoming British ships into their ports, pledging allegiance to the British in exchange for protection, and enlisting in the British military.<ref>{{cite book|title=An Islandwide Struggle for Freedom: Revolution, Emancipation, and Reenslavement in Hispaniola, 1789–1809|page=93}}</ref>-->

From 1795 to 1822, the city changed hands several times along with the colony it headed. It was ceded to France in 1795. The city was briefly captured by Haitian rebels in 1801, recovered by France in 1802, endured a failed invasion from Haiti in 1805, and was once again reclaimed by Spain in 1809. In 1821, Santo Domingo became the capital of an independent nation called the Republic of Spanish Haiti after the Criollo bourgeois within the country, led by José Núñez de Cáceres, overthrew the [[Place:Spanish Empire|Spanish crown]]. The nation was annexed by Haiti just two months later. The city and the colony lost much of their Spanish-born peninsular population as a result of these events which caused a great deal of instability and unrest.<ref name=loc3/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://libraries.ucsd.edu/locations/sshl/resources/featured-collections/latin-american-elections-statistics/dominican-republic/elections-and-events-17911849.html |title=Elections and Events 1791–1849 |access-date=2009-03-18 |publisher=University of California-San Diego}}</ref><ref>Mary Louise Pratt, Imperial Eyes, 2007, p. 70</ref>

On 27 February 1844, Santo Domingo was again the capital of a free nation, when it gained its independence from Haiti, led by Dominican nationalist Juan Pablo Duarte. The city was a prize fought over by various political factions over the succeeding decades of instability. In addition, the country had to fight multiple battles with Haiti; the Battle of 19 March, Battle of 30 March, Battle of Las Carreras, and Battle of Beler, are a few of the most prominent encounters, mentioned in the national anthem and with city streets named after them.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.colonialzone-dr.com/stodgo_map-lenin.pdf |title=City street map of Santo Domingo at www.colonialzone-dr.com |access-date=2009-03-20}}</ref> Dominican victory in these engagements thwarted the advance of the Haitian army towards Santo Domingo during the Dominican War of Independence.
<!--The mulatto landowner Buenaventura Báez emerged as one of the leaders of the Dominican War of Independence, and he failed (in 1846) to convince France to establish a protectorate in the Dominican Republic.{{efn|He almost succeeded in persuading the United States to annex the Dominican Republic, but the bill to annex Santo Domingo failed on the US Senate floor, embarrassing President Ulysses S. Grant.}} Báez went on to serve as President from 1849 to 1853 and from 1856 to 1858,{{efn|Báez returned to the presidency from 1865 to 1866 (when he was overthrown in a military coup), from 1868 to 1874, and from 1876 to 1878.}} and he launched a naval offensive against Haiti.{{efn|His seamen under the French adventurer, Fagalde, raided the Haitian coasts, plundered seaside villages, as far as Cape Dame Marie, and butchered crews of captured enemy ships.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Baur|first1=John E.|title=Faustin Soulouque, Emperor of Haiti His Character and His Reign|date=1949|page=143}}</ref>}} The Dominican Navy attacked Haitian ports and ships in southern Haiti, effectively destroying the Haitian Navy.-->
In 1861, Spain returned to the country, having struck a bargain with Dominican dictator Pedro Santana whereby the latter was granted several honorific titles and privileges, in exchange for annexing the young nation back to Spanish rule. The Dominican Restoration War began in 1863 however, and in 1865 the Bourbon Queen Isabella II withdrew her soldiers from the island.
<!--The war left more than 50,000 people dead,<ref>{{cite book |title=Haïti République Dominicaine-Une Île pour deux (1804–1916) |date = 26 March 2003|isbn = 9782811137113|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XuWdtKnKz4gC&pg=PA18}}</ref>  including 40,888 Spanish.<ref>{{cite book |title=World Epidemics: A Cultural Chronology of Disease from Prehistory to the Era of Zika, 2d ed. |isbn = 9781476631066|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RCpADwAAQBAJ&pg=PA170|last1 = Snodgrass|first1 = Mary Ellen|date = 28 November 2017}}</ref> Despite regaining its freedom, the capital would continue to experience difficulties, beginning when Pedro Antonio Pimentel, the head of the provisional government at Santiago de los Caballeros, attempted to march triumphantly upon Santo Domingo in August 1865 only to be checked by rival southern forces under José María Cabral.-->
Over the next two-thirds of a century Santo Domingo and the Dominican Republic went through many revolutions and power changes. Santo Domingo would experience the first of two U.S. invasions in 1916 when different leaders fought for presidential power and control of the city. The United States intervened, instituting a military leader, Harry Shepard Knapp. U.S. Marines and Dominicans clashed in Santo Domingo on October 24–25, 1916, resulting in the deaths of two U.S. Marines and three Dominicans.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dominican Republic (1902–present)|url=https://uca.edu/politicalscience/dadm-project/western-hemisphere-region/dominican-republic-1902-present/}}</ref>
<!--Eventually the Americans withdrew in 1924.{{efn|By the time U.S. forces were withdrawn in 1924, 144 Marines had been killed in action.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Ayres|first1=Thomas|title=A Military Miscellany: From Bunker Hill to Baghdad: Important, Uncommon, and Sometimes Forgotten Facts,Lists, and Stories from America#s Military History|date=2008|publisher=Random House Publishing Group|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=97IN9MNwM2YC&pg=PT211|isbn=978-0-307-48825-1|page=211}}</ref> The Marines inflicted 950 Dominican casualties.<ref>{{cite web|title=THE CARIBBEAN WAR. The United States in the Caribbean, 1898–1998|url=http://www.cercles.com/n5/dosal.pdf|publisher=University of South Florida}}</ref>}}-->
[[Image:Wea02216.jpg|thumb|Destruction of Santo Domingo after the hurricane]]
The city was struck by hurricane San Zenón in 1930, which caused major damage and killed up to 8,000 people.<ref name="Derby2009">{{cite book|last=Derby|first=Lauren|title=The Dictator's Seduction: Politics and the Popular Imagination in the Era of Trujillo|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Nzqw4w91vucC&pg=PA66|access-date=4 June 2012|date=26 June 2009|publisher=Duke University Press|isbn=978-0-8223-4482-7|page=66}}</ref> After its rebuilding, Santo Domingo was known officially as Ciudad Trujillo due to the personality cult imposed by dictator Rafael Leónidas Trujillo, who governed from 1930. Following his assassination in 1961 the city was renamed back to Santo Domingo.

In 1962, Juan Bosch was elected to the presidency. He was overthrown seven months later, resulting in a civil war in the capital. Francisco Caamaño led the ''Constitucionalistas'' fighting to restore democracy. This would lead to the second U.S. invasion in 1965. U.S. troops engaged in heavy fighting in the streets of Santo Domingo against the ''Constitucionalistas'' on June 15 and June 16. Newsweek described it this way:
{{blockquote|Amid the clatter of automatic weapons, the sharp rattle of .50-caliber guns and the heavy explosions of bazookas and recoilless rifles, the paratroopers of the 82nd U.S. Airborne Division blasted their way four city blocks into Caamaño's bastion. Heavy fire from U.S. guns across the Ozama River ringed rebel headquarters on El Conde Street, shattered buildings and started huge fires.}}

Eventually, the fighting would end on August 31, 1965, with 2,850 Dominicans and 44 American servicemen dead.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Palmer|first1=Bruce|title=Intervention in the Caribbean: The Dominican Crisis of 1965|date=2015|publisher=University Press of Kentucky|isbn=9780813150024|page=137|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I5UfBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA137}}</ref>

The year 1992 marked the 500th anniversary, El Quinto Centenario, of Christopher Columbus' Discovery of the Americas. The Columbus Lighthouse&nbsp;– Faro a Colón&nbsp;– was erected in Santo Domingo in honor of this occasion, with an approximate cost of 400 million Dominican pesos.<ref name=cultura/>

==Geography==
[[File:Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.jpg|thumb|right|View of Santo Domingo from space, 2010.]]
<!--which side is which?-->
The Ozama River flows {{convert|148|km|0|abbr=off|sp=us}} before emptying into the Caribbean Sea. Santo Domingo's position on its banks was of great importance to the city's economic development and the growth of trade during colonial times. The Ozama River is where the country's busiest port is located.

===Climate===
The average temperature in Santo Domingo varies little, because the tropical trade winds help mitigate the heat and humidity throughout the year. Thanks to these trade winds, Santo Domingo has a borderline [[Earth:Tropical rainforest climate|tropical rainforest]] ([[Earth:Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Af'')/[[Earth:Tropical monsoon climate|tropical monsoon climate]] (''Am''), as its driest month is very close to {{convert|60|mm|in|sp=us}}. However, the city seldom experiences the heat that one may expect to find. December through March are the coolest months with warm days with less humidity and cool nights (temperatures of {{convert|17|to|19|C|F|abbr=on}}). July through September are the hottest. Santo Domingo averages {{convert|1445|mm|in|sp=us}} of rain annually. Its driest months are from December through April; however, due to the trade winds and mountains to the southwest, rain is seen even during these months.

Like many other cities in the Caribbean, Santo Domingo is very susceptible to hurricanes. Hurricane Georges caused severe destruction in September 1998. The lowest recorded temperature has been {{convert|11.0|C|F}} on 5 February 1951 and 7 January 1957 and the highest is {{convert|39.5|C|F}} on 29 May 2002.<ref name=records>{{cite web |first1=Mariela |last1=Mejía |url=http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias/2011/01/07/i274915_frio-extremo-calor-agobiante.html |title=Frío extremo, calor agobiante |publisher=Diario Libre |language=es |date=7 January 2011 |access-date=2 May 2017 |archive-date=4 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104214132/http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias/2011/01/07/i274915_frio-extremo-calor-agobiante.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

{{Weather box
|location = Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (1971–2000, extremes 1909–present)
| metric first= yes
| single line = yes
| width = auto 
|collapsed=yes
|temperature colour = 
|Jan record high C = 34.4
|Feb record high C = 33.9
|Mar record high C = 36.0
|Apr record high C = 37.0
|May record high C = 39.5 <!-- Recorded in May 2002 http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias/2011/01/07/i274915_frio-extremo-calor-agobiante.html -->
|Jun record high C = 37.2
|Jul record high C = 37.8
|Aug record high C = 38.8
|Sep record high C = 36.7
|Oct record high C = 38.8
|Nov record high C = 35.0
|Dec record high C = 33.5
|year record high C = 39.5
|Jan high C = 29.4
|Feb high C = 29.3
|Mar high C = 29.6
|Apr high C = 30.3
|May high C = 30.6
|Jun high C = 31.3
|Jul high C = 31.7
|Aug high C = 31.8
|Sep high C = 31.6
|Oct high C = 31.3
|Nov high C = 30.8
|Dec high C = 29.8
|year high C = 30.6
|Jan mean C = 24.7
|Feb mean C = 24.6
|Mar mean C = 25.1
|Apr mean C = 25.8
|May mean C = 26.5
|Jun mean C = 27.2
|Jul mean C = 27.3
|Aug mean C = 27.4
|Sep mean C = 27.3
|Oct mean C = 26.9
|Nov mean C = 26.3
|Dec mean C = 25.2
|year mean C = 26.2
|Jan low C = 20.0
|Feb low C = 19.9
|Mar low C = 20.5
|Apr low C = 21.4
|May low C = 22.5
|Jun low C = 23.1
|Jul low C = 23.0
|Aug low C = 23.0
|Sep low C = 23.0
|Oct low C = 22.6
|Nov low C = 21.9
|Dec low C = 20.6
|year low C = 21.8
|Jan record low C = 11.0 <!-- http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias/2011/01/07/i274915_frio-extremo-calor-agobiante.html -->
|Feb record low C = 11.0 <!-- http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias/2011/01/07/i274915_frio-extremo-calor-agobiante.html -->
|Mar record low C = 13.3
|Apr record low C = 15.5
|May record low C = 16.5
|Jun record low C = 18.6
|Jul record low C = 18.2
|Aug record low C = 18.0
|Sep record low C = 18.0
|Oct record low C = 17.0
|Nov record low C = 17.0
|Dec record low C = 13.0
|year record low C = 11.0
|rain colour = green
|Jan rain mm = 74.5
|Feb rain mm = 67.9
|Mar rain mm = 61.9
|Apr rain mm = 72.1
|May rain mm = 176.6
|Jun rain mm = 116.4
|Jul rain mm = 131.2
|Aug rain mm = 178.1
|Sep rain mm = 208.7
|Oct rain mm = 186.2
|Nov rain mm = 132.5
|Dec rain mm = 82.9
|year rain mm = 1489.0
|Jan humidity = 82.0
|Feb humidity = 81.1
|Mar humidity = 80.1
|Apr humidity = 79.4
|May humidity = 82.2
|Jun humidity = 82.2
|Jul humidity = 82.2
|Aug humidity = 83.3
|Sep humidity = 84.0
|Oct humidity = 84.8
|Nov humidity = 84.0
|Dec humidity = 82.6
|year humidity = 82.3
|unit rain days = 1.0 mm
|Jan rain days = 8.3
|Feb rain days = 6.8
|Mar rain days = 7.0
|Apr rain days = 6.5
|May rain days = 10.5
|Jun rain days = 9.3
|Jul rain days = 10.8
|Aug rain days = 11.5
|Sep rain days = 12.1
|Oct rain days = 12.5
|Nov rain days = 10.7
|Dec rain days = 9.1
|year rain days = 115.1
|Jan sun = 239.7
|Feb sun = 229.6
|Mar sun = 253.4
|Apr sun = 248.8
|May sun = 233.9
|Jun sun = 232.3
|Jul sun = 225.9
|Aug sun = 231.6
|Sep sun = 219.9
|Oct sun = 230.7
|Nov sun = 227.5
|Dec sun = 224.1
|year sun = 2797.4
|source 1 = ONAMET<ref name=normales>
{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191221040137/http://onamet.gob.do/transparencia/phocadownload/datos-abiertos/Datos-Extremos/Datos%20climatologicos%20normales%20y%20extremos%2071-2000%20estaciones%20Sinopticas%20-%20tercer%20trimestre%202019.xlsx
| archive-date = 21 December 2019
| url = http://onamet.gob.do/transparencia/phocadownload/datos-abiertos/Datos-Extremos/Datos%20climatologicos%20normales%20y%20extremos%2071-2000%20estaciones%20Sinopticas%20-%20tercer%20trimestre%202019.xlsx
| title = Datos climatológicos normales y extremos 71–2000 estaciones Sinópticas – tercer trimestre 2019
| publisher = Oficina Nacional de Meteorología
| language = es
| access-date = 20 December 2019}}</ref>
|source 2 = Diario Libre (May record high, and record lows for January and February),<ref name=records/> Meteo Climat (record highs and lows)<ref name = meteoclimat>
{{cite web 
| url = http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/index.php?page=stati&id=1747
| title = Station Santo Domingo
| publisher = Meteo Climat 
|language = fr 
| access-date = 2 May 2017}}</ref>
|date=August 2010
}}

==Cityscape==
{{wide image|DR_panorama.jpg|950px|Panoramic view of Santo Domingo viewed from the south (Malecon Center)}}
{{wide image|Panoramica SDQ.jpg|950px|Panoramic view of Santo Domingo viewed from midtown (Novo Centro)}}
{{wide image|Santo Domingo Panorama.jpg|950px|Panoramic view of the National District.}}

===Architecture===
[[File:Columbus-Park-Dominican-Republic.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|Parque Colón]]

Many of Santo Domingo's most notable landmarks are located within the Zona Colonial district of the city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990. The Colonial Zone, bordered by the Río Ozama, also has a collection of early 16th century buildings, including palatial houses and majestic churches that reflect the architectural style of the [[History:Late Middle Ages|late Middle Ages]]. The Church and Convent of los Dominicos is the oldest Catholic building in continuous use in the [[Earth:Americas|Americas]], and was the headquarters of the [[Organization:List of colonial universities in Hispanic America|first university in the Americas]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/526|title=Colonial City of Santo Domingo|website=UNESCO World Heritage Sites website}}</ref>

The city's most important historical buildings include the Catedral Santa María La Menor, the first cathedral of the Americas, which states its distinction; the Alcázar de Colón, the first castle in the Americas, once the residence of Viceroy of the Indies Don Diego Colón, a son of Christopher Columbus; the Monasterio de San Francisco, the ruins of the first monastery in the Americas; the Museo de las Casas Reales, in a monumental complex that includes the former Palace of the Governors and the building of the former Royal Audiencia of Santo Domingo; the Fortaleza Ozama, is one of the surviving sections of the Walls of Santo Domingo, which is the oldest military construction of European origin in the Americas; the Pantéon Nacional, a former Jesuit edifice now hosting the remains of various renowned Dominicans; and the Dominican Convent, the first convent in the Americas.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}

On the north end of Calle Las Damas, the restored and expanded Plaza de España is bordered by Las Atarazanas (former naval yard, now a museum) and a number of small shops and restaurants. This area was the first European commercial center in the Americas, and is still a hub of activity today. The Alcázar de Colón, having once been the colonial palace of the Columbus family – beginning with his son Diego – is now a museum displaying period furniture and decorations. The building was originally built in 1510, and restored to its current appearance in 1952.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}

A 700 million US dollar investment was made in the Port of the Ozama river adjacent to the Ciudad Colonial aiming to turn Santo Domingo into a port of call for luxury cruise ships and including a privately owned marina. The project is being completed by Sans Soucí Ports S.A.

<gallery mode="packed" heights="140px">
File:Puerta del Conde CCSD 09 2018 1629.jpg|Puerta del Conde, built between 1543-1655, was the main entrance to the colonial fortified city of Santo Domingo
File:Basílica Menor de Santa María CCSD 07 2017 4676.jpg|Gothic style Basilica Cathedral of Santa María la Menor, was the first cathedral built in the Americas
File:SD RD 03 2017 2126.jpg|The City Hall of Santo Domingo, building built between 1504 to the early 19th century, but its tower was built in 1913
File:Santo Domingo - Edificio Baquero 0604.JPG|Edificio Baquero
File:Santo Domingo - Edificio Cerame 0254.JPG|Edificio Cerame
</gallery>

===Neighborhoods===
[[File:Sectors of the Distrito Nacional.png|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Neighborhoods of Santo Domingo.]]
The city proper of Santo Domingo is subdivided into incorporated areas (neighborhoods) called ''sectores'' which could be considered as small urban towns. All ''sectores'' are serviced directly by the [[Social:Mayor|municipal mayor's office]].

'''Sector regions''':
* '''''Ciudad (city)''''' – applies to the original older parts of town, many of which date back to the colonial times.
* '''''Ensanche''''' (lit. "widening") – usually, but not always, applied to the more "modern" parts of the city.
* '''''Villa (village)''''' – the urban outskirts of both the old city of Santo Domingo and the current (smaller) National District; originally they were separate villages, hence their names.

==Government and politics==
[[File:National Palace Dominican Republic.jpg|thumb|The National Palace, in Santo Domingo]]
Santo Domingo is the center of the national government of the Dominican Republic. The President's office and ministries, National Congress, Supreme Court of Justice, and other main government institutions are located in the metropolitan area.

The city is administered by the ''Ayuntamiento del Distrito Nacional'' (City Hall), which is responsible for municipal functions.<ref name="MoréBergdoll2010">{{cite book|last1=Moré|first1=Gustavo Luis|last2=Bergdoll|first2=Barry|title=Caribbean Modernist Architecture|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CgI9cMHsSPIC&pg=RA1-PA8|access-date=4 June 2012|date=30 June 2010|publisher=The Museum of Modern Art|isbn=978-0-87070-775-9|page=8}}</ref> The current mayor of Santo Domingo is Carolina Mejía de Garrigó.

The "Policía Nacional" (National Police) and "Policia Turística" (Tourist Police) (POLITUR) are tasked with enforcing city safety.

==Economy==
[[File:Dominican Republic Banks.jpg|thumb|upright|Reserve Bank of the Dominican Republic (BanReservas) in Santo Domingo.]]

The city is the center of economic activity in the Dominican Republic. It is where most of the country's wealth is concentrated and the seat of the national legislature, judicial, and executive government. Many national and international firms have their headquarters or regional offices in Santo Domingo. The city attracts many international firms and franchises such as Ikea, Goldcorp and Barrick due to its location and economic stability.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/DATASTATISTICS/0,,contentMDK:20421402~pagePK:64133150~piPK:64133175~theSitePK:239419,00.html#Lower_middle_income |title=Country and Lending Groups |access-date=11 June 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080524215837/http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/DATASTATISTICS/0%2C%2CcontentMDK%3A20421402~pagePK%3A64133150~piPK%3A64133175~theSitePK%3A239419%2C00.html |archive-date=24 May 2008 }}</ref>

The infrastructure is suitable for most business operations. A key element that has helped the city grow and compete globally is the telecommunications infrastructure. Santo Domingo and the Dominican Republic as a whole enjoy a modern and extensive telecommunications system liberalized in the late 1990s which has benefited from extensive foreign investment. This has attracted numerous call centers in recent years. Santo Domingo not only has an excellent telecommunications infrastructure but also a sizeable bilingual population that speaks English.

The city's economic growth can be witnessed in the extensive vertical growth experienced across many of its neighborhoods. The construction boom is reflected in the many high density residential towers, shopping malls, elevated highways, the metro expansion and overall increase in commercial activity.

Santo Domingo has a thriving middle class contrasting with the significant pockets of poverty that remain as challenges for the future. Marginalized slum conditions exist mostly in the northeast quadrant of the city with smaller pockets extending across the city. Areas of extensive development include the Poligono Central, which is bordered by the Avenida John F. Kennedy northward 27 February Avenue south, Avenida Winston Churchill to the west and Avenida Máximo Gómez to the east, and is characterized by its mixed development and its very active nightlife.

Santo Domingo has areas of high development, among them Serralles, Naco, Arroyo Hondo, Piantini, Urb Fernandez, Ens. Julieta, Paraiso, Los Prados, Bella Vista, Sarasota and other sectors, where most of the middle class can be found.

Bella Vista and La Esperilla are currently the fastest growing sectors with large mega -projects. Gazcue belongs to the more traditional southeastern area of the city and is known for its buildings dating from the 1930s to the 1960s.

==Culture==
The performing arts are very important in Santo Domingo. The city has its own symphonic orchestra, chamber orchestra, opera company, ballet company, folkloric company, and national theater, including a number of smaller groups. The Plaza of culture is the center of activity, but there are concerts, ballet, folklore, and other performances throughout the city. Casa de Teatro is the gathering place of avant garde artists, actors, and musicians. It stages art and literature exhibitions and offers painting, drama, and dancing courses and monthly contests for poetry, short stories, and other forms of literature.

[[File:Museo de las Casas Reales01.jpg|thumb|left|upright|The Palace of the Real Audiencia of Santo Domingo was the first (oldest) headquarters of Spanish power in the New World.<ref name="whc.unesco.org">{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/526|title=Colonial City of Santo Domingo. Outstanding Universal Value|website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre website}}</ref> Now houses the Museo de las Casas Reales]]
[[File:SD-035.jpg|thumb|Alcázar de Colón is the only known residence of a member of the Christopher Columbus' family: his first son Diego Columbus.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dehovi.com/destino/alcazar-de-colon/?lang=en|title=ALCAZAR DE COLON, COLONIAL CITY OF SANTO DOMINGO|website=dehovi.com}}</ref>]]

Santo Domingo is the location of numerous museums, many of which are located in the Zona Colonial district.<ref name=cultura>{{cite web |url=http://www.cultura.gov.do/dependencias/museos/direcciongeneraldemuseos.htm |title=Secretaría de Estado de Cultura |access-date=2009-03-18}}</ref> In the Zona Colonial is the Museum of Alcázar, in Diego Colon's palace,<ref name="ClammerGrosberg2008">{{cite book|last1=Clammer|first1=Paul|last2=Grosberg|first2=Michael|last3=Porup|first3=Jens|title=Dominican Republic and Haiti|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kjde3Fmwb7IC&pg=PA79|access-date=4 June 2012|date=1 October 2008|publisher=Lonely Planet|isbn=978-1-74104-292-4|page=79}}</ref> the Museum of the Casas Reales, with artefacts of the colonial period and a collection of ancient weapons donated by Trujillo,<ref name="GUIDES2011">{{cite book|author=DK TRAVEL GUIDES|title=DK Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guide: Dominican Republic|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MlyE7a0Tpv8C&pg=PT77|access-date=4 June 2012|date=1 September 2011|publisher=Dorling Kindersley Limited|isbn=978-1-4053-6102-6|page=77}}</ref> the Naval Museum of the Atarazanas, in the former naval yards, Museo de la Catedral, Museo Memorial de la Resistencia Dominicana, documenting the struggle for freedom during the regimes of Trujillo and Balaguer, Museo Duarte, dedicated to the hero of Dominican independence, and the World of Ambar Museum.
[[File:Amber Museum, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.jpg|thumb|upright|Museo del Ámbar]]
Plaza de la Cultura also houses the city's most important cultural venues, including the Teatro Nacional (National Theater) and various museums; the Palacio Nacional, which houses the Presidency of the Dominican Republic; the Palacio de Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts), a neoclassical building that is the permanent home of the country's National Symphony Orchestra; and the Boulevard 27 de Febrero, a pedestrian promenade located on the busy Avenida 27 de Febrero, which displays works of art from prominent Dominican artists and sculptors. Another attraction is the Centro Olímpico Juan Pablo Duarte, a sports complex in the center of Santo Domingo. This complex was used during the 2003 Pan American Games.

In the Plaza de la Cultura are the Museum of the Dominican Man, with artifacts from the pre-Columbian Taíno civilization, the National Museum of History and Geography, the Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Modern Art. Other museums include the Museo Bellapart, a prominent private collection of 19th- and 20th-Century Dominican painting and sculpture and the Museo Prehispanico, a major private collection of pre-Columbian Taíno art.<ref name="HarveyFullman2009">{{cite book|last1=Harvey|first1=Sean|last2=Fullman|first2=Joe|title=The Rough Guide to the Dominican Republic|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ffcpuDEw8p8C&pg=PA90|access-date=4 June 2012|date=1 January 2009|publisher=Rough Guides|isbn=978-1-85828-811-6|page=90}}</ref>

==Media and communications==
Telecommunications in the Dominican Republic include radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones, and the Internet. There are 15 television stations (both UHF and VHF) in Santo Domingo.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}} Santo Domingo has the greatest number of television signals in the country, followed by Santiago.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}} Additional cable television channels are provided by companies like Aster, Cable TV Dominicana, SKY Dominicana, and Telecable. In Santo Domingo there are 100 different stations in AM frequency and 44 in FM frequency.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}

==Parks and recreational areas==
The city has various parks, many of which are relatively large. Santo Domingo (D.N) is surrounded by the Santo Domingo Greenbelt. Mirador Norte Park lies in the north of the city, close to Villa Mella and Mirador Sur Park is located in the southwest section of the city. Mirador del Este is located on the East bank of the Ozama river and it is the seat of the Columbus Lighthouse. Independencia Park and Colón Park are located in Zona Colonial. Zoo Parque Zoológico Nacional is home to a range of 82–100 both exotic and native plants and animal species.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Animals in Dominican Republic: List, Facts, Endangered Species, and Pictures|url=https://a-z-animals.com/animals/location/central-america/dominican-republic/|access-date=2022-02-17|website=AZ Animals|language=en-US}}</ref>
[[File:Botanischer Garten Santo Domingo.jpg|thumb|National Botanical Garden]]
Other notable parks include:
* ''Parque Enriquillo''
* Parque Independencia
* ''Parque Metropolitano Las Praderas''
* ''El Malecón''
* Jardín Botánico Nacional
* ''Parque Zoológico Nacional''
* ''Barrio Chino de Santo Domingo''
* ''Parque Núñez de Cáceres''
* ''Parque Iberoamérica''
*Mirador Sur

==Education==
There are eighteen universities in Santo Domingo, the highest number of any city in the Dominican Republic. Established in 1538, the [[Organization:Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo|Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo]] (UASD) is the oldest university in the Americas and is also the only public university in the city.<ref name="Otfinoski2005">{{cite book|last=Otfinoski|first=Steven|title=Juan Ponce de León: Discoverer of Florida|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0Cmfv5KpNnsC&pg=PA19|access-date=4 June 2012|date=30 January 2005|publisher=Marshall Cavendish|isbn=978-0-7614-1610-4|page=19}}</ref><ref name="Gray2001">{{cite book|last=Gray|first=Dulce María|title=High Literacy and Ethnic Identity: Dominican American Schooling in Transition|url=https://archive.org/details/highliteracyethn0000gray|url-access=registration|access-date=4 June 2012|year=2001|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=978-0-7425-0005-1|page=[https://archive.org/details/highliteracyethn0000gray/page/38 38]}}</ref> Santo Domingo holds the nation's highest percentage of residents with a higher education degree.{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}}
[[File:UASD.jpg|right|thumb|Entrance of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD)]]

Other universities include:

*Universidad Adventista Dominicana (UNAD)
*[[Organization:Universidad APEC|Universidad APEC]] (UNAPEC)
*Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC)
*[[Organization:Universidad del Caribe (RD)|Universidad del Caribe]] (UNICARIBE)
*[[Organization:Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE)|Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE)]] (UNIBE)
*[[Organization:Universidad Católica Santo Domingo|Universidad Católica Santo Domingo]] (UCSD)
*[[Organization:Universidad de la Tercera Edad|Universidad de la Tercera Edad]] (UTE)
*[[Organization:Universidad Tecnológica de Santiago|Universidad Tecnológica de Santiago]] (UTESA)
*[[Organization:Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña|Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña]] (UNPHU)
*[[Organization:Instituto de Ciencias Exactas|Instituto de Ciencias Exactas]] (INCE)
*Universidad Organización y Método (O&M)
*[[Organization:Universidad Interamericana|Universidad Interamericana]] (UNICA)
*[[Organization:Universidad Eugenio María de Hostos|Universidad Eugenio María de Hostos]] (UNIREMOS)
*Universidad Francisco Henríquez y Carvajal (UFHEC)
*[[Organization:Universidad Instituto Cultural Domínico Americano|Universidad Instituto Cultural Domínico Americano]] (UNICDA)
*[[Organization:Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra|Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra]] (PUCMM)
*Universidad de Psicologia Industrial Dominicana (UPID)

==Transportation==
[[File:Stodgo metro.jpg|thumb|Santo Domingo Metro]]

Santo Domingo has an underground and elevated rapid transit metro system. It is the most extensive metro in the Caribbean and Central American region by total length and number of stations.<ref name="List of metro systems">See List of metro systems</ref> The Santo Domingo Metro is part of a major "National Master Plan" to improve transportation in the city as well as the rest of the nation.  The first line was planned to relieve traffic congestion in the Máximo Gómez and Hermanas Mirabal Avenue. The second line, which opened in April 2013, is meant to relieve the congestion along the Duarte-Kennedy-Centenario Corridor in the city from west to east. As of August 2013, the metro consists of these two lines. Four more lines are planned to be constructed in the near future, for a total of six. Before the opening of the second line, 30,856,515 passengers rode the Santo Domingo Metro in 2012. According to government figures more than 300,000 people ride the 31 kilometer system on a daily basis.<ref name="SD-stats">{{cite web |url=http://opret.gob.do/Documentos/Estad%C3%ADsticas%20Institucionales/Estad%C3%ADsticas%20de%20peaje%20y%20tiempo%20de%20recorrido%20al%202013.pdf |title=Estadísticas de peaje y tiempo de recorrido al 2013 |work=Oficina para el Reordenamiento de Transporte (OPRET) |language=es |trans-title=Statistics of tolls and times of route 2013 |page=2 |access-date=17 September 2013 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304023429/http://opret.gob.do/Documentos/Estad%C3%ADsticas%20Institucionales/Estad%C3%ADsticas%20de%20peaje%20y%20tiempo%20de%20recorrido%20al%202013.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2018, a 5-kilometer Teleférico de Santo Domingo (aerial cable car) was opened to provide service to the poorest areas in the east and north of the metropolitan area, and serve as a feeder for the metro. The cable car is used by more than 12,000 people daily.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.armariolibre.com.do/al/index.php/component/k2/item/13753-metro-de-santo-domingo-establece-record-en-transporte-de-pasajeros-en-el-2018-metro-y-teleferico-montan-mas-de-89-millones-usuarios |title=Metro de Santo Domingo establece récord en transporte de pasajeros en el 2018; Metro y Teleférico montan más de 89 millones usuarios |date=7 January 2019 |access-date=23 January 2019 |work=Armario Libre |language=es |location=Santo Domingo }}{{Dead link|date=November 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Santo Domingo is served by two airports. Aeropuerto Internacional La Isabela, an early 21st century-constructed airport located in the northern section of the city, within kilometers of the city center. It serves mostly domestic and charter flights. The major international airport that serves the city is Santo Domingo Las Americas, which serves North, Central and South America and also Europe.

The Port of Santo Domingo is located on the Ozama River. Its location at the center of the Caribbean is well suited for flexible itinerary planning and has excellent support, road and airport infrastructure within the Santo Domingo region, which facilitate access and transfers. The port is suitable for both turnaround and transit calls.

The port's renovation is part of a major redevelopment project, aimed at integrating the port area and the Zona Colonial and foster a cruise, yacht, and high-end tourism destination. Supported by legislation approved in 2005, the project, developed by the Sans Souci Group, also includes the development of a new sports marina and a {{convert|122|acre|km2|adj=on}} mixed-leisure real estate development adjacent to the port.

Santo Domingo is the terminus for four of the five national highways. The city is connected to the southwest of the country by the national highway DR-2 (Avenida George Washington and Autopista 30 de Mayo), and with the cities of the country's northwest by DR-1 (Expreso Kennedy, {{Not a typo|Corredor}} Duarte), which serves as a direct link to the city of Santiago de los Caballeros. DR-3 (Expreso 27 de Febrero/Autopista de Las Américas) connects Santo Domingo directly to the east of the country, including the cities of San Pedro de Macorís, La Romana, and major tourist sites such as Punta Cana and Bávaro, and to the Samaná Province (in the northeast) via the Samana Highway. In the city, ''motoconchos'' (motorcycle taxis), ''guaguas''/''voladoras'' (low quality public buses), and ''carros públicos''/''conchos'' (shared taxis) are common modes of transport. The Santo Domingo Metro is the highest quality in the region of the Caribbean and Central America. It is composed of 2 lines that cross the city.

===Main avenues===

'''Expreso John F. Kennedy''': This expressway crosses the National District from east to west in the north-central part. The Avenue consists of a total of ten lanes, five on each side. The two center lanes of the road are express lanes to facilitate transit. It also has several bypasses and elevated crossings.
[[File:27 de febrero av. Santo Domingo.jpg|thumb|27 de Febrero av.]]
'''Avenida 27 de Febrero''': It is the main avenue to cross the National District from east to west in the central part of Santo Domingo. It starts at the Juan Bosch bridge and crosses the entire city until the roundabout at the Plaza de la Bandera, which extends into the town of Santo Domingo West and ends on the Duarte Highway. The thoroughfare is composed of a total of ten lanes. Five on each side. The four lanes in the center of the avenue are express that facilitate transit in the city from east to west, with several elevated cross streets, overpasses and tunnels. It also has exclusive bus lanes.

'''Avenida Simón Bolívar''': It extends from Independence Park to the junction with the Avenue Winston Churchill. In its entirety, this avenue is composed of two local lanes one-way east- west.

'''Avenida Independencia''': It extends from the intersection with Avenida Gregorio Luperón to Independence Park. The avenue consists of a total of four lanes (two eastbound and two westbound ) from crossing with Av G. Luperon to the intersection of Avenida Italia . From the junction with Av Italy until Independence Park Avenue becomes one-way eastbound and contains only two lanes.

'''Avenida George Washington''': It is colloquially referred as "El Malecón" This is Santo Domingo's Maritime Boulevard, running alongside the Caribbean sea's waterfront. It extends from Palo Hincado Street to the intersection with Abraham Lincoln Avenue; from that point to the Haina River Highway 30 May extends also includes President Billini Walk, which starts in Palo Hincado street and joins the Avenida del Puerto along the western bank of the Ozama River. Throughout its entire length it is composed of four lanes (two on each side). On this Boulevard you will find the most exclusive hotels in the city, several casinos, the mixed business and residential high rise complex Malecón Center, the Obelisk and Eugenio María de Hostos' Park. This is also the Boulevard where the Santo Domingo Carnival parade takes place.

'''Avenida Winston Churchill''': It extends from Kennedy Avenue to Avenida 27 de Febrero, from there on, it continues as Avenida Jimenez Moya to reach the Centro de los Heroes and finally the boardwalk. This thoroughfare is distinguished by its date palms that are planted on the sidewalks . Throughout its length the road is composed of six lanes (three on each side) and a large wooded median popularly known as Boulevard de la Churchill ("Churchill's Boulevard") and within this lies the Boulevard of the Stars.

'''Avenida Abraham Lincoln''': extends from Avenida Kennedy to the seawall. The route consists of six lanes (three on each side) and a median suitable for jogging laid with palm trees. It traverses the city's commercial and leisure city center.

'''Avenida José Ortega y Gasset''': It extends from the Paseo de los Reyes Católicos Avenue until 27 de Febrero. The avenue consists of four lanes, two on each side. Along this avenue lies the Centro Olímpico Juan Pablo Duarte athletic complex and the Hospital General de la Plaza de la Salud medical complex.

'''Avenida Tiradentes''': It extends from the jetty in the south, through the state's university [[Organization:Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo|Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo]]. It extends to the north along Avenida 27 de Febrero, John F. Kennedy, and continuing north past the city's baseball stadium Estadio Quisqueya until it reaches the Parque Zoológico Nacional National Zoo.

'''Avenida Gregorio Luperón''': It extends from Kennedy Avenue to Highway 30 May on the western edge of Santo Domingo. The thoroughfare consists of eight lanes, four on each side and a landscaped median. Local attractions located on this strip includes Gallístico Center Herrera Industrial Zone, and the Plaza de la Bandera.

'''Avenida Máximo Gómez y Báez''': The city's main south–north avenue, it extends from the Malecón to the Presidente Peynado bridge. The boulevard consists of four lanes, two on each side. Major buildings and points of interest along this boulevard are: the National Cemetery, Plaza de la Cultura which houses the National Theatre and the Palace of Fine Arts. There are also two universities (UNAPEC and UTESA), as well as the headquarters of the People's Bank and five star hotel "Hotel Barceló Santo Domingo".

'''Avenida Juan Pablo Duarte''': It extends from the intersection of Avenida Paseo and Martyrs of the Catholic Monarchs to Calle Padre Billini in the Colonial Zone . The avenue consists of three lanes on a road north–south direction becomes one lane to enter the Colonial Zone . This avenue is the main commerce route for low-income people throughout the metropolitan area with department stores, restaurants, and shops that offer goods and services at modest prices . In "Duarte" (as popularly known) you can find the New Market, the Enriquillo Park, Duarte Commercial Square and Santo Domingo's Chinatown.

'''Avenida Nicolás de Ovando y Cáceres''': Is located on the northern part of Santo Domingo starting at the roundabout Cristo Rey sector and corner with Ortega y Gasset, Máximo Gómez, Arbert Duarte and Thomas avenues, among others; culminating in the sector of Simón Bolívar . This avenue is characterized by many businesses that sell auto parts .

==Sports==

===Baseball===
thumb|Estadio Quisqueya baseball stadium in Santo Domingo

Baseball is the most popular sport in the country, and was introduced by the United States Marines. Santo Domingo is home to two of the six teams in the Dominican Professional Baseball League.

*Tigres del Licey, founded in 1907, have won 23 national championships since 1951. It is the most senior national team, winning 11 Caribbean Series titles as well.
* Leones del Escogido, founded in 1921, are winners of 16 national championships since 1951. It is the third team with the most championships won. The team has 4 titles won in the Caribbean Series.

These two teams are based in the Estadio Quisqueya located in Ensanche La Fe. In 2007 The stadium underwent a rebuilding job which expanded its number of seats and the overall look of the field. The bullpens are now enclosed and out of play. Former president Leonel Fernández also announced in 2009 that there are plans to turn the stadium and the adjacent area into a modern sports complex.

===Basketball===
Santo Domingo's Basketball Tournament ''Superior'' is held in the National District each year, with several teams participating and representing several sectors and social clubs of the city.

Some of the teams participating in the tournament include:
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
*''El Millón''
*''Rafael Barias''
*''Los Prados''
*''Mauricio Báez''
{{col-break}}
*''Mejoramiento social'' (BAMESO)
*''Huellas del Siglo''
*''San Carlos''
*''San Lázaro''
{{col-end}}

The city hosted the 2005 FIBA Americas Championship, which was played at the Palacio de los Deportes Virgilio Travieso Soto.

===Sports clubs===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
* ''Club Arroyo Hondo''
* ''Club Casa de España''
* ''Club de Villa Francisca''
* ''Club Los Prados''
* ''Club Mauricio Báez''
* ''Club Naco''
{{col-break}}
* ''Club Paraíso''
* ''Club San Carlos''
* ''Club San Lázaro''
* ''Club Santo Domingo''
* ''Club Libanés Sirio Palestino''
{{col-end}}

==International relations==

===Twin towns&nbsp;– Sister cities===
Santo Domingo is twinned with:

{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
*{{flagicon|COL}} [[Place:Bogotá|Bogotá]], Colombia
*{{flagicon|ARG}} [[Place:Buenos Aires|Buenos Aires]], Argentina
*{{flagicon|VEN}} [[Place:Caracas|Caracas]], Venezuela
*{{flagicon|PHI}} Catbalogan, Philippines
*{{flagicon|BRA}} Curitiba, {{wipe|Brazil}}<ref name="memoria_2002_2003"/>
*{{flagicon|MEX}} Guadalajara, Mexico<ref name="Guadalajara sisters">{{cite web | url =http://www.guadalajara.gob.mx/dependencias/relacionespublicas/versioningles/sistercities.html | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20120302011742/http://www.guadalajara.gob.mx/dependencias/relacionespublicas/versioningles/sistercities.html|archive-date = 2 March 2012  | title = Sister Cities, Public Relations | publisher = Guadalajara municipal government|access-date = 12 March 2013}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|ISR}} Haifa, Israel
*{{flagicon|CUB}} [[Place:Havana|Havana]], Cuba<ref name="memoria_2002_2003"/>
*{{flagicon|ESP}} La Muela, Spain<ref name="memoria_2002_2003"/>
*{{flagicon|ESP}} [[Place:Madrid|Madrid]], Spain<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.munimadrid.es/portal/site/munimadrid/menuitem.dbd5147a4ba1b0aa7d245f019fc08a0c/?vgnextoid=4e84399a03003110VgnVCM2000000c205a0aRCRD&vgnextchannel=4e98823d3a37a010VgnVCM100000d90ca8c0RCRD&vgnextfmt=especial1&idContenido=684a7aefd9b5b010VgnVCM100000d90ca8c0RCRD | title = Mapa Mundi de las ciudades hermanadas | publisher = Ayuntamiento de Madrid | access-date = 2008-07-23}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|BRA}} Manaus, {{wipe|Brazil}} (2009)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jusbrasil.com.br/politica/3915141/universidade-norte-americana-fara-parceria-com-a-camara-municipal-de-manaus |title=Universidade norte-americana fará parceria com a Câmara Municipal de Manaus |publisher=Jusbrasil.com |access-date=4 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721022342/http://www.jusbrasil.com.br/politica/3915141/universidade-norte-americana-fara-parceria-com-a-camara-municipal-de-manaus |archive-date=21 July 2011 }}</ref>
*{{flagicon|FRA}} Paris, France
*{{flagicon|ESP}} Pontevedra, Spain<ref>[http://www.listin.com.do/app/article.aspx?id=7245 La Guardia y Santo Domingo, dos ciudades hermanas] (Spanish) {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220144031/http://www.listin.com.do/app/article.aspx?id=7245 |date=20 December 2008 }}</ref>
*{{flagicon|USA}} Providence, Rhode Island, United States<ref name="memoria_2002_2003">{{cite web|url=http://www.adn.gov.do/documents/memoria_adn_2002-2003.pdf |title=Memoria Anual, Agosto 2002-Agosto 2003 |pages=66–67 |publisher=Ayuntamiento del Distrito Nacional |access-date=2008-07-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080819203623/http://www.adn.gov.do/documents/memoria_adn_2002-2003.pdf |archive-date=19 August 2008 }}</ref>
*{{flagicon|ARG}} Rosario, {{wipe|Argentina}}<ref name="Rosario twinnings">{{cite web |url=http://www.rosario.gov.ar/mr/mri/www/city-city-program/town-twinning-agreements |title=Town Twinning Agreements |publisher=Municipalidad de Rosario – Buenos Aires 711 |access-date=2014-10-14 |archive-date=19 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150319103223/http://www.rosario.gov.ar/mr/mri/www/city-city-program/town-twinning-agreements |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*{{flagicon|ECU}} [[Place:Quito|Quito]], Ecuador
*{{flagicon|ESP}} [[Place:Santa Cruz de Tenerife|Santa Cruz de Tenerife]], Spain
*{{flagicon|PHI}} Santiago, Philippines
*{{flagicon|ROC}} [[Place:Taipei|Taipei]], Taiwan
*{{flagicon|KOR}} [[Place:Seoul|Seoul]], South Korea
*{{flagicon|KOR}} Busan, South Korea
{{div col end}}

Santo Domingo has four sister cities designated by Sister Cities International:<ref name="sci">[http://www.sister-cities.org/icrc/directory/Caribbean/DomRepub Online Directory: Dominican Republic, Caribbean] Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI) {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080917042341/http://www.sister-cities.org/icrc/directory/Caribbean/DomRepub |date=17 September 2008 }}</ref>
{|class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|
*{{flagicon|USA}} St. Augustine, Florida, United States
*{{flagicon|USA}} Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States<ref name="sci"/>
*{{flagicon|USA}} Miami, United States<ref name="sci"/>
*{{flagicon|USA}} New York, United States<ref name="sci"/><ref name="New York sisters">{{cite web|url=http://www.nyc.gov/html/ia/gp/html/partner/partner.shtml |title=NYC's Partner Cities |publisher=The City of New York |access-date=2012-12-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130814165415/http://www.nyc.gov/html/ia/gp/html/partner/partner.shtml |archive-date=14 August 2013 }}</ref>
|}

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150px">
File:AMH-6754-NA Bird's eye view of the city of Santo Domingo.jpg|Santo Domingo city as depicted by Johannes Vingboons in 1665. Nationaal Archief.
File:Santo Domingo - Edificio Diez 0591.JPG|Edificio Diez
File:Statue of Antonio de Montesinos, Santo Domingo D.R.jpg|Statue of Antonio de Montesinos
File:Statue of Pablo Duarte at Av.John F. Kennedy.jpg|John F. Kennedy Avenue, Santo Domingo
File:SD Noche 2.jpg|Santo Domingo at night
File:Avenida Anacaona.jpg|Anacaona Avenue in Santo Domingo. Mirador del Sur park
File:Iglesia de Las Mercedes CCSD 09 2018 1476.jpg|Church of Nuestra Señora de Las Mercedes
File:DOMREP-s-dom-panteon-innen.jpg|National pantheon
File:Calle Arzobispo Meriño CCSD 07 2019 CCSD 07 2019 0023.jpg|Calle Arzobispo Meriño
</gallery>

==People from Santo Domingo==
Famous Dominican singer Juan Luis Guerra-Seijas was born on June 7, 1957, in the capital city, Santo Domingo.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Why Is Juan Luis Guerra The Best-Known Dominican Musician?|url=https://www.liveabout.com/juan-luis-guerra-biography-2141123|access-date=2022-02-17|website=LiveAbout|language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
*List of colonial buildings in Santo Domingo
* Ciudad Colonial (Santo Domingo)
* List of oldest buildings in the Americas
* History of the Dominican Republic
** Spanish colonization of the Americas
* List of cities in the Dominican Republic
* Culture of the Dominican Republic
* Index of Dominican Republic-related articles
* List of cities in the Caribbean

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
* Meinig, D.W. (1986). ''The Shaping of America: a Geographic Perspective on 500 Years of History.  Volume I – Atlantic America, 1492–1800.'' New Haven: Yale University Press.  {{ISBN|0-300-03882-8}}
* Santo Domingo; Fragmentos De Patria by Banreservas {{ISBN|99934-898-1-6}}

==External links==
{{EB1911 poster|Santo Domingo (capital)|Santo Domingo}}




[[Category:Capitals in the Caribbean]]
[[Category:Capitals in North America]]

{{Sourceattribution|Santo Domingo}}