Constanza, Dominican Republic
Constanza | |
|---|---|
 Aerial view of Constanza | |
  Constanza | |
| Coordinates: 18°54′36″N 70°45′0″W / 18.91000°N 70.75000°W / 18.91000; -70.75000Coordinates: 18°54′36″N 70°45′0″W / 18.91000°N 70.75000°W / 18.91000; -70.75000 | |
| Country |  Dominican Republic |
| Province | La Vega |
| Area [1] | |
| • Total | 848.79 km2 (327.72 sq mi) |
| Elevation [2] | 1,164 m (3,819 ft) |
| Population (2010)[3] | |
| • Total | 59,052 |
| • Density | 70/km2 (180/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 25,683 |
| • Demonym | Constantian (Spanish: constanceño) |
| Distance to – Santo Domingo | 140 km |
| Municipal Districts | 2 |
| Climate | Cfb |
Constanza is a town and municipality in La Vega Province, Dominican Republic.
Contents
1 History
2 Geography
2.1 Climate
3 Economy
4 Tourism
5 Ecology
6 Transportation
7 Demographics
8 References
History
Sir Robert Schomburgk
The name of Constanza has its origin in the legend the daughter of a local taino cacique who lived in the valley. In 1852, the British explorer and consul Sir Robert Hermann Schomburgk mentions the existence of a farm in the valley of Constanza. The town was formally founded in 1894. It has been incorporated into a municipality in the La Vega province on September 9, 1907.
On June 14, 1959 a plane landed in an airstrip with more than forty rebels with the purpose of deposing the dictator Rafael Trujillo. They fought guerrillas in the nearby mountains, and after two months against the Dominican Army managed to end the rebellion.
Geography
Constanza is located at a height of 1220 meters (4000 ft) in the middle of the Cordillera Central (Central Range). Annual average temperatures range from 41 °F (5 °C) to 68 °F (20 °C), depending on altitude. The valley is 8 km long and 4 km wide.
Climate
Constanza has a subtropical highland climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb), with moderately warm and humid summers, and dry and mild winters, due to its tropical location and high elevation.
The average annual temperature varies from less than 10 °C in highlands[4] to 18 °C in town.
In summer, temperatures range between 25 °C to 27 °C during the day, and between 12 °C to 15 °C at night. Wildfires are relatively common.
In winter, the temperatures are between 21 and 24 °C at day, and 8 to 12 °C at night. Fog is quite common. The last time that Constanza had freezing temperatures was on 1958; while in Valle Nuevo freezes are usual.[5]Snow can fall in the highest peaks of Valle Nuevo, but it is becoming a rare event and accumulation almost no longer occurs.
The highest temperature ever recorded in town was 32.5 °C, on October 3, 1957.
[6] The coldest temperature was –1 °C, recorded on February 6, 1958.[7]
| Climate data for Constanza (1971–2000) (COZ—Expedición 14 de Junio Airport; 1.164 m) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 29.0 (84.2) | 30.0 (86.0) | 31.5 (88.7) | 29.8 (85.6) | 31.0 (87.8) | 30.5 (86.9) | 31.5 (88.7) | 31.0 (87.8) | 32.0 (89.6) | 32.5 (90.5) | 29.5 (85.1) | 28.8 (83.8) | 32.5 (90.5) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 23.2 (73.8) | 23.8 (74.8) | 24.7 (76.5) | 25.0 (77.0) | 25.4 (77.7) | 26.1 (79.0) | 26.3 (79.3) | 26.5 (79.7) | 26.3 (79.3) | 25.8 (78.4) | 24.5 (76.1) | 23.2 (73.8) | 25.1 (77.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 16.3 (61.3) | 16.7 (62.1) | 17.7 (63.9) | 18.3 (64.9) | 19.0 (66.2) | 19.5 (67.1) | 19.7 (67.5) | 19.8 (67.6) | 19.6 (67.3) | 19.2 (66.6) | 18.1 (64.6) | 16.9 (62.4) | 18.4 (65.1) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 9.4 (48.9) | 9.7 (49.5) | 10.6 (51.1) | 11.7 (53.1) | 12.7 (54.9) | 12.9 (55.2) | 13.1 (55.6) | 13.1 (55.6) | 12.9 (55.2) | 12.6 (54.7) | 11.7 (53.1) | 10.6 (51.1) | 11.8 (53.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 0.0 (32.0) | −1.0 (30.2) | 2.7 (36.9) | 1.5 (34.7) | 4.0 (39.2) | 3.0 (37.4) | 4.0 (39.2) | 5.0 (41.0) | 5.0 (41.0) | 4.0 (39.2) | 3.0 (37.4) | 3.6 (38.5) | −1.0 (30.2) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 26.9 (1.06) | 31.2 (1.23) | 36.4 (1.43) | 57.8 (2.28) | 167.5 (6.59) | 96.1 (3.78) | 64.3 (2.53) | 133.4 (5.25) | 128.5 (5.06) | 102.0 (4.02) | 70.7 (2.78) | 41.8 (1.65) | 956.6 (37.66) |
| Average rainy days | 6 | — | — | 8 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 11 | — | — | — |
Source #1: National Bureau of Meteorology (ONAMET) (in Spanish)
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| Source #2: freemeteo.com [20] — acqweather.com [21] [22] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Valle Nuevo, Constanza (Weather station; 2.260 m) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 17 (63) | 17 (63) | 18 (64) | 19 (66) | 18 (64) | 19 (66) | 20 (68) | 21 (70) | 20 (68) | 19 (66) | 18 (64) | 18 (64) | 19 (66) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 9 (48) | 10 (50) | 11 (52) | 11 (52) | 11 (52) | 12 (54) | 13 (55) | 14 (57) | 14 (57) | 13 (55) | 11 (52) | 10 (50) | 12 (54) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 2 (36) | 2 (36) | 3 (37) | 4 (39) | 6 (43) | 6 (43) | 7 (45) | 8 (46) | 7 (45) | 7 (45) | 5 (41) | 3 (37) | 5 (41) |
| Source: [8] | |||||||||||||
Economy
The local economy is based upon agriculture. It is known for its strawberries, peaches, apples, garlic and potatoes people go there to take the fruits to feed their family . Constanza is also known for its wide variety of flowers, especially its roses.
Tourism
Constanza is known for its remarkable mountain climate despite being located in a tropical island. Local tourism is very often during winter time. Throughout the rest of the year it is visited because of its closeness to the scientific reserve of Ebano Verde and also to have the nearest route to the Pico Duarte, the highest point in the Caribbean.
Ecology
The nearby scientific reserve of Ebano Verde is the stronghold of the widest variety of flora and fauna of Hispaniola. The mountains surrounding the valley of Constanza are covered in Hispaniolan pine (Pinus occidentalis) forests. Typical fauna seen in the area includes the Hispaniolan palm crow, Antillean siskin, rufous-throated solitaire, Hispaniolan crossbill (abundance directly related to pine cone crop), and Hispaniolan trogon, while at lower elevations the Hispaniolan parrot, scaly-naped pigeon and golden swallow can be seen.
Transportation
The town can be reached either by local airlines through the Constanza Airport or through local bus companies.
Demographics
Japanese-Dominicans in Constanza
Constanza is home to an unusual combination of ethnic groups, having been an area settled by numerous Spanish and Japanese immigrant workers encouraged to come to the Dominican Republic during the infamous dictatorship of Trujillo. Now some two or three generations on their presence is still substantial in the area. They were attracted by the cooler climate that goes on all year round.
References
^ Superficies a nivel de municipios, Oficina Nacional de Estadistica Archived April 17, 2009, at the Wayback Machine (in Spanish)
^ De la Fuente, Santiago (1976). Geografía Dominicana (in Spanish). Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic: Editora Colegial Quisqueyana..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ Censo 2012 de Población y Vivienda, Oficina Nacional de Estadistica (in Spanish)
^ National Bureau of Meteorology (ONAMET). "Pronóstico Turístico Mensual" (PDF) (in Spanish). Santo Domingo. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-09-28. Retrieved December 2010. Check date values in:|accessdate=(help)
^ National Bureau of Meteorology (Oficina Nacional de Meteorología, ONAMET). "Red de Estaciones Automáticas" (in Spanish). Valle Nuevo. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved June 5, 2011.
^ Antonio Cocco Quezada. "Efemérides Meteorológicas Dominicanas" [Dominican weather Ephemeris] (in Spanish). ACQ & Asociados. Febrero 06 - 1958. Retrieved March 26, 2011.
^ Centro de Información Gubernamental—Ministerio de la Presidencia
^ Contribución al conocimiento del clima de la Isla de Santo Domingo. Retrieved April 11, 2011.
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