Azua (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈaswa]) is a province which is collectively one of the thirty-two provinces of the Dominican Republic. It is divided into 10 municipalities (the same as Santiago) and its capital city is Azua de Compostela. It is bordered by the provinces of La Vega to the north-east, San José de Ocoa and Peravia to the east, Barahona and Baoruco to the west and San Juan to the north-west. To the south, Azua has a significant coastline of the Caribbean Sea. Azua is known for its diverse geography and climate, with the southern part of the province having an arid climate that is not the typical tropical-like that is found in other parts of the Caribbean.

Azua
Azua city view
Azua city view
Flag of Azua
Official seal of Azua
Coat of arms of Azua
Motto: 
The Athens of the South
Location of the Azua Province
Location of the Azua Province
Country Dominican Republic
Province since1844
Government
 • TypeSubdivisions
 • Body10 municipalities
22 municipal districts
 • Congresspersons1 Senator
4 Deputies
Area
 • Total
2,531.77 km2 (977.52 sq mi)
Population
 (2014)
 • Total
298,246
 • Density120/km2 (310/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-4 (EST)
Area code1-809 1-829 1-849
ISO 3166-2DO-02
Postal Code71000

Geography

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The southern part of the province is located in the Llanura or Llano de Azua (also known as the "Plena de Azua"), a coastal plain surrounded by mountains that act as barriers to the water-laden winds so that the lower parts of the province are very arid.

 
Mountains in Guayabal, Azua province.

Azua had the Sierra de Ocoa, which is the southern end of the Cordillera Central, the tallest mountain range in the caribbean. In the northern half of the province is also the Cordillera Central. In the southwest, on the border with the Barahona and Baoruco provinces, are the Martín García and Neiba mountain ranges.

Municipalities and municipal districts

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Azua Dominican Republic city people.

The province as of 20 June 2006 is divided into the following municipalities (municipios) and municipal districts (distrito municipal – D.M.) within them:[1]

Population

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Palmar de Ocoa in Azua, Dominican Republic.
 
Peralta, Azua, Dominican Republic rural countryside.

The following is a sortable table of the municipalities and municipal districts with population figures as of the 2014 estimate. Urban population are those living in the seats (cabeceras literally heads) of municipalities or of municipal districts. Rural population are those living in the districts (Secciones literally sections) and neighborhoods (Parajes literally places) outside them. The population figures are from the 2014 population estimate.[2]

Name Total population Urban population Rural population
Azua de Compostela 125,487 88,493 36,994
Estebanía 8,522 4,407 4,115
Guayabal 6,855 3,464 3,391
Las Charcas 12,823 6,173 6,650
Padre Las Casas 42,321 21,965 20,356
Peralta 17,252 5,731 11,521
Pueblo Viejo 13,522 3,825 9,697
Sabana Yegua 24,051 6,944 17,107
Tábara Arriba 25,212 12,644 12,568
Yayas de Viajama 22,201 15,761 6,440
Azua province 298,246 169,407 128,839

For comparison with the municipalities and municipal districts of other provinces see the list of municipalities and municipal districts of the Dominican Republic.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Oficina Nacional de Estadistica, Departamento de Cartografia, Division de Limites y Linderos. "Listado de Codigos de Provincias, Municipio y Distritos Municipales, Actualizada a Junio 20 del 2006" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 14 March 2007. Retrieved 24 January 2007.
  2. ^ Consejo Nacional de Población & Familia. "Estamaciones y Proyecciones de la Población Dominicana por Regiones, Provincias, Municipios y Distritos Municipales, 2014" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 February 2014.[permanent dead link]
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