Azua, Dominican Republic facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Azua de Compostela
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Municipality
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Church of Azua
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 Azua de Compostela
Location in the Dominican Republic
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| Country |  Dominican Republic |
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| Province | Azua | |
| Founded | 1504 | |
| Municipality since | 1844 | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 416.30 km2 (160.73 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 83 m (272 ft) | |
| Population
(2012)
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| • Total | 128,264 | |
| • Density | 308.105/km2 (797.988/sq mi) | |
| • Urban | 92,585 | |
| • Rural | 35,679 | |
| • Demonym | Azuano(a) | |
| Municipal Districts | 8 | |
| Climate | BSh | |
Azua de Compostela, often just called Azua, is an important city in the southern part of the Dominican Republic. It's the main city and capital of the Azua Province. Azua was started way back in 1504, making it one of the very first European towns built in the Americas!
This city is about 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of Santo Domingo, which is the capital city of the Dominican Republic.
Contents
History of Azua
The area where Azua is located was once part of a large territory called Maguana. This was one of the five main areas ruled by the Taino people, who were the original inhabitants of the island.
When Christopher Columbus first explored this region, he faced many challenges. He and his crew had to find shelter in the Bay of Ocoa, which is in the eastern part of what is now Azua. There, he met a powerful Taino leader named Cuyocagua. Columbus tried to take control, but Cuyocagua and his people bravely resisted.
The town of Azúa de Compostela was officially founded in 1504. It was established by Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar, who later became famous for conquering Cuba. This happened when Don Nicolás de Ovando was governing the island.
Another very famous explorer, Hernán Cortés, who conquered Mexico, lived in Azua for several years (from 1504 to 1511). He enjoyed spending his free time at Monte Río beach, which is near the town.
Economy in Azua
Azua has a lot of people who are working or looking for jobs. Out of about 23,242 people who are old enough to work, around 16,167 have jobs. That's about 69% of the working-age population!
A good number of these workers, about 20%, are public servants. This means they work for the government in different roles.
Most of the land in Azua is made up of medium-sized farms. These farms often use a mix of old and new farming methods, including machines. However, the very large farms, which are bigger than 800 "tasks" (a "task" is a local unit of land, about 628.83 square meters), are owned by only a few big producers.
Azua has also benefited from new factories that process farm products. These factories have helped the local banks and businesses grow.
Population of Azua
According to a census taken in the Dominican Republic in 2012, Azua had a total population of 128,264 people. Most of these people, about 92,585, lived in the city areas. The remaining 35,679 people lived in the countryside.
The municipality of Azua includes several smaller areas called municipal districts (distritos municipal). These are Barreras, Barro Arriba, Clavellina, Emma Balaguer Viuda Vallejo, Las Barias-La Estancia, Las Lomas, Los Jovillos, Sabana Yegua, and Puerto Viejo.
The city itself is divided into 20 main neighborhoods. These neighborhoods are then split into 12 smaller sub-neighborhoods. Some of the neighborhoods include Los Cartones, Simón Striddels, La Bombita, Villa Esperanza, City Center, Pueblo Abajo, Savica, Los Mangos, Buenos Aires, La Colonia Española, Social Improvement, Pajarito, La Nevera, La Frontera, El Prado, Alto de las Flores, Quisqueya Urbanization, Juan Pablo Duarte, Acapulco, and Los Parceleros.
Climate in Azua
Azua de Compostela has a hot semi-arid climate. This means it's usually warm or hot, and it doesn't get a lot of rain. This is because of its location, which is in the direct path of the trade winds. These winds often bring dry air.
Most of the rain Azua gets happens during the hurricane season, which is from August to October. Outside of these months, rainfall is usually low.
| Climate data for Azua (1961-1990) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 35.0 (95.0) |
36.0 (96.8) |
36.5 (97.7) |
36.8 (98.2) |
37.8 (100.0) |
37.0 (98.6) |
38.7 (101.7) |
39.0 (102.2) |
37.8 (100.0) |
37.0 (98.6) |
36.8 (98.2) |
35.0 (95.0) |
39.0 (102.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 31.1 (88.0) |
31.5 (88.7) |
31.8 (89.2) |
32.2 (90.0) |
32.3 (90.1) |
32.8 (91.0) |
33.9 (93.0) |
33.9 (93.0) |
33.3 (91.9) |
32.5 (90.5) |
32.0 (89.6) |
31.3 (88.3) |
32.4 (90.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 19.2 (66.6) |
19.6 (67.3) |
20.5 (68.9) |
21.4 (70.5) |
22.3 (72.1) |
22.7 (72.9) |
23.1 (73.6) |
23.1 (73.6) |
22.8 (73.0) |
22.3 (72.1) |
21.2 (70.2) |
19.7 (67.5) |
21.5 (70.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 14.5 (58.1) |
15.2 (59.4) |
15.1 (59.2) |
16.2 (61.2) |
19.2 (66.6) |
19.2 (66.6) |
19.9 (67.8) |
19.5 (67.1) |
19.8 (67.6) |
18.2 (64.8) |
15.5 (59.9) |
14.5 (58.1) |
14.5 (58.1) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 14.3 (0.56) |
13.9 (0.55) |
24.1 (0.95) |
39.2 (1.54) |
77.2 (3.04) |
63.5 (2.50) |
41.0 (1.61) |
80.1 (3.15) |
117.7 (4.63) |
136.0 (5.35) |
37.5 (1.48) |
19.8 (0.78) |
664.3 (26.15) |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 1.4 | 1.6 | 2.5 | 3.8 | 6.8 | 5.0 | 3.5 | 5.5 | 7.2 | 8.6 | 4.1 | 1.8 | 51.8 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Famous People from Azua
Many talented people have come from Azua, including:
- Maikel Franco (born 1992), a professional baseball player.
- Geovanny Vicente (born 1986), a writer for CNN, a political expert, and a professor.
- Yennsy Díaz (born 1996), another professional baseball player.
- Edna Garrido Ramírez (1913–2010), a person who studied and collected traditional music and culture (an ethnomusicologist).
- Esteury Ruiz (born 1999), a baseball player.
- Francisca Lachapel (born 1989), an actress and TV host.
- Franchy Cordero (born 1994), a baseball player.
Images for kids
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People in Azua, Dominican Republic.
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The town hall in Azua, Dominican Republic.
See also
In Spanish: Azua para niños
