San Pedro de Macorís (city) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
San Pedro de Macorís
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Municipality
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San Pedro de Macorís cathedral
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| Nickname(s):
Macorís del mar
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| Country |  Dominican Republic |
| Province | San Pedro de Macorís |
| Founded | 1856 |
| Municipality since | 1865 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 146.7 km2 (56.6 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 4 m (13 ft) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 195,307 |
| • Density | 1,331.3/km2 (3,448.1/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 185,255 |
| Demonym(s) | Petromacorisano (female, petromacorisana) |
| Time zone | UTC-4 (AST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (AST) |
| Distance | 35 km (22 mi) to La Romana 70 km (43 mi) to Santo Domingo |
San Pedro de Macorís is a lively city in the Dominican Republic. It's the main city of the San Pedro de Macorís area, located in the southeast part of the country.
People often call it Macorís del mar, which means "Macorís by the sea." This helps tell it apart from San Francisco de Macorís, another city in the Duarte Province.
Contents
A Look Back: San Pedro de Macorís History
A long time ago, there were two tiny towns near the mouth of the Higuamo River. One was called Mosquito because of all the mosquitoes. The other was Sol (meaning "Sun") because it had no trees. Even today, some people still call San Pedro de Macorís Mosquitisol, combining the names of these old towns.
In 1852, a military outpost was set up here. It was known as the Military Post of Macorís. This post was part of the Hato Mayor del Rey area.
In 1856, a priest named Pedro Carrasco built a Catholic church. He named it San Pedro Apóstol. This church was built right between the two small towns of Mosquito and Sol. Over time, both towns grew closer to the church. They eventually joined together to form one town called San Pedro de Macorís.
When the country became a Spanish colony again, San Pedro de Macorís was given a special military status. After the country became free once more in 1865, towns with this status became official municipalities. Still, San Pedro de Macorís was a very small town back then.
After 1868, the city started to grow a lot. This was because of new sugarcane plantations and sugar factories. San Pedro de Macorís quickly became one of the most important cities in the Dominican Republic. Many people from Cuba and Puerto Rico moved here in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Later, people from Spain and the Middle East (like Lebanon and Syria) also came to work in businesses.
To help with the sugarcane fields and factories, workers from Haiti and the British West Indies also came to San Pedro de Macorís and other parts of the country.
City Population
In 2010, the city had a total population of 195,307 people. This included 94,562 men and 100,745 women. Most of the people, about 95% of the total, lived in the urban (city) areas.
Where is San Pedro de Macorís?
San Pedro de Macorís is located right along the coast. It sits on the left side of the Higuamo river, which is also called Macorís. The city covers an area of about 146.7 km2 (57 sq mi). This is about 12% of the total area of the San Pedro de Macorís province.
The city is very close to sea level, only about 4 m (13 ft) above the sea. It is also about 70 km (43 mi) east of Santo Domingo, the capital city. San Pedro de Macorís does not have any smaller municipal districts or subdivisions.
The city is surrounded by other towns in its province. To the east is Ramón Santana, to the west is Quisqueya, and to the north is Consuelo. To the south, the city meets the beautiful Caribbean Sea.
Understanding the Climate
San Pedro de Macorís has a tropical wet and dry climate. This means it has a clear dry season during the winter months. This type of climate is also known as a savanna climate.
On average, the city gets about 1,039.5 mm (40.9 in) of rainfall each year. The wettest months are usually October, with about 145.9 mm (5.7 in) of rain, and September, with about 145.8 mm (5.7 in).
The driest time of year is winter. February is the driest month, with only about 29.9 mm (1.2 in) of rain. January is also very dry, with about 31.1 mm (1.2 in).
San Pedro de Macorís is a warm place. The average yearly temperature is about 26.1 °C (79.0 °F). August is usually the warmest month, with an average temperature of 27.4 °C (81.3 °F). January is the coolest month, but it's still warm, with an average temperature of 24.4 °C (75.9 °F).
| Climate data for San Pedro de Macorís (1961–1990) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 29.5 (85.1) |
29.6 (85.3) |
30.1 (86.2) |
30.5 (86.9) |
30.9 (87.6) |
31.5 (88.7) |
31.9 (89.4) |
32.0 (89.6) |
31.9 (89.4) |
31.4 (88.5) |
30.7 (87.3) |
29.8 (85.6) |
30.8 (87.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 24.4 (75.9) |
24.6 (76.3) |
25.0 (77.0) |
25.6 (78.1) |
26.3 (79.3) |
27.0 (80.6) |
27.3 (81.1) |
27.4 (81.3) |
27.3 (81.1) |
26.9 (80.4) |
26.0 (78.8) |
24.9 (76.8) |
26.1 (78.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 19.4 (66.9) |
19.5 (67.1) |
20.0 (68.0) |
20.8 (69.4) |
21.7 (71.1) |
22.6 (72.7) |
22.7 (72.9) |
22.8 (73.0) |
22.7 (72.9) |
22.4 (72.3) |
21.4 (70.5) |
20.1 (68.2) |
21.3 (70.4) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 31.1 (1.22) |
29.9 (1.18) |
35.9 (1.41) |
50.0 (1.97) |
133.4 (5.25) |
99.7 (3.93) |
90.9 (3.58) |
128.4 (5.06) |
145.8 (5.74) |
145.9 (5.74) |
91.8 (3.61) |
56.7 (2.23) |
1,039.5 (40.92) |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Climatemps.com | |||||||||||||
Economy and Industries
The economy of San Pedro de Macorís grew mainly because of sugar. There were many sugar factories, and most of the sugar was sent to other countries through the city's port. This made it one of the most important ports in the country. Rum is also made in the city, using alcohol that comes from sugarcane.
Today, San Pedro de Macorís also has other important industries. They mainly produce cement and textiles (like fabrics and clothes). These products are also sent to other countries.
