Santiago de los Caballeros

When we arrive in the Dominican Republic it appears that we will be landing in the city of Santiago de los Caballeros. In English this means Saint James of the Knights (lot easier to pronounce for a bear like me.

According to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiago_de_los_Caballeros

• The city was founded in 1495 during the first wave of European colonization of the New World.
• It is currently the second largest city in the Dominican Republic.
• It is the capital of Santiago Province.
• It is located in the middle of the Cibao Valley (one of the most fertile lands on the island)
• It is located in a tropical climate zone (for you Geography students) and is vulnerable to hurricanes (not while we are traveling though)
• The city produces the second highest percentage of the nation's GDP (for you Economic students)
• Tourism, telecommunications, farming and livestock are key to the economy of the city.
• There are approximately 1,936,721 people living in the city
• It faces problems of irregular electricity service and insufficient potable water.
• The city does not have transportation systems like our cities do in this country. Private and independent bus owners form their own routes according to demand.
• The city has plans to build a light metro rail.

Santiago de los Cabelleros has many tourist attractions, historical sites, museums and other locations to keep tourist busy during their visit.

It appears that there are five Universities in Santiago de los Caballeros

• Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM)
• Universidad Tecnologica de Santiago (UTESA)
• Universisad Organizacion & Metodo (O&M)
• Universidad Abierta para Adultos (UAPA)
• Universidad Nacional Evangelica