Santiago

Santiago is a province of the Dominican Republic.Santiago is the heart of the country. It is an intellectual, educational, and cultural center. It is also a major industrial center with the rum, cigarette and cigar industry, which are based there. Shoe manufacturing and leather goods furniture making are an important part of the city's economic life. It is also a major zona franca center with four important industrial free zones, and an important cement factory. Santiago happens to have the most important medical center in the north of the country, HRUJMCB. This hospital serves the entire 13 provinces of the Cibao. Also within striking distance there are a good number of pleasant towns, many of which are quite prosperous. Santiago is in the center of the Cibao Valley, the wealthiest region in the DR (Santo Domingo is the wealthiest city with Santiago coming in as 2nd, but for centuries Santiago was the wealthiest city).