Nagua

Nagua is the capital of the María Trinidad Sánchez province of the Dominican Republic. A medium-sized town, Nagua's economy relies primarily on the production of agricultural products, principally rice, coconuts and cacao. Located on the Northeast coast north of the Samaná Peninsula, Nagua lies on the highway leading from Puerto Plata to the town of Samaná. Nagua is located below sea level, a fact which some believe indicates the town faces an im... more

Nagua is the capital of the María Trinidad Sánchez province of the Dominican Republic. A medium-sized town, Nagua's economy relies primarily on the production of agricultural products, principally rice, coconuts and cacao. Located on the Northeast coast north of the Samaná Peninsula, Nagua lies on the highway leading from Puerto Plata to the town of Samaná. Nagua is located below sea level, a fact which some believe indicates the town faces an imminent flood that could destroy a substantial part of town. In fact, during the reign of Rafael Leónidas Trujillo (1930-1961), the neighboring town of Matanza (also below sea level) was destroyed by flooding caused by a magnitude 8.0 earthquake in 1946 (see 1946 Dominican Republic earthquake. Many residents of Matanza chose to resettle in the area that is now Nagua. Matanza (now known as "Matancita") is now a small town just south of the city limits of Nagua. less