Pédernales (English: "Flints") is the southernmost province of the Dominican Republic, including the offshore island of Isla Beata. It was split from Barahona in 1957. Of its 2,074.53 square kilometers, 1374 km² (66%) belong to the Jaragua National Park.
Municipalites of the province
Pédernales Province in blue; Enriquillo region in gray
Etymolygy[]
Tradition indicates that the province derives its name from the abundant presence of flint in the area.
History[]
The southwestern area of Hispaniola is abundant in archaeological sites that date back to pre-Columbian eras. The earliest of these sites, identified so far, dates to 2,590 BC and corresponds to indigenous settlements from the Paleolithic (Old Stone) age (~11,000 BC). These communities were characterized by their use of shell artifacts and flint tools, living as hunter-fisher-gatherers organized into bands with nomadic lifestyles. The origins of these groups remain a topic of debate, with theories suggesting they may have originated from either Central or South America.
For approximately 2,000 years, these early settlers were unaware of agriculture and relied heavily on marine resources. Around 2,000 BC, they encountered other cultural groups that had begun to colonize the eastern part of the island, bringing with them more advanced technologies associated with a collector culture. A subsequent chronological group has been identified, with remains dating to 1,300 BC, linked to the exploitation of mangroves and exhibiting a different technological approach. This group culturally influenced the earlier settlers by introducing fishing and agricultural techniques.
Eventually, groups of potters from the mainland arrived, likely traveling through the Antillean archipelago and interacting with the island's inhabitants. This phase of cultural hybridization is marked by the emergence of ceramic artifacts among non-agricultural groups, indicating an exchange of practices and techniques related to natural resource utilization. This interaction contributed to a demographic increase among the primitive populations. Notably, some communities that reached the Lesser Antilles with a certain level of technology experienced a decline, likely due to insular conditions. This regression characterized the first centuries AD and persisted until approximately 600 years before European contact, when a reversal of this trend began, leading to the development of indigenous cultural forms uniquely adapted to the island's environment.
The most significant representation of this indigenous culture is embodied by the Arawaks or Taíno , who were characterized by their agricultural practices and pottery skills, and were the predominant inhabitants at the time of Christopher Columbus' arrival in 1492. It is believed that the Taíno groups settled on the island around the 8th century AD, with their origins associated with a distinctive pottery style known as chicoid.
At the time of Columbus' arrival, the Taínos, who referred to the island as "Ayiti" and are now represented by the nations of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, primarily sustained themselves through rudimentary agriculture, fishing, hunting, and gathering. They possessed advanced techniques in pottery and ceramics, alongside a well-developed craft industry. (For further information, please refer to the section on the Indigenous Peoples of the Antilles). The Taínos exhibited a certain degree of territorial organization. The lands within the Pedernales province were part of the kingdom of Xaraguá, which extended to the Sierra de Neyba, encompassing Lake Enriquillo and Lake Azuei. To the west, it reached the present-day Bay of Port-au-Prince, including the island of Gonave, and covered portions of the Tiburon Peninsula.
Upon the arrival of the Spanish, the kingdom was led by Chief Bohechío, who entered into an agreement with the conquerors based on a tribute system, thereby maintaining a semblance of peace. Following his death in the early 1500s, his successors adopted a more defiant stance and were met with severe repression by the forces of the Spanish crown. Subsequently, during the 20s and 30s of the 16th century, the region became a refuge for Chief Enriquillo, a Taíno prince who, despite being educated at the Spanish court in Santo Domingo, revolted against the oppressive tax conditions imposed on his people. He garnered support from numerous indigenous individuals and some groups of fugitive black slaves, who had begun to be imported from Africa as a more resistant workforce than the aboriginal population, which was rapidly declining in the model of exploitation that "civilization" imposed on them.
Beata Island was first encountered by Christopher Columbus during his second voyage in 1493. Subsequently, a maritime route connecting Jamaica to the mainland was established, positioning Beata Island as a crucial meeting point and strategic haven for vessels, given its status as the southernmost point of the colony. This advantageous location also drew the attention of buccaneers, corsairs, and pirates, who ravaged the coasts and shipping lanes of the Spanish Empire throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The shores of Pedernales were often frequented by such crews, who would land to replenish their water supplies and to cure the meat from the game they hunted in preparation for their voyages. Historical accounts indicate that notorious pirates such as "El Olonese" and Captain Morgan took refuge on Beata Island and its neighboring shores. The Spanish established cattle ranches on Beata Island to support their maritime expeditions to the New World. These cattle, in the form of a maroon, persisted on the island until the century's end.
In the second half of the 17th century (1600s), the island was divided into two colonies: the Spanish and the French, with the Pedernales River marking the boundary in the southwestern area. Following this division, incursions by French settlers became commonplace, culminating in the ratification of border limits and their demarcation through the Treaty of Aranjuez in 1777. Subsequently, in 1801, the revolutionary government led by Toussaint Louverture, who had emerged in the French colony, opted to incorporate the procurrent of Barahona into the geographical and political domain of Haiti, which had not yet declared itself a Republic. This annexation led to the establishment of the town of Petitrou, now known as Enriquillo, as a military outpost on the eastern coastline.
From the time of Dominican Independence in 1844 until the finalization of the current territorial division treaty between 1929 and 1936, numerous incidents and border disputes occurred in the area between Enriquillo and Pedernales, marked by Dominican and Haitian occupations. The inhabitants of Enriquillo played a significant role in the region through extensive cattle ranching and the extraction of valuable timber from local forests, which significantly contributed to the rapid deforestation of the southern slopes of the Sierra de Bahoruco. During this period, guano was also harvested until its depletion on the island of Alto Velo, which was granted to a North American company in 1867; additionally, salt extraction commenced in the lagoons of Beata, a practice that persisted until recent years. During the island's unification, another settlement was founded along the shores of Laguna de Oviedo, referred to as "Trujin" by the Haitians (now known as Oviedo Viejo); its original site was devastated by Hurricane Inés in 1966.
The city of Pedernales, which currently serves as the provincial capital, was established in the early 20th century (1900s).
Timeline (Abbreviated history)[]
- 1492 The area now known as the province of Pedernales was part of the kingdom of Xaraguá, governed by Bohechío.
- 1755 According to journalist Carlos Julio Féliz in his book Pedernales, Rincón del Caribe, the first human settlements in Pedernales began this year. For a period, the region was referred to as Juan López, named after a landowner who settled there in the late 19th century.
- 1777 The establishment of the current border line, which consists of fifty percent border rivers including the Artibonito, Libón, Dajabón, Macasía, and Pedernales, took 152 years to complete. This timeline spans from the signing of the Treaty of Aranjuez in 1777 to the Dominican-Haiti Border Treaty on January 21, 1929.
- 1907 While there are various accounts regarding the precise date of Pedernales' founding, some suggest that this year marked the arrival of the first inhabitants from Duvergé, brought by merchant Genaro Pérez Rocha.
- 1911 In January of this year, Francisco J. Peynado, representing the Dominican government, and Haitian minister Jules Lizaire, represented by Gerardo Jansen, convened in Pedernales to initiate discussions concerning border delineations.
- 1929 Presidents Horacio Vásquez of the Dominican Republic and Louis Borno of Haiti signed a boundary treaty, which included the Pedernales River as one of the specified locations.
- 1937 The construction of the Oviedo-Pedernales Highway was completed.
- 1941 The Alcoa company commenced studies for bauxite mining, establishing operations in the area by 1945.
- 1955 Hurricane Katy caused significant destruction in Pedernales, which was subsequently rebuilt under the directive of dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina.
- 1957 On December 17, law 4815 was enacted, officially establishing the province of Pedernales, with its capital bearing the same name.
Geography[]
Municipalities[]
| Municipality | Municipal District |
|---|---|
| 1. Oviedo 11,146 | Juancho 10,643 Villa Esperanza 5,756 Puerto Nuevo (Trudillé) 3,382 |
| 2. Pedernales 51,983 | La Altagracia 10,147 Aguas Negras 9,812 Las Mercedes 5,835 Mencia 3,783 |
Pedernales Province 112,487* Actual number may differ.
Neighboring Regions[]
Northwest   Belle-Anse Borough, SE, Haiti |
North Independencia Province |
Northeast  Barahona Province |
|---|---|---|
Dominican Republic |
||
| 〰️South〰️ Caribbean Sea |
〰️Southeast〰️ Lake Oviedo |
References[]
Características Históricas Y Culturales De Pedernales - Provincias Dominicanas [1]
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