Sabana Grande de Boyá

Sabana Grande de Boyá is a municipality (municipio) of the Monte Plata province in the Dominican Republic. It includes the municipal districts (distritos municipal) of Gonzalo and Majagual.^[2]

Sabana Grande de Boyá
Municipality
Sabana Grande de Boya Dominican Republic
Seal
Sabana Grande de Boyá
Coordinates: 18°57′0″N 69°48′0″W
Country	Dominican Republic
Province	Monte Plata
Area [1]
• Total	535.08 km2 (206.60 sq mi)
Population  (2012)
• Total	30,085
• Density	56/km2 (150/sq mi)
Municipal Districts	2

History

It was founded by Enrique Bejo (Enriquillo), the Taino chief of Jaragua and hero of Bahoruco, after 14 years of struggle.^{[clarification needed]} Having managed to force the authorities of Santo Domingo to sign a peace treaty, he decided to retire to Boyá in 1533, where he later died. His remains are at the point where a temple was later built.

The last Tainos on the island were exterminated in the town of Boyá and, therefore, it has been called the "last redoubt of the indigenous race" of Santo Domingo. By the late 16th century, the population was made up of only 13 Spanish families and was mostly forgotten.

The town experienced its greatest population growth during the 1940s, a time when the sowing, cultivation and harvesting of sugar cane also began, an activity directed by the then president of the Dominican Republic, the tyrant Rafael Leonidas Trujillo. The sugarcane production attracted a large number of families from different parts of the country as well as other parts of the Caribbean, and settled in these properties in search of a better income.

Sabana Grande de Boya is the hometown of Elly de la Cruz, shortstop of the Cincinnati Reds, and Jose Siri, center field of the Tampa Bay Rays.^{[citation needed]}

Economy

The economy of the town is based on livestock, agriculture and remittances received from abroad, specifically from the United States and Europe.

Notable residents

• Elly De La Cruz (born 2002), infielder for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball
• José Siri (born 1995), outfielder for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball

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References

1. Superficies a nivel de municipios, Oficina Nacional de Estadistica Archived 2009-04-17 at the Wayback Machine
2. "Listado de Codigos de Provincias, Municipio y Distritos Municipales, Actualizada a Junio 20 del 2006" (in Spanish). Oficina Nacional de Estadística, Departamento de Cartografia, Division de Limites y Linderos. 20 June 2006. Archived from the original on 14 March 2007. Retrieved 12 August 2011.