The province of Santiago is the second largest in the Dominican Republic. Only San Juan de la Maguana exceeds Santiago in territory. Santiago has 12,000 commercial establishments, approximately 860,000 inhabitants, 124 free zone factories that employ 50,000 people and is the producer of 90% of all tobacco products made in the Dominican Republic. The traditional home of rum, cigars, construction materials and metal workshops, Santiago is also home to ten industrial free zones located in the city proper, Gurabo, Matanza, Villa Gonzalez, Navarrete, Licey and La Canela. These industries are the region’s major employers.
Studies carried out by the PUCMM Center for Urban and Regional Studies show that during the day, the population of the city nearly doubles, which makes the city itself a major economic center for the entire Cibao region, according to Ivan Reynoso, executive director of the local Chamber of Commerce and Production. According to Reynoso, Santiago “is not a residential city, but rather a city of transients, of trade, mainly during the daylight hours.” The province is made up of the cities of Santiago de los Caballeros, Janico, San Jose de las Matas, Villa Gonzalez, Navarrete, Licey and Tamboril. While industry is the number one job provider for the city of Santiago, in the other areas, agriculture is the chief provider of employment. For example, Santiago, together with Moca, provides 60% of the national poultry supply and 30% of the eggs consumed each month. Tobacco is also an important crop, especially since 90% of the cigars produced in the Dominican Republic come from Santiago.