Years later, by Royal Privilege dispatched from Seville on December 7, 1508, this town was awarded the coat of arms.

When the Republic was proclaimed in 1844, the Central Government Board designated it as a common part of the Department of El Seibo.

The Basílica Catedral Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia is located in Higüey and is one of the most important religious monuments in the Dominican Republic.

The entrance door is made of gold-plated bronze and was blessed by Pope John Paul II in Rome.

[1][2] La Altagracia is the second largest province in the country with an extension of 3,010.34 km2 (1,162.30 sq mi).

Towards the north are the foothills of the Eastern Cordillera, where the Old Hill rises, which with its 736 meters (2,415 ft) high is the highest in the province.

The park is located on a peninsula trapezoidal in shape and measures 310 square kilometres (120 sq mi), also incorporating Saona Island.

[3] The Bávaro lagoon is the habitat of the cyprinodon nichollsi, a fish that is in danger of extinction, and is a refuge for migratory ducks.

It has first-class international hotel complexes, which places it in one of the main tourist destinations in the Caribbean and the entire Latin America region, which represent a very important source of income for the province, the destinations of Bávaro and Punta Cana being especially well known.

The province also has a notable economic activity based on extensive cattle ranching and agriculture.