Its nickname is Ciudad de los Bellos Atardeceres (English, "City of the Beautiful Sunsets"); this was given by Juan De Jesus Reyes, renowned poet and Dominican literary icon.

The town was made a Puesto Cantonal (an old category similar to the present Municipal District under a military government).

When the province was created in 1959, Mao was made its head municipality and provincial capital.

[4] Unlike the humid northern coast of the Dominican Republic, Mao is located in a sheltered valley and like the southern coastal fringe of Hispaniola, has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh), with the temperature being warm year-round and some months being wetter than others.

Mao receives 699.6 millimetres (27.54 in) of rainfall annually over 60.8 precipitation days.