Provinces of the Dominican Republic

The division of the country into provinces is laid down in the constitution (Title I, Section II, Article 5)[1] and enacted by law.

5220 sobre División Territorial de la República Dominicana), issued 1959 and frequently amended to create new provinces and lower-level administrative units.

The president appoints an administrative governor (Gobernador Civil) for each province but not for the Distrito Nacional (Title IX of the constitution).

Prior to this, the Distrito Nacional was the old Santo Domingo Province, in existence since the country's independence in 1844.

[2] The provinces are also constituencies for the elections to the bicameral National Congress (Congreso de la República).