Puerto Plata Province information

Puerto Plata
Province
Fortaleza San Felipe in Puerto Plata
Flag Coat of arms
Location of the Puerto Plata Province
Coordinates: 19°44′12″N 70°46′12″W / 19.73667°N 70.77000°W / 19.73667; -70.77000
Country	Dominican Republic
Province since	1850
Capital	San Felipe de Puerto Plata
Government
• Type	Subdivisions
• Body	9 municipalities 12 municipal districts
• Congresspersons	1 Senator 6 Deputies
Area
• Total	1,852.90 km2 (715.41 sq mi)
Population  (2014)
• Total	470,839
• Density	250/km2 (660/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-4 (AST)
Area code	1-809 1-829 1-849
ISO 3166-2	DO-18
Postal Code	57000

Puerto Plata

Puerto Plata (Spanish pronunciation: [pweɾtoˈplata], Silver Port) is one of the northern provinces of the Dominican Republic. The area has become an increasingly popular tourist attraction since the late 1990s mainly due to its fine beaches. It borders the Septentrional mountain range to the north (which separates it from Laguna Salada).

Created from the Santiago Province in 1867 as a "maritime district", it became a province in 1907, when maritime districts were suppressed by a new Dominican constitution.