Independencia Province
Lake Enriquillo (Caribbean's largest, 40m below sea level) rising displaces residents; Jimaní 'La Puerta' handles $1B+ annual Haiti trade; 72%+ poverty.
Independencia Province occupies the Hoya de Enriquillo—a tectonic depression that contains Lake Enriquillo, the Caribbean's largest lake and the lowest point in the West Indies (40 meters below sea level). The lake, which straddles the Haiti border (Lake Azuéi lies on the Haitian side), has been rising dramatically since 2004, submerging Boca de Cachón and forcing the government to relocate residents to Nuevo Boca de Cachón. The rising waters demonstrate climate volatility: what was a tourist attraction (crocodiles, flamingos, iguanas) became a displacement crisis.
Jimaní, the provincial capital, functions as 'La Puerta' (The Door)—a binational gateway where over $1 billion in goods pass annually between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. More than 60% of Dominican exports to Haiti flow through the Malpaso customs zone. Local agriculture produces cassava, sweet potatoes, melons, peppers, and tomatoes irrigated by scarce water resources, while coffee grows in the Sierra de Neiba highlands. Like all seven border provinces, Independencia qualifies for 30-year tax incentives, but poverty rates exceed 72%.
By 2026, Independencia will test whether border commerce can survive Haiti's crisis while Lake Enriquillo's rise challenges livelihoods. If Haiti stabilizes and border trade normalizes, the province could develop processing facilities for agricultural exports. If instability persists and the lake continues rising, the province named for independence may find itself increasingly dependent on humanitarian response rather than economic development.