LA VEGA

in full Concepcin de la Vega city, west-central Dominican Republic. It was founded in 1495 by Bartolomeo Colombo at the foot of Concepcin fortress, which had been built by Christopher Columbus in 1494. La Vega was moved to the bank of the Cam River after an earthquake in 1564. La Vega is a prosperous commercial, manufacturing, and transportation centre in the fertile La Vega Real region, which yields cacao, coffee, tobacco, rice, fruits, and cattle. The railroad running westward from Snchez, on Saman Bay, ends in La Vega, which is also situated on the paved highway linking Santo Domingo, the national capital, with Montecristi. La Vega also has an airfield. Pop. (1986 est.) 60,250.