SAN CRISTBAL

in full Benemrita De San Cristbal, city, south-central Dominican Republic. It is situated in the coastal lowlands close to the Caribbean Sea. Founded by Spaniards in 1575, when gold was discovered in the area, it was the site of the signing of the Dominican Republic's first constitution, in 1844, and of the birth of dictator Rafael Trujillo Molina. San Cristbal is now a prosperous commercial centre for its agricultural hinterland, which produces rice, coffee, sugarcane, fruit, potatoes, tubers, and livestock. The city lies on the paved highway linking Santo Domingo, the national capital, with Comendador, near the Haitian border. Pop. (1990 est.) mun., 137,494. also called Makira, formerly Cristoval, island in the Solomon Islands, southwestern Pacific Ocean, 40 miles (64 km) southeast of Guadalcanal. The island is about 80 miles (130 km) long, has a maximum width of 25 miles (40 km), and has an area of 1,231 square miles (3,188 square km). It is fairly rugged, with a central mountain rising to 4,100 feet (1,250 m). Islets off the northern coast are Uki Ni Masi Island and the Olu Malau Islands (Three Sisters Islands); Santa Ana and Santa Catalina islands are off the southeastern tip. San Cristbal has several copra plantations and trading stations. Kirakira on the north coast is the largest settlement. The island is sometimes called Makira, which is the name of a mission post and harbour on the northwest coast. Pop. (1989 est.) San Cristbal and adjacent islands, 22,152. city, capital of Tchira estado (state), western Venezuela. Situated in an isolated intermontane basin of the Mrida Mountains, at 2,700 feet (820 m) above sea level, the city occupies three sloping alluvial terraces overlooking the Torbes River. Founded in 1561, it retains a colonial atmosphere despite its being the largest of the cities in the so-called Andean Region of Venezuela. It was heavily damaged by an earthquake in 1875. The commercial centre for the surrounding agricultural lands, which produce corn (maize), cassava, pineapple, sugarcane, and coffee, San Cristbal has some industry, including textile mills, tanneries, a shoe factory, cigarette factories, and a cement plant. It is also an outstanding transportation centre that is served by several main roads, including the Pan-American Highway, which runs 500 miles (800 km) northeast to Caracas. Pop. (1990 est.) 245,432.