Samana

Samana belongs to northeastern Hispaniola, where a peninsula and broad bay connect coastal resources with wooded inland country. Fishing, cultivation, and gathered products support communities using different parts of the landscape. Boats link shore settlements and wider Caribbean routes, while safe anchorages and knowledge of weather shape maritime access. The region's position gives it value beyond the resources of a single village or field.

The peninsula was inhabited by Ciguayo people when Columbus visited in 1493; an encounter with his party ended in violence. During the colonial centuries, escaped enslaved people and European seafarers used the peninsula, while Spanish authorities sought to control it. In 1756 families from the Canary Islands founded Santa Bárbara de Samaná under Spanish direction. In 1824, during Haitian rule over Hispaniola, Black families from the United States settled in the area.