Azua, Dominican Republic Azua, Dominican Republic Azua de Compostela, also known simply as Azua, is a municipality ("municipio") and capital of Azua Province in the Dominican Republic. It is located 100 kilometres west of the national capital, Santo Domingo. Founded in 1504, Azua is one of the oldest European settlements in the Americas. As of the Dominican Republic's 2012 census, the municipality had a total population of 128,264 inhabitants, of which 92,585 resided in urban areas and 35,679 in rural areas. It includes the municipal districts ("distritos municipal") of Barreras, Barro Arriba, Clavellina, Emma Balaguer Viuda Vallejo, Las Barias-La Estancia, Las Lomas, Los
Sport in the Dominican Republic "Sugarball," "Nothing typifies the new direction of Dominican baseball as much as the baseball academy, an institution rooted in the increased presence and benevolent paternalism of North American baseball interests in the country." The first baseball academy in the Dominican Republic was built in 1977 by Ralph Avila. In his description of baseball academies in the Dominican Republic, Alan Klein wrote "What the academy does in working with the Dominican players goes beyond teaching baseball skills. They teach career preparation, socialization and how to cope with the cultural changes they will face in the United States." Campo Las Palmas is