Jimani is the capital and the second largest city of the Independencia Province of the Dominican Republic. It serves as one of the two main thoroughfares to Haiti (with Dajabon), with a duty free open air marketplace operating on the border with the Haitian town of Malpasse. Half of the town was completely washed away in the flash flood of May 25, 2004, killing many of the citizens during the night. It is still in the process of rebuilding.
The name "Ximani" is of native Taíno origin. Historian Dr. Rafael Leonidas Pérez y Perez in his book "Annotations on the history of Jimaní", says that Ximani was a cacique of the chieftainship of Jaragua (Xaragua) that had the control of these lands. Another version of the origin of the name attributes it to some "Count of Jimani" of French origin; however Dr. Pérez y Pérez argues the Count took his name from the town and not the other way around, and that the Jimaní name, being very old, predates the existence of the Count
