From wikipedia about Dominican Republic
The
Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of
Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries. Both by area and population, the
Dominican Republic is the second largest Caribbean nation (after
Cuba), with and an estimated 10 million people. Context:
Inhabited by Taínos since the 7th century, the territory of the
Dominican Republic was reached by Christopher Columbus in 1492 and became the site of the first permanent European settlement in the Americas, namely Santo Domingo, the country's capital and Spain's first capital in the New World. Santo Domingo can boast of many firsts in the Americas, including the first university, cathedral, and castle, the latter two in the Ciudad Colonial area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
After three centuries of Spanish rule, with French and Haitian interludes, the country became independent in 1821 but was quickly taken over by
Haiti. Victorious in the Dominican War of Independence in 1844, Dominicans experienced mostly internal strife, and also a brief return to Spanish rule, over the next 72 years. The United States occupation of 1916–1924, and a subsequent, calm and prosperous six-year period under Horacio Vásquez Lajara, were followed by the dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina until 1961. The civil war of 1965, the country's last, was ended by a U. S. -led intervention, and was followed by the authoritarian rule of Joaquín Balaguer, 1966–1978. Since then, the
Dominican Republic has moved toward representative democracy, and has been led by Leonel Fernández for most of the time after 1996.
The
Dominican Republic has the second largest economy in the Caribbean and Central American region. The U. S. State Department calls it the largest government corruption, and inconsistent electric service remain major Dominican problems. The country also has "marked income inequality".
International migration affects the
Dominican Republic greatly, as it receives and sends large flows of migrants. Haitian immigration and the integration of Dominicans of Haitian descent are major issues; the total population of Haitian origin is estimated to be 800, 000. A large Dominican diaspora exists, most of it in the United States, where it numbers 1. 3 million. They aid national development as they send billions of dollars to their families, accounting for one-tenth of the Dominican GDP.
The
Dominican Republic has become the Caribbean's largest tourist destination; the country's year-round golf courses are among the top attractions. In this mountainous land is located the Caribbean's highest mountain, Pico Duarte, as is Lake Enriquillo, the Caribbean's largest lake and lowest elevation. Quisqueya, as Dominicans often call their country, has an average temperature of and great biological diversity.
Music and sport are of the highest importance in Dominican culture, with merengue as the national dance and song and baseball the favorite sport.
