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|native_name = ''República Dominicana'' |conventional_long_name = Dominican Republic |common_name = Dominican Republic |image_flag = Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg |image_coat = Dominican_republic_coa.gif |image_map = LocationDominicanRepublic.png |national_motto = : "God, Fatherland, Liberty") |national_anthem = Quisqueyanos Valientes |official_languages = Spanish |capital = Santo Domingo |latd=18|latm=30 |latNS=N |longd=69 |longm=59 |longEW=W |largest_city = Santo Domingo |government_type = Representative democracy |leader_titles = President |leader_names = Leonel Fernández |area_rank = 128th |area_magnitude = 1 E10 |area= 48,730 |areami&2= 18,810 |percent_water = 1.6 |population_estimate = 8,950,034 |population_estimate_rank = 85th |population_estimate_year = July 2005 |population_census = |population_census_year = |population_density =183 |population_densitymi&2 = 474 |population_density_rank = 43rd |GDP_PPP = $58.520 billion |GDP_PPP_rank = 71st |GDP_PPP_year= 2005 |GDP_PPP_per_capita = $6,767 |GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 86th |sovereignty_type = Independence |established_events = from Haiti |established_dates = 27 February 1844 |HDI = 0.749 |HDI_rank = 95th |HDI_year = 2003 |HDI_category = medium |currency = Peso |currency_code = DOP |country_code = |time_zone = |utc_offset = -4 |time_zone_DST = |utc_offset_DST = |cctld = .do |calling_code = 1-809 and + 1-829 |footnotes = }} The Dominican Republic, ( ) is a country located on the eastern two-thirds of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola , bordering Haiti . Hispaniola is the second-largest of the Greater Antilles islands, and lies west of Puerto Rico and east of Cuba and Jamaica . A legacy of unsettled, mostly non-representative rule lasted for much of the 20th Century ; the move towards Representative Democracy has improved vastly since the death of military dictator Rafael Leónidas Trujillo in 1961 . Dominicans sometimes refer to their country as '''Quisqueya''', a name for Hispaniola used by Indigenous Taíno people. The Dominican Republic is not to be confused with Dominica , another Caribbean country. History Main article: History Of The Dominican Republic The indigenous inhabitants of the island of Hispaniola, on which the Dominican Repulic is located, were the Taíno Amerindian s. The Taínos were a seafering branch of the South America n Arawaks . ''Taíno'' means "the good" or "noble" in that native language. A system of Cacicazgos ( Chiefdom s) was in place, and Marien, Maguana, Higuey, Magua and Xaragua (Also written as Jaragua) were their names. These chiefdoms were then subdivided into subchiefdoms. The Cacicazgos were based on a system of Tribute , consisting of the food grown by the Taino. Among the cultural signs that they left were cave paintings around the country, which have become touristic and nationalistic symbols of the Dominican Republic, and words from their language, including "hurricane" (hurrakan) and "tobacco" (tabakko). The islands was subsequently explored and claimed by Christopher Columbus on his first voyage in 1492, and Hispaniola became a springboard for Spanish conquest of the Caribbean and the American mainland. In 1697, Spain recognized French dominion over the western third of the island, which in 1804 became Haiti . The remainder of the island, by then known as Santo Domingo, sought to gain its own independence in 1821, but was conquered and ruled by the Haitians for 22 years; it finally attained independence as the Dominican Republic in 1844. In 1861, the Dominicans voluntarily returned to the Spanish Empire, but two years later they launched a war that restored independence in 1865. Later the United States ruled Dominican territory with a military government from 1916-1924. Twentieth century The twentieth century was marked by repeated U.S. intervention in local affairs. The reason for this was the island's strategic location in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. During the World Wars the islands of the Caribbean were used as stop-off points for German U-boats from which to plan possible attacks against the North American continent. During the Cold War , Soviet and capitalist ideologies clashed openly on the island. Apart from tentative U.S. support for the Trujillo dictatorship (1930-1961) (though this faded during his final years), the largest example of this was the 1965 invasion by American troops in the midst of a Dominican civil war, an uprising that was sparked by an attempt to restore the republic's first democratically-elected president of the 20th century, Juan Bosch , who had been overthrown by a Right-wing Coup in 1963. Following this civil war, and America's deployment of troops in Operation Power Pack , Joaquín Balaguer (1966-1978) was democractically elected, winning by 57%. Juan Bosch's constitutional government never returned to power. The Johnson Administration justified the 1965 intervention by stating that it suspected many of Bosch's supporters were pro- Cuban Communists . Politics Main article: Politics Of The Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a Representative Democracy whose national powers are divided among independent Executive , Legislative , and Judicial branches. The President appoints the cabinet, executes laws passed by the legislative branch, and is commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The president and vice president run for office on the same ticket and are elected by direct vote for four-year terms. Legislative power is exercised by a bicameral National Congress — the Senate (32 members), and the Chamber Of Deputies (150 members). Presidential elections are held in years evenly divisible by four. Congressional and municipal elections are held in even-numbered years not divisible by four. Leonel Fernandez Reyna is the current Presidente. Provinces Main article: Provinces Of The Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is divided into 31 Province s. Capitals with names differently than the provinces are provided in parentheses. The national capital, Santo Domingo , is contained within its own Distrito Nacional .
Geography Main article: Geography Of The Dominican Republic The capital of the country is the city of , more commonly referred to as simply Santiago. The country has three major mountain ranges: The Central Mountains (Cordillera Central), which originate in Haiti and span the central part of the island, ending up in the south. This mountain range boasts the highest peak in the Antilles , Pico Duarte (3,087 M / 10,128 Ft above Sea Level ). The Septentrional Mountains, running parallel to the Central Mountains, separate the Cibao Valley and the Atlantic coastal plains. The highest point here is Pico Diego de Ocampo. The lowest and shortest of the three ranges is the Eastern Mountains, in the eastern part of the country. There are also the Sierra Bahoruco and the Sierra Neyba in the southwest. This is a country of many rivers, including the navigable Soco, Higuamo, Romana (also known as 'Rio Dulce'), Yaque del Norte, Yaque del Sur, Yuna, Yuma, and Bajabonico. Puerto Plata's Mount. Isabela is famous for the Cuban plane that crashed there in 1992. The two largest islands, nearshore, are Saona Island in the southeast and Beata Island in the southwest. To the north, at a distance between 100 and 200 km, are three extensive, largely submerged banks, which geographically are a southeast continuation of the Bahamas : Navidad and Silver Banks have been officially claimed by the Dominican Republic. Climate The country is a Tropical Maritime , with a Wet Season from May to November, and periodic Cyclone s between June and November. Most rain falls in the Northern and Eastern regions. The average Rainfall is 1346 mm, with extremes of 2500 mm in the North-east and 500 mm in the West. The mean annual Temperature is ranges from 21°C in the mountainous regions to 25°C on the plains and the coast. The average temperature in Santo Domingo in January is 23.9°C, and 27.2°C in July. Economy Main article: Economy Of The Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a middle-income developing country primarily dependent on Agriculture , Trade , and Services , especially Tourism . Although the service sector has recently overtaken agriculture as the leading employer of Dominicans (due principally to growth in tourism and Free Trade Zones ), agriculture remains the most important sector in terms of domestic consumption and is in second place (behind Mining ) in terms of Export earnings. Tourism accounts for more than $3 billion in annual earnings. Free Trade Zone earnings and tourism are the fastest-growing export sectors. Remittances from Dominicans living abroad are estimated to be about $3 billion per year. Following economic turmoil in the late 1980s and 1990, during which the GDP fell by up to 5% and consumer price Inflation reached an unprecedented 100%, the Dominican Republic entered a period of moderate growth and declining inflation until 2002 after which the economy entered a Recession , after the second Commercial Bank of the country collapsed, caused by a major Fraud . GDP dropped by 1% in 2003 while inflation ballooned by over 27%. Despite a widening merchandise Trade Deficit , tourism earnings and remittances have helped build Foreign Exchange Reserves . The Dominican Republic is current on foreign Private Debt , and has agreed to pay arrears of about $130 million to the U.S. Department Of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation . According to the 2005 Annual Report of the United Nations Subcommitee on Human Development in the Dominican Republic, the country is ranked #71 in the world for resource availability, #94 for human development, and #14 in the world for resource mismanagement. These statistics emphasize the national government corruption, the foreign economic interference in the country, and the rift between the rich and poor. Currency Main article: Dominican Peso The Dominican Peso (RD$) is the national currency of the country although the US Dollar is often acceptable in some places, especially tourist oriented shops and hotels. Initially, the peso was worth the same as a US Dollar . In more recent years, however, the value has decreased relative to the US dollar. The exchange rate to the US dollar was about RD$14.00 in 1993 and RD$16.00 in 2000, but in early 2004 reached RD$54.00 per US dollar. It ended the year 2005 at about RD$34.00 per dollar. The exchange rate to the US dollar currently fluctuates on a daily basis, and is usually between $33.50-35.00 pesos as of February 2006. The International Monetary Fund revealed a growth of 7.6% over inflation index for 2006, which implies that the national currency of the Dominican Republic could naturally finish the year with an average basis between 35.70 and touching 38 per dollar roof. Another factor which would have a certain impact over the currency exchange market of the Dominican Republic is the fluctuations of the American Dollar at international currency market. The US dollar is implicated over almost all commercial actions of the Dominican Republic, supporting the theory that explains the devaluation of the peso in front of the dollar in 2005 is the result of the international currency market; On Feb 2005 1.32 USD = one € = 29 DR pesos, later on Oct 2005 1.19 USD = one € = 32 DR pesos. Multiple local economists (Andres Dahjalhe Jr. principally) and well-recognized commercial analyst firms and institutions estimated an over-evaluation of the Dominican Peso suggesting that the daily basis of the Dominican currency is artificially controlled by the government, considerably bordering a free market's policies. Demographics Main article: Demographics Of The Dominican Republic About three quarters of all Dominicans are Mulatto (mixed African and European), of whom some could also possess a smaller degree of indigenous Taíno ancestry. The presence of Taíno ancestry in the genepool needs to be further tested, and without proper scientific investigation sweeping claims cannot be made about the exact composition or proportion, if any, of indigenous bloodlines. There are small Black and White minorities. A smaller presence of East Asia ns (primarily Ethnic Chinese ) and Middle Easterners (primarily Lebanese ) can also be found. The culturally indigenous Amerindian population is practically extinct. Many foreigners reside in the country for business, religious, or leisure purposes. There are significant numbers of American, Canadian, German and French expats residing in the country. Since the early 1960s , economic problems have led to a vast migration of Dominicans to the United States, mainly to large east coast cities, and coming on the heels of a similar migration of Puerto Ricans . New York City 's Washington Heights is so densely populated by Dominicans that it is sometimes referred to as '' Quisqueya Heights''. ''Quisqueya'' is a popular name for Hispaniola that many believe derives from the island's original Arawak name, although this is disputed by some historians. Sizeable Dominican emigre communities have migrated to the Netherlands , Puerto Rico , Haiti , Spain , and St. Maarten . The Dominican Republic has suffered from racial tension throughout its history, particularly that between the Mulatto majority against the Black minority, but also between the White minority against both mulattos and blacks. This phenomenon is also found in neighbouring Haiti, where its tiny mulatto population politically and economically dominates over an empoverished black majority. In recent years, illegal immigration from black majority Haiti has dramatically increased as the Dominican economy improves and the Haitian economy remains virtually moribund. Most Haitian immigrants work at low-paying, unskilled labor jobs, including construction work and household cleaning. The Dominican sentiment towards the Haitian immigrants is generally negative, and at times in its history there have been anti-Haitian pogroms, slaughtering 18,000 Haitians at the border This also led to Dominican Republic paying Haiti $750,000 to avert war. [http://www.thediamondangle.com/marasco/negleg/trujillo.html Culture Main article: Culture Of The Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a Hispanic country, therefore, as with all Hispanic countries in the Americas, its culture is derived predominantly from Spain, though heavily blended with African traditions, and to a much smaller degree with indigenous Amerindian cultural elements. The Spanish herritage of the culture is most evident in the national language and predominant religion - Catholicism . African cultural elements are most prominent in musical expressions and the carnival vibe of life, testimony to the rich African heritage that existed before and after slavery, but was not allowed to be practiced during it. More recent Antilliean and Anglo-American influences also exist. Baseball is the top national sport in the Dominican Republic and there are many popular Dominicans who play Major League Baseball in the U.S., including Albert Pujols , Sammy Sosa , Vladimir Guerrero , Pedro Martínez , David Ortiz , Rafael Furcal , Miguel Tejada , and Manny Ramirez . The Dominican Republic also has its own baseball league, which many MLB players go to during off-season, and which is also a "training ground" for the MLB. Eighty-nine percent of Dominicans are baptized in the Roman Catholic Church . Other substantial religious groups are the Evangelical Christians and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Around one percent of the nation's inhabitants practice pure spiritism, although it is very common for Catholicism and spiritism to be mixed in Santeria's seancees and "saint" parties. The Dominican Republic is known for a form of music called Merengue , which has been popular since the mid- to late- 1900s . It has sexually charged syncopated beats using Latin percussion, brass instruments, bass and electric guitars. What was considered unpopular to the youth, until today, is a form of folk music called Bachata . Bachata is usually slow, romantic, and Spanish Guitar driven. However, bachata's rhythm can be sped up to the same Syncopation as Merengue, and its called ''bacharengue''. Both genres of music are popular throughout the world. Reggaeton , a style of music that orginated in Panama, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico, is the dominant music of the country's youth, and defines the party lifestyle of the country. Among the most successful producers of Reggaeton music are Luny Tunes from La Romana in the Dominican Republic; Luny Tunes has produced many successful songs of Daddy Yankee , Tego Calderón , Ivy Queen and Don Omar . Reggaeton is a mix of Hip Hop , Reggae , Bomba , and Plena . The Dominican Republic culture is heavily based on music. Some of the major international exponents include Juan Luis Guerra , Millie Quezada , Sergio Vargas , and Johnny Ventura . In recent years, many young artists have also emerged such as Alih Jey , and Carlo Silver . The Dominican Republic has national Holiday s on January 26 ( Duarte ), February 27 ( Independence Day ), May 1 ( Labour Day ), July 16 (Foundation of '' Sociedad La Trinitaria ''), August 16 ( Restoration Day ), October 12 ( Columbus Day ), and October 24 ( United Nations Day ). See also
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