Dominican Republic History

1. Dominican Republic

2. Introduction
The Dominican Republic is located on the island of
Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea. The people are
known for their merengue dance and their passion
for baseball. The capital is Santo Domingo.

3. Geography
Hispaniola lies between the islands of Cuba and Puerto Rico. The
Dominican Republic occupies the eastern two thirds of Hispaniola.
Haiti occupies the western third. The island has fertile valleys,
desertlike areas, and four mountain ranges. Duarte Peak, at 10,417
feet (3,175 meters), is the highest mountain in the West Indies. The
country has a tropical climate with warm temperatures year-round.
Royal palm trees grow throughout the Dominican Republic. Rain
forests occur in the wetter areas. The country’s wildlife includes
alligators and a great variety of birds.

5. People
Most Dominicans have mixed European and African
roots. Spanish is the main language. The majority of
the population is Roman Catholic. Most people live in
cities and towns.

6. Economy
Services—including tourism and telecommunications—are
the main economic activities. Manufacturers make cement,
sugar, beer, clothing, and cigars. Farmers grow sugarcane,
rice, bananas, cocoa, and coffee. The country also has
deposits of nickel and gold.

7. History
Christopher Columbus discovered Hispaniola in 1492. In 1496 the Spanish founded Santo
Domingo, the first permanent European colony in the Americas. Within decades most of the
native Carib and Taino peoples had died. The Spanish began to bring in slaves from Africa.
France gained control of Hispaniola in 1795. Haiti won independence from France in 1804. Spain
took back control of eastern Hispaniola, but the Dominicans declared independence in 1821. Soon
afterward the Haitians invaded.
The Dominican Republic achieved independence from Haiti in 1844. It then alternated between
weak democracies and governments led by dictators. Recent presidents have promised to fight
government corruption.

8. Indigenous Taíno
The original inhabitants of the island of Hispaniola (now
Haiti/Dominican Republic) were the indigenous Taíno, an
Arawak-speaking people who began arriving by canoe
from Belize and the Yucatan peninsula between 6000 and
4000 BC.

9. Who actually founded Dominican Republic?
Some key dates in the history of the Dominican Republic:
1492 - Christopher Columbus visits the island, which he
names Hispaniola, or "Little Spain". 1496 - Spaniards set up
first Spanish colony in Western hemisphere at Santo
Domingo, which subsequently serves as capital of all Spanish
colonies in America.

10. Did You Know?
The name Dominican Republic comes from the
Spanish word domingo, which means “Sunday.”

11. VIDEOS TO WATCH
GEOGRAPHY NOW! DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC
FIVE NATURAL WONDERS OF THE
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

12. What did you learn about the Dominican Republic?