Dominican Republic: Difference between revisions
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The main population centers of the Dominican Republic are the cities of [[Santo Domingo]] and Santiago de los Caballeros, which is the second largest city in the country containing more than |
The main population centers of the Dominican Republic are the cities of [[Santo Domingo]](2.8 Million Metro) and Santiago de los Caballeros, which is the second largest city in the country containing more than 750,000 inhabitants. The Country is around the 9.5 Million inhabitants probably surpassing the 10 Millions mark by the 2010 Census. |
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[[Image:Santiagomonument3.jpg|thumb|left|240px|Santiago City´s Monument]] |
[[Image:Santiagomonument3.jpg|thumb|left|240px|Santiago City´s Monument]] |
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Revision as of 01:10, 23 May 2007
Dominican Republic República Dominicana | |
|---|---|
| Motto: "Dios, Patria, Libertad" (Spanish) "God, Homeland, Liberty" | |
| Anthem: Quisqueyanos valientes | |
 | |
| Capital | Santo Domingo |
| Largest city | Santo Domingo (from 1930-1961 known as Ciudad Trujillo [1] |
| Official languages | Spanish |
| Government | Presidential Republic |
| Leonel Fernández | |
| Independence from Haiti | |
• Date | 27 February 1844 |
• Water (%) | 1.6 |
| Population | |
• July 2006 estimate | 9,183,984 (87th) |
• 2002 census | 8,562,541 |
| GDP (PPP) | 2005 estimate |
• Total | $67.410 billion (68th) |
• Per capita | $7,611 (81st) |
| Gini (2003) | 51.7 high |
| HDI (2004) |  0.751Error: Invalid HDI value (94th) |
| Currency | Peso (DOP) |
| Time zone | UTC-4 |
| Calling code | 1-809 and +1-829 |
| ISO 3166 code | DO |
| Internet TLD | .do |
The Dominican Republic (Spanish: República Dominicana, IPA [re'puβlika domini'kana]) is a Latin American country that currently occupies the eastern two-thirds of the Caribbean island called Hispaniola. It shares a border with the Republic of Haiti, making it one of two Caribbean islands that are split by two governments; the other is Saint Martin/Sant Marteen. [2] Hispaniola is the second-largest of the Greater Antilles islands, and lies west of Puerto Rico and east of Cuba and Jamaica.
Dominicans sometimes refer to their country as "Kiskeya" or Quisqueya, a name for Hispaniola that is debated to have been used by indigenous Taíno people meaning "mother of all lands". Other names for Hispanola are Bohio and Haiti, which means "Land of the High Mountains" The territory under the Dominican Republic's control has the highest mountain in the Caribbean.
For much of the twentieth century, the government of the Dominican Republic was unsettled and mostly non-representative. Since the death of military dictator Rafael Leónidas Trujillo in 1961, the Dominican Republic has moved toward representative democracy.
History
The Dominican Republic was the site of the first permanent European settlement in the Americas after Greenland, and became the first point of colonization in the Western Hemisphere by explorers from Europe. Present-day Dominican Republic has the first cathedral, university, road, and fortress of the Americas, and Santo Domingo was the first city founded there. Santo Dominigo was also the first capital in the Americas. [3]
Taínos
Before the Spanish and French colonization of the island of Hispaniola, it was the home of the three indigenous people: the Taínos, the Ciguayos, and the Macories. The Taínos, who were the vast majority, may have lived on the island for years under Spanish colonial rule, but they were almost completely exterminated by the Spanish and by diseases such as sores and small pox. [4]
European colonization
Christopher Columbus explored Hispaniola during his first voyage to America in 1492. On his return the following year, Columbus founded the first permanent European settlement in America, after the Viking settlement in Newfoundland, Canada, in an expedient manner. The natives who were not killed by disease were enslaved. Hispaniola became a springboard for Spanish conquest of the Caribbean mainland.
Creation and Development of the Republic
In 1822 Haitian liberation forces unified the entire island under a free government of color, ending 300 years of colonial domination and slavery. Roads were built; school curriculums were changed from a Spanish view to a worldview. Institutions of European colonialism were also phased out, and replaced with ones more representative and respectful of Taino and African culture. Land was redistributed communally and individuals who had benefited from the Spanish invasion and domination of the island were rightfully expelled [5]. Spanish lieutenant governor José Núñez de Cáceres declared the colony's independence as the state of Spanish Haiti (Haiti Español) on November 30, 1821, requesting admission to the Republic of Gran Colombia, but Haitian forces, led by Jean-Pierre Boyer, liberated the whole island just nine weeks later creating the first island run by people of color. In 1838 Juan Pablo Duarte, Ramón Matías Mella and Francisco del Rosario Sanchez founded a racist secret society called La Trinitaria to replace the free government of Haiti. In 1843 they allied with a Haitian movement in overthrowing Boyer. By revealing themselves as counter-revolutionaries working for a white-catholic run state, the new Haitian president, Charles Riviere-Hérard, exiled or imprisoned the leading Trinitarios. At the same time, Buenaventura Báez, an Azua mahogany exporter and deputy in the Haitian National Assembly, was negotiating with the French Consul-General for the establishment of a French protectorate. In an uprising timed to preempt Báez, on February 27, 1844, the Trinitarios declared independence from Haiti, backed by Pedro Santana, a wealthy cattle-rancher from El Seibo who commanded a private army of peons who worked on his estates. The Dominican Republic's first constitution was adopted on November 6, 1844. In 1861, then president Pedro Santana decided to return the Dominican Republic to Spain, but a civil war called the War of Restoration led by Ulises Heureaux and Gen. Gregorio Luperón restored independence in 1865.[6] The Dominincan Republic offered the United States to take it over as a colony for 1.5 million dollars but the United States Congress refused. [7]. The Dominican Republic was ruled by various leaders including Rafael Trujillo (who was himself 1/4 Haitian [8]) who dictated many infamous policies including the elimination of thousands of Haitians from the Dominican Republic and Dominicans against his rule.[9].
U.S. military control
In 1916, Americans, wanting to expand their influence and power in the Dominican Republic, used the First World War as an excuse to bring in U.S. Marines to 'protect it' against vulnerability to large European powers such as Germany. They had used this argument just prior to send in U.S. Marines to occupy Haiti. [10]
In 1965, US troops had invaded the Dominican Republic to change the outcome of a civil war in Operation Powerpack, later to be joined by forces from other countries in what may be termed an early example of a "coalition of the willing". They remained in the country for over a year and left after supervising elections, in which they ensured the victory of Joaquín Balaguer.
Balaguer remained in power as president for 12 years. His tenure was a period of moderate repression, presumably to prevent pro-Cuba or pro-communist parties from gaining power in the country. Balaguer's rule was accompanied by a growing disparity between rich and poor.
In 1978, Balaguer was succeeded in the presidency by Antonio Guzmán Fernández. From 1978 to 1986, the Dominican Republic experienced a period relatively free of repression and almost complete freedom of speech and expression.
Balaguer regained the presidency in 1986, and was re-elected in 1990 and 1994. The international community generally viewed the 1994 election as fixed, leading to political pressure for Balaguer to step down. Balaguer responded by scheduling another presidential election in 1996, which was won by the Dominican Liberation Party for the first time.
Politics
The politics of the Dominican Republic takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of the Dominican Republic is both head of state and head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the two chambers of the National Congress. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
Provinces and municipalities
The Dominican Republic is divided into 31 provinces. Additionally, the national capital, Santo Domingo, is contained within its own Distrito Nacional. Please note that the names of provincial capital cities are provided in parentheses where they differ from the name of their respective provinces.
The provinces are divided into municipalities (municipios singular municipio). They are the second level political and administrative subdivisions of the country.
* The national capital, also known as Distrito Nacional (D.N.), is the city of Santo Domingo de Guzmán.
Geography
The capital of the country is the city of Santo Domingo (full name Santo Domingo de Guzmán) located in the southern part of the island. Originally a single city located within the province Distrito Nacional (National District), it has now been divided into the Province of Santo Domingo and the National District. The Province of Santo Domingo is comprised of several municipalities: Santo Domingo Norte (North Santo Domingo), Santo Domingo Este (East Santo Domingo, which is the provincial capital), Santo Domingo Oeste (West Santo Domingo) and Boca Chica. The Ozama River serves a natural border between the National District and the Province of Santo Domingo. Thus the capital city of the country is the city of Santo Domingo de Guzmán, Province of National District. The second largest city is Santiago de los Caballeros, 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 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 in this range is Pico Diego de Ocampo. The lowest and shortest of the three ranges is the Eastern Mountains, in the eastern part of the country. Other mountains include the Sierra Bahoruco and the Sierra Neyba in the southwest.
The Dominican Republic has many rivers, including the navigable Soco, Higuamo, Romana (also known as 'Rio Dulce'), Yaque del Norte, Yaque del Sur, Yuna River, Yuma, and Bajabonico. Puerto Plata's Mount Isabela is infamous for the Cuban airplane 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.
The Dominican Republic uses its rivers and streams to create electricity, and many hydro-electric plants and dams have been created on rivers, including the Bao, Nizao, Ozama, and Higuamo. See Hydroelectricity and dams in the Dominican Republic for more information.
Navidad Bank and Silver Bank have been officially claimed by the Dominican Republic.
Environmental issues in the Dominican Republic
- Deforestation
- Solid fuels
- Emissions
- Endangered species
- Water contamination
- Ocean pollution
Climate
The country is a tropical, maritime nation. Wet season is from May to November, and periodic hurricanes 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 northeast and 500 mm in the west. The mean annual temperature 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
Recent years
The Dominican Republic is a low-income developing country primarily dependent on natural resources and government services. 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 $1.3 billion in annual earnings. Free Trade Zone earnings and tourism are the fastest-growing export sectors. Remittances ("remesas") from Dominicans living abroad are estimated to be about $1.3 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. This recession followed the collapse of the second commercial bank of the country (Baninter), linked to a major incident of fraud valued at 3.5 billion dollars during the administration of President Hipolito Mejia (2000-2004). The Baninter fraud had a devastating effect on the Dominican economy, with GDP dropped by 1% in 2003 while inflation ballooned by over 27%. The growth of the Dominican economy remains significantly hampered by an ongoing energy shortage, which causes frequent blackouts and high prices.
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 Subcommittee 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 national government corruption, foreign economic interference in the country, and the rift between the rich and poor.
In the Trimestrial period of of Jan-May 2007 the Dominican Economy experienced a exceptional growth of 9.1% in it's GDP slighly lower than last years period by 1%. DR-CAFTA(trade Agreemment) and the Foreign Investment have been one that given great oportunity to the Dominican Econonomy
Currency
The Dominican peso is the national currency of the country, although US dollars (USD) are acceptable in most tourist sites. The peso was worth the same as the USD at one time, but has recently decreased in value. The exchange rate in 1993 was 14.00 pesos per USD and 16.00 pesos in 2000, but it jumped to 53.00 pesos per USD in 2003. In 2004, the exchange rate was back down to around 31.00 pesos per USD.
The U.S. dollar is implicated in almost all commercial transactions of the Dominican Republic, supporting the theory that the devaluation of the peso in relation to the dollar in 2005 is the result of the international currency market; On February 2005, 1.32 USD = one € = 29 DR pesos; in October 2005 , 1.19 USD = one € = 32 DR pesos. The International Monetary Fund revealed a growth of 7.6% over the inflation index for 2006, which implies that the national currency of the Dominican Republic could finish the year with an average basis between 32.70 and touching the 40 pesos per dollar roof. Another factor which would have a certain impact over the currency exchange market of the Dominican Republic is the fluctuation of the U.S. dollar on the international currency market.
Multiple local economists, principally Andres Dahuajre Jr. and Jaime Aristy Escuder, as well as well-recognized commercial analyst firms and institutions, estimated an over-valuation of the Dominican peso, suggesting that the daily basis of the Dominican currency is artificially controlled by the government.
Demographics
According to the CUNY Dominican studies department at CCNY, about 90% of the contemperary Dominican population has Spanish/African roots and Other groups in the Dominican Republic include Haitians, Germans, Italians, French, Jews and Americans.[11] A smaller presence of East Asians (primarily ethnic Chinese and Japanese. Large numbers of Middle Easterners, primarily Lebanese) can be found throught the population. The culturally indigenous Taino population is blended into the culture and considered to be the common tie that binds[citation needed]. There has been claims that the Taino population died off within 25 years of settlements of Europeans. [12][13]
Religion
More than 95% of the population adheres to Christianity, mostly Roman Catholicism, followed by a growing contingent of Protestant groups such as Seventh-day Adventist, and Jehovah's Witnesses. Recent but small scale immigration has brought other religions such as Spiritist: 2.18%, Buddhist: 0.10%, Baha’i: 0.07%, Muslim: 0.02%, and Jewish: 0.01%[14]
Population
The main population centers of the Dominican Republic are the cities of Santo Domingo(2.8 Million Metro) and Santiago de los Caballeros, which is the second largest city in the country containing more than 750,000 inhabitants. The Country is around the 9.5 Million inhabitants probably surpassing the 10 Millions mark by the 2010 Census.
Immigration
In the late 1800s and early 1900s large groups immigrated to the country from Venezuela and Puerto Rico, so much so that 2 of the country's former presidents (and rivals ironically) Juan Bosch [15] and Joaquín Balaguer [16][17][18] [19] , both had Puerto Rican parents. During the Haitian Liberation era (1822-1844), former Black slaves and escapees from the United States were invited by the Haitian government to settle in Haiti. During the first decades of the 20th century many Arabs primarily from Lebanon settled in the country. There is also a sizable Indian and Chinese population. The town of Sosúa has many Jews who settled there during World War II [20] . In recent decades, re-immigration from Haiti has increased once again. Most Haitian immigrants work at low-paying, unskilled labor jobs, including construction work and household cleaning. Current estimates put the Haitian-born population in the Dominican Republic as high as 1 million; slightly less than the illegal Dominican born population in the United States and Puerto Rico [citation needed]. Although Dominican economic groups have called for amnesty for Illegal Dominicans living in the US;children and grandchildren of Haitian immigrants in The Dominican Republic are systematically denied birth certificates as well as access to education and health care. Roundups and physical attacks on Haitians or Haitian looking people are frequent [21] . NGO's in Europe in the United States have called for sanctions against The Dominican Republic as well as a stop on green cards for Dominicans until this situation is resolved.
Culture
The culture of the Dominican Republic, like its Caribbean neighbors, is a creole blend of mostly African and indigenous American cultural elements. Some elements like language and religion are left over from Spanish colonization. Castilian or as it is known in Latin America, Spanish, is the government declared language. Other languages such as English, French, German, and Italian are also spoken to varying degrees. Haitian Creole is spoken fluently by about 1.2 million people and is the second most widely spoken language. African cultural elements are most prominent in food (rice and beans), family structure, religious syncranization and music. Taino cultural elements exist mostly in foods as well. Some words are taken from Taino words as they are in Puerto Rico and Haiti.
Music
Musically, the Dominican Republic is known for its exportation of merengue music, a type of lively, joyful music and dance based on African rhythm that is similar to the Haitian Méringue but is played and danced faster. Its syncopated beats use Latin percussion, brass instruments, bass, and piano or keyboard. Not known for social content, it is primarily a dancehall music that was declared the national music during the Trujillo regime. Well-known merengue singers include Juan Luis Guerra, Sergio Vargas, Tono Rosario, Johnny Ventura, and Milly Quezada. Not as popular as the Afro-Cuban/Nuyorican hybrid of Salsa worldwide, merengue became popular mostly on the east coast of the United States during the 1990s when many Puerto Rican groups like Elvis Crespo were produced by Dominican bandleaders and writers living in the US territory. The emergence of Bachata-Merengue along with a larger number of Dominicans living among other Latino groups (particularly Cubans and Puerto Ricans in New York, New Jersey, and Florida) contributed to the music's growth in popularity.
Until recently, the form of folk music called bachata (a slow, romantic, emotion-driven genre derived from Spanish guitar music) was more closely associated with recent arrivals from the Dominican Republic, although the music had gained a fan base in Puerto Rico. Since 2000, younger groups from New York's Dominican population, such as Aventura, have emerged to bring bachata to a new mainstream version of the music that has become very popular with teenagers. Similar also to Mexican guitar driven music, bachata has become very popular in Mexican-American communities, contributing to its mainstream success within the Latino marketplace.
Sports
Baseball is by far the most popular sport in the Dominican Republic today, as it once was in Cuba and Puerto Rico. After the United States, the Dominican Republic has the second-highest amount of baseball players in the Major League Baseball in the United States, including Albert Pujols, Pedro Martínez, David Ortiz, Jose Reyes, and Manny Ramirez. Alex Rodriguez was born in New York to parents that immigrated from the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic also has its own baseball league which runs from October to January, including six teams: Tigres del licey, Aguilas cibaeñas, Gigantes del Cibao, Toros Azucareros del Este, Estrellas Orientales, and Leones del Escogido. Many MLB players and minor leaguers play in this six-team league during the off-season. As such, the Dominican winter league serves as an important "training ground" for the MLB. Currently there is a growing epidemic of steroid usage amongst Dominican baseball players which has resulted in multiple suspensions. [22] NFL Football player Luis Castillo and gold medalist Felix Sanchez both hail from the Dominican Republic. [23]
| Date | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| January 1 | New Year's Day | |
| January 6 | Catholic day of the Epiphany | (Move the holiday to the next Monday) |
| January 21 | Virgen de la Altagracia | Patroness Day (Catholic) |
| January 26 | Duarte's day | Founding Father (move the holiday to the next Monday) |
| February 27 | Independence Day | National Day |
| April 14 | Catholic Good Friday | (Date for 2006 only) |
| May 1 | Labour Day | (Date for 2006 only) |
| June 15 | Catholic Corpus Christi | (Date for 2006 only) |
| August 16 | Restoration Day | National Day |
| September 24 | Virgen de las Mercedes Day | (Catholic) |
| November 6 | Constitution Day | National Day |
| December 25 | Christmas Day | Birth of Jesus Christ |
Services and transportation
There are many transportation services in the Dominican Republic. The official organization that controls transportation is the OTTT (Oficina Técnica de Transito Terrestre). Other transportation services include Fenatrano, Conatra, and others.
The government transportation system is the OMSA (Oficina Metropolitana de Servicios de Autobuses), which covers very large routes in metropolitan areas, such as Santo Domingo and Santiago, for very inexpensive prices. In December 2006, the price for the Normal Service was DOP$5.00 (US$0.15), and the Business Service (air-conditioned buses) was priced at DOP$10 (US$0.30). Other transportation services are the Voladoras, Guaguas, or Public Buses, which often travel between populations centers or between different municipalities. The "Carro Publico" or "Concho" (private cars and vans) have routes in most parts of the cities. These cars have roofs painted in yellow or green in order to identify them. The cars have scheduled days to work, depending on the color of the roof.
Communications
The Dominican Republic is the number one country in the Caribbean in the communications sector. They have extensive mobile phone services and land-line services. The telecommunications regulator in the country is INDOTEL, Instituto Dominicano De Telecomunicaciones. The Dominican Republic offers cable internet and DSL in most parts of the country, and many ISPs provide 3G wireless internet service. Projects to extend Wi-Fi hot spots have been made in Santo Domingo. Numerous television channels are available, including Digital cable Telecable Nacional and Aster. Many other companies provide digital television services with channels from Latin America and the World.
As of December 2006, there are five major communication companies: CODETEL, Orange, Tricom, Centennial, and DGTEC
On February 1, 2007, Verizon changed the names of its wireless services to Claro and CODETEL. The company has been owned since 2006 by Carlos Slim Helú's América Móvil. Claro is now the official name of the Wireless Division and CODETEL (the original Compañia Dominicana de Teléfonos) is the updated name for the Verizon Dominicana fixed-line and broadband market.
While there are a number of phone services, there is virtually no postal service, due to the fact that the government does not work with the organization "INPOSDOM" to offer a mailing service to its population.
Highways
Electricity
Household and general electrical service is delivered at 110 volts alternating at 60 Hz; electrically powered items from the United States work with no modifications. The majority of the country has access to electricity. Some areas have sporadic outages that may last hours or days at a time. Tourist areas tend to have more reliable power as do business, travel, healthcare, and vital infrastructure.
See also
- Dominican National Team
- Military of the Dominican Republic
- Religion in the Dominican Republic
- Law of the Dominican Republic
- List of universities in the Dominican Republic
- List of players from Dominican Republic in Major League Baseball
- List of people from the Dominican Republic
External links and sources
- Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism website
- Template:Es Presidency of the Dominican Republic website
- Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports regarding the Dominican Republic
- Template:Es Oficina Nacional de Estadística, Statistics Portal of the Dominican Republic
- Secretaria De Estado De Medio Ambiente Y Recursos Naturales: Atlas De La Republica Dominicana Booklet. Officially Made By The Dominican Republic Government
- DominicanToday.com, Dominican Republic News in English
- La Cotica, the Tourism Guide of the Dominican Republic
- The Dominican Republics English language news and travel website
- Template:Es Dominikan.com - Dominican Directory and Music
- Migration in the Caribbean: Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Beyond, Report by Minority Rights Group International
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