Difference between revisions of "Dominican Republic" - New World Encyclopedia

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Revision as of 02:49, 7 August 2007


República Dominicana
Dominican Republic
Flag of the Dominican Republic Coat of arms of the Dominican Republic
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Dios, Patria, Libertad" (Spanish)
"God, Homeland, Liberty"
Anthem: Quisqueyanos valientes
Location of the Dominican Republic
Capital Santo Domingo 1
18°30′N 69°59′W
Largest city capital
Official languages {{{official_languages}}}
Government Presidential Republic
 - President Leonel Fernández
Independence from Haiti 
 - Date 27 February 1844 
Area
 - Total 48,442 km² (130th)
18,810 sq mi 
 - Water (%) 1.6
Population
 - July 2006 estimate 9,183,984
 - 2002 census 8,562,541
 - Density 182/km²
474/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2005 estimate
 - Total $67.410 billion
 - Per capita $7,611
HDI  (2004) Green Arrow Up (Darker).png 0.751 (medium)
Currency Peso (DOP)
Internet TLD .do
Calling code +1-809 and +1-829

The Dominican Republic (Spanish: República Dominicana, IPA [re'puβlika domini'kana]) is a Latin American country that 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/Sint Maarten. Hispaniola is the second-largest of the Greater Antilles islands, and lies west of Puerto Rico and east of Cuba and Jamaica.

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.[1]

History

The Dominican Republic is the site of the first permanent European settlement in the Americas,[2] and became the first point of colonization in the Western Hemisphere by explorers from Europe. Present-day Dominican Republic has the first cathedral[3], university, road, and fortress of the Americas, and Santo Domingo was the first city founded there. Santo Domingo was also the first capital in the Americas.[4]

Taínos

Christopher Columbus explored Hispaniola during his first voyage to America in 1492. The inhabitants whom Columbus encountered on his arrival in Hispaniola were Arawak-speaking Taíno people who had previously settled there. The Taíno lived in villages, headed by chiefs, and engaged principally in farming and fishing.[2] By the mid-1500s the Taíno people had died out as a result of smallpox and brutal treatment by the Spanish settlers who tried to enslave them.[2] Hispaniola became a springboard for Spanish conquest of the Caribbean mainland.

Colonial Era

After the Taíno people died out, the Spanish brought Africans into Hispaniola as slaves[2]

Creation of the Republic

In 1801, Toussaint Louverture unified the former Spanish Colony of Santo Domingo or Spanish Haiti[5] (which became the Dominincan Republic) which was ceded to France in 1795[6] and abolished slavery[7]. He then unified French and Spanish Haiti[6] into Haiti (which is the old Arawak Indian name for Hispaniola [1] . By 1808 after various degrees of instability Santo Domingo reverted to Spanish rule. [2]. Two years later in 1810 the French finally leave Santo Domingo. [3]

File:Juan pablo duarte.jpg.jpg
Juan Pablo Duarte y Diez

Spanish lieutenant governor José Núñez de Cáceres declared the colony's independence as the state of Spanish Haiti (Haití Español) on November 30, 1821, requesting admission to the Republic of Gran Colombia, but Haitian forces, led by Jean-Pierre Boyer, unified the entire island, ending 300 years of colonial domination and slavery just nine weeks later.[8] In 1838 Juan Pablo Duarte, founded a secret society called La Trinitaria that sought pure and simple independence of the eastern part of the island without any foreign intervention[9]. Ramón Matías Mella and Francisco del Rosario Sánchez (the latter one being a mestizo[9]), in spite of not being among the founding members, went on to be decisive in the fight for independence and are now hailed (along with Duarte) as the Founding Fathers of the Dominican Republic. On February 27, 1844, the Trinitarios declared independence from Haiti, backed by Pedro Santana, a wealthy cattle-rancher from El Seibo. The Dominican Republic's first Constitution was adopted on November 6, 1844 which was modeled after the US constitution.[2]

Re-establishment as a colony

In 1861 due to numerous reasons, the Dominican Republic reverted back to a colonial state of Spain. [10] The only Latin American nation to do so. President Pedro Santana decided to return the Dominican Republic to Spain. Haitian authorities fearful of the reestablishment of Spain as colonial power gave refuge and logistics to Dominican revolutionaries to re-establish the independent nation of Dominincan Republic. [10]

The civil war was called the War of Restoration led by 2 men; Ulises Heureaux who was of Haitian origin [11] (and 3 time President of the Dominican Republic) and Gen. Gregorio Luperón.

File:Heureaux2.gif
Ulises 'Lilís' Heureaux

Restoration War started on August 16, 1863 and, after two years of fighting, Spanish troops abandoned the island.[10]

About a decade later the Dominican Republic sought to sell itself to the United States and become a colony.[8] The Dominican Republic offered sought for the United States to take it over as a colony for 1.5 million dollars but the United States Congress refused.[8] President Grant supported this notion, but this idea was rejected by Congress. President Grant thought that former American slaves could go to the Dominican Republic and live in peace and not be harassed by Southern whites. [12]

U.S. Treaty for Control

In 1906, the Dominican Republic and the United States entered into a 50 year treaty. [2] giving control of it's administration and customs to the United States. In exchange the United States agreed to help reduce the immense foreign debt that the Dominican Republic had established. [2] Starting in 1914, the United States, due to extreme political internal instability (inability to elect a president), expressed concern and stated that a leader must be elected.[13] As a result, Ramón Báez Machado, was elected provisional president in the Dominican Republic.[13] By 1916, grew tired of a role of mediator, due to the stepping down of Ramón Báez Machado, and the rise of Desiderio Arias (who refused to take power), took political power.[13] The results were immediate with the budget balanced, debt reduced, and economic growth renewed.[13]. The US troops came from Haiti [13], which was in danger large European powers such as Germany who stated they would take over Haiti due to debts owed. They had used this argument just prior to send in U.S. Marines to occupy Haiti. [8]

1930 to 1980

The Dominican Republic was ruled by dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo (who was himself 1/4 Haitian [14]) from 1930 until his assassination in 1961. Trujillo ruled with iron hand persecuting anyone who opposed his regime. He also renamed many towns and provinces after himself and his family, including the capital city Santo Domingo. In 1937 Rafael Trujillo, in an event known as the Parsley Massacre ordered the Army to kill all Haitians on the Dominican side of the border; an estimated 17,000 to 35,000 Haitians were killed for approximately five days, from October 2, 1937 through October 8, 1937, Haitians were cut down with machetes, [14][15][8]. This massacre was alleged to have been an attempt to seize money and property from Haitians living on the border [4] As a result of this act of massacre the Dominican Republic agree to pay Haiti $750,000.00, which was later reduced to US$525,000 [5] . [10] The Dominican government headed by Trujillo for a time was supported by the USA [15], the Catholic Church and the Dominican elite; even after the death of Dominicans opposition and over 17,000 Haitians.[15]

In 1965, US Marines arrived in the Dominican Republic to restore order in the civil war in Operation Powerpack, later to be joined by forces from the Organization of American States [15] 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.

Modern times

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, with Leonel Fernández as their candidate.

In 2000, Hipólito Mejía won the elections when opposing candidates Danilo Medina and Joaquín Balaguer decided that they would not force a runoff after the first got 49.8% of the votes. In 2004, Leonel Fernández was elected again with 57% of the votes, defeating then incumbent president Hipólito Mejía, who ran for a second term.

Politics

The government of the Dominincan Republic is based on that of the United States. [6], thus 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.

Map of the provinces of the Dominican Republic.
  1. Ázua
  2. Bahoruco (Neyba)
  3. Barahona
  4. Dajabón
  5. Duarte (San Francisco de Macorís)
  6. Elías Piña (Comendador)
  7. El Seibo (Santa Cruz del Seibo)
  8. Espaillat (Moca)
  9. Hato Mayor
  10. Independencia (Jimaní)
  11. La Altagracia (Higüey)
  12. La Romana
  13. La Vega
  14. María Trinidad Sánchez (Nagua)
  15. Monseñor Nouel (Bonao)
  16. Monte Cristi
  1. Monte Plata
  2. Pedernales
  3. Peravia (Baní)
  4. Puerto Plata
  5. Salcedo
  6. Samaná
  7. Sánchez Ramírez (Cotuí)
  8. San Cristóbal
  9. San José de Ocoa
  10. San Juan
  11. San Pedro de Macorís
  12. Santiago
  13. Santiago Rodríguez (Sabaneta)
  14. Santo Domingo
  15. Valverde (Mao)
    D.N.

* The national capital, also known as Distrito Nacional (D.N.), is the city of Santo Domingo de Guzmán.

Geography

Map of the Dominican Republic


The Dominican Republic is situated on the eastern part of the second largest island in the Greater Antilles, Hispaniola. The Dominican Republic shares the island roughly at a 2:1 ratio with Haiti. The whole country measures an area of 44,442 km² making it the second largest country in the Antilles after Cuba[16]. The countries mainland has three mountain ranges, those being Cordillera Central (starting from Haiti towards east crossing the island), Cordillera Septentrional, and Cordillera Oriental in the East. In between the Central and Septentrional mountain ranges lies the rich and fertile Cibao valley. This major valley is home to the city of Santiago de los Caballeros and to most of the farming areas in the nation. The countries capital and greatest metropolitan area Santo Domingo is located at the southern shore.

The Dominican Republic has the highest peak in the Caribbean named Pico Duarte(3,087 m / 10,128 ft above sea level) and the Biggest lake in the Caribbean named Lake Enriquillo[17].

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. The two largest islands near shore 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 Bank,Silver Bank and Mouchoir Bank. Navidad Bank and Silver Bank have been officially claimed by the Dominican Republic.

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.

Climate

A beach on Saona island.

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.

Environmental issues

Current envirommental issues are water shortages, soil eroding into the sea damageing coral reefs and deforestation.[1]

Bajos de Haina, 12 miles west of Santo Domingo, was included on the Blacksmith Institute's list of the world's 10 most polluted places, released in October 2006, due to lead poisoning by a battery recycling smelter closed in 1999. As the site never was cleaned up children continue to be born with high lead levels causing learning disabilities, impaired physical growth and kidney damage. [18] [19]

Economy

Recent years

File:Edificiosok052.jpg
Economic and vertical growth of Santo Domingo.


The Dominican Republic is a lower middle-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 Jan-May 2007 the Dominican Economy experienced an exceptional growth of 9.1% in it's GDP slightly lower than last years period by 1%. DR-CAFTA(trade agreement) and the Foreign Investment have been one that given great opportunity to the Dominican economy..[20]

The Dominican Republic has become transshipment point for South American drugs to Europe as well as the United States and Canada. [7] . Money laundering is favored by Colombia via Dominican Republic for the ease of illicit financial transactions. [8]

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. As of June 2007 the Value of the peso is 1 USD=0.7506 EUR=32.302 DOP[9] [10]

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.[citation needed]

Demographics

Dominican girls at carnival in Taíno garments and makeup (2005).

According to the CIA, World Fact Book, The population of the Dominican Republic is made up of 16% Whites, 11% Blacks, and 73% of Mixed race.[1] Other groups in the Dominican Republic include Haitians, Germans, Italians, French, Jews and Americans.[1] A smaller presence of East Asians (primarily ethnic Chinese and Japanese. Large numbers of Middle Easterners, primarily Lebanese) can be found throughout the population. There have been claims that the Taíno population died off within 25 years of settlement of Europeans, thus limiting their impact on the Dominican nation.[21][22]

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%[23]

File:Santiagomonument3.jpg
Santiago City´s Monument

Population

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 750,000 inhabitants.

Self-identification

According to a study by the CUNY Dominican Studies Institute, about 90% of the contemporary Dominican population has African ancestry or has African roots.[24] However, many Dominicans self-identify as being of mixed-race rather than "black" in contrast to African identity movements in other nations. Rather, a variety of terms are used to represent a range of skintones. These include "morena" (brown), "india" (Indian), "blanca oscura" (dark white), and "trigueño" (wheat colored).[25] This is reinforced by the national identity cards issued by the Dominican Republic listing the skintone of their holders, using many of these terms officially.[26] Many have claimed that this represents a reluctance to self-identify with African descent and the culture of the freed slaves. According to Dr. Miguel Anibal Perdomo, professor of Dominican Identity and Literature at Hunter College in New York City, "There was a sense of 'deculturación' among the African slaves of Hispaniola. [There was] an attempt to erase any vestiges of African culture from the Dominican Republic. We were, in some way, brainwashed and we've become westernized."[27] However, this view is not universal, as many also claim that Dominican culture is simply different and rejects the racial categorizations of other regions. Ramona Hernández, director of the Dominican Studies Institute at City College of New York asserts that the terms were originally an act of defiance in a time when being mulatto was stigmatized. "During the Trujillo regime, people who were dark skinned were rejected, so they created their own mechanism to fight it" She went on to explain "When you ask, 'What are you?' they don't give you the answer you want . . . saying we don't want to deal with our blackness is simply what you want to hear."[28] The Dominican Republic is not unique in this respect either. In a 1976 census survey conducted in Brazil, respondents described their skin color in 136 distinct terms.[28]

Immigration

In the late 1800s and early 1900s large groups immigrated to the country from Venezuela and Puerto Rico, so much so that two of the country's former presidents (and rivals ironically in that they challenged each other politically) Juan Bosch[29] and Joaquín Balaguer [11] [12] both had Puerto Rican parents. During the Haitian Liberation era (1822-1844) (when Haiti unified the island of Hispanolia), former Black slaves and escapees from the United States were invited by the Haitian government to settle into Hispanolia [citation needed]. 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.[30]

In recent decades, re-immigration from Haiti has increased once again. Most Haitian immigrants arrive in the Dominican Republic illegally, and work at low-paying, unskilled labor jobs, including construction work, household cleaning, and on sugar plantations [13] . Current estimates put the Haitian-born population in the Dominican Republic as high as 1 million[31]. Working conditions on these sugar plantations have recently caused controversy[32], with assertions that conditions are near-slavery and a form of de facto apartheid[32][33]– with the children of illegal Haitian immigrants denied citizenship [14], under the Dominican constitution[34], and basic health care[35], and frequent physical attacks and roundups on adult immigrants[36]. However, some Dominican and Haitian officials deny such accusations of slavery, with the Haitian ambassador Fritz Cineas stated "I still have not received any complaint of violation of human rights against the Haitian immigrants in the country"[37]. However, the President of the Dominican Republic, Leonel Fernández Reyna stated publicly during a seminar on immigration policy that collective expulsions of Haitians were carried out "in an abusive and inhuman way".[38] Open wounds exist between Haiti and the Dominican Republic due to the selective enforcement of deportation rules it has been said that "Dominicans could help heal many of Haiti's open political wounds by extraditing back to Haiti many of the criminals of the 1991 coup d'etat and the Duvalier dictatorship who enjoy de facto political asylum in the Dominican Republic." [15] When asked during a press conference why the Dominican government "welcomed" certain Haitian "torturers" (who are never part of the mass expulsions), Fernandez shrugged it off. "There must exist an extradition treaty between the Dominican Republic and Haiti, but there isn't one between our two countries," [16]

Emigration

A large number of Dominican's have left the Dominican Republic in search of economic opportunity. Many have left to the United States and Spain. One notable passage is to Puerto Rico, which to some have become problematic due to the Dominican Government's treatment of Haitians. One individual Santiago Luis Polanco Rodríguez better known by the street name "Yayo" was an infamous head of a drug cartel based in Washington Heights considered to be considered to be first mass marketer of crack cocaine in US. [17]. He currently lives a life of luxury in the DR and is protected by the government despite attempts by the US athotrities to extradite him for his crimes. [18]. While living in the Dominican Republic it is alleged that he continues to over see the New York operations that bring in a significant amount of money to the Dominican Republic via remittances. The United States Government is currently applying the US Patriot act against Dominican DTO's that launder US dollars to help build the Dominican economy.[19] One prominent gang that was founded in the Santo Domingo [20] , and moved elsewhere Dominicans Don't Play have been involved in a few acts of violence in United States mostly against other Dominicans [21] and Spain [22] [23] [24] . In New York, the small numbers of "DDP" has carved out a very small niche for itself following immigration patterns in Washington Heights and the Bronx. [25].

Crime

There have been reports of crimes against tourists in the Dominican Republic.[39]. The Dominican Republic has served as a transportation hub [26] for Colombian drug cartels.[40]. Over 8% of all cocaine smuggled into the United States has come through the Dominican Republic[41] Social pressures and poverty have led to a rise in prostitution within the Dominican Republic. Though prostitution is illegal within the country and the age of consent is 18, even child prostitution is a growing phenomenon in impoverished areas. In an environment where young girls are often denied employment opportunities offered to boys, prostitution frequently becomes a source of supplementary income. UNICEF reports estimate at least 25,000 children involved in the Dominican sex trade, 63% of that figure being girls.[42]

Culture

File:Carnaval Vegano.jpg
La Vega Carnaval in the Independence Month. One of the most famous carnivals in the country.
File:IMG 1281.jpg
Statue of Juan Pablo Duarte in front of La Pelona.

The culture of the Dominican Republic, like its Caribbean neighbors, is a creole blend of mostly African and indigenous American cultural elements, as well as remnants of Spain's colonization such as language and religion. Castilian commonly known as [citation needed], Spanish, is the official language. Other languages such as English, French, German, Haitian Creole, and Italian are also spoken to varying degrees. Haitian Creole is spoken fluently by about 1.2 million people[citation needed] 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 [citation needed]. Some words are taken from Taíno words as they are in Puerto Rico and Haiti. [27]

Music

Musically, the Dominican Republic and Haiti [28] are 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[29] 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 [citation needed], merengue became popular mostly on the east coast of the United States during the 1990s[citation needed] when many Puerto Rican groups like Elvis Crespo were produced by Dominican bandleaders and writers living in the US territory [citation needed] . 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 [citation needed].

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[citation needed]. 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[citation needed]. 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[citation needed] .

Sports

Baseball is by far the most popular sport in the Dominican Republic today [citation needed], as it is 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 Sammy Sosa, Albert Pujols, Pedro Martínez, David Ortiz, Jose Reyes, and Manny Ramirez. Alex Rodriguez was born in New York to parents that emigrated 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.[43] NFL Football player Luis Castillo and gold medalist Felix Sanchez both hail from the Dominican Republic.[44]

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

Dominican Republic has five major highways. These 5 highways round the Countries and take you to any important town of the Country. The three Major Highways are Autopista Duarte, Autopista Del Este, and Autopista Del Sur which take you to the North, East, and western side of the Country. Dominican Republic lacks a good system of Routes interconnecting small towns and most of these routes are unpaved or are in bad conditions.

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. CDEEE (The National Private Dominican Electric Company) has said that they are currently 200 Circuits in the country which are provided permanent electricity due to the fact that they 85% of inhabitants of this neighborhood within this circuits are paying bills. They said more areas are going to be included in this new plan to end Power Outages in the Dominican Republic, Something that has never been seen after the 1960s...[45][46]

References
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  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 CIA- The World Factbook — Dominican Republic. CIA. Retrieved 2007-06-04.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Dominican Republic. Encarta Encyclopedia. Microsoft Corporation. Retrieved 2007-06-06.
  3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Columbia
  4. ↑ Ramos, Ruth; Esther Ramos (2005). Dominican Republic History. Visiting the Dominican Republic.com. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  5. ↑ Geggus, D.. Making sense of the Haitian revolution. Retrieved 2007-06-03.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Toussaint Chronology. Retrieved 2007-06-03.
  7. ↑ Corbett, Bob (1995-10-27). Chronology of Haitian History. Retrieved 2007-06-03.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Guitar, Lynne. History of the Dominican Republic. Hispaniola.com. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Pons, Moya. The Dominican Republic, A National History. [citation needed], 147-149. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Sagas, Ernesto (October 14-15, 1994). An Apparent Contradiction? - Popular Perceptions of Haiti and the Foreign Policy of the Dominican Republic. Sixth Annual Conference of the Haitian Studies Association, Boston, MA. Webster University. Retrieved 2007-06-06.
  11. ↑ Hutchinson, Sydney (2006). Dominican Republic - background. Merengue típico. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  12. ↑ Ulysses S. Grant. American Experience. Public Broadcasting Service (2006). Retrieved 2007-06-06.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 Dominican Republic: Occupation by the United States, 1916-1924. U.S. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Rafael Trujillo: Killer File. Moreorless.com. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Forrest, Dave. The Dominican Dictator: Rafael Trujillo. James Logan High School. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  16. ↑ "[http://www.thedominicanrepublic.net/geography_location.htm Geography, Size, Climate and Location of the Dominican Republic]", The Dominican Republic Net, June 14th 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-14.
  17. ↑ "[http://www.thedominicanrepublic.net/geography_location.htm Geography, Size, Climate and Location of the Dominican Republic]", The Dominican Republic Net, June 14th 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-14.
  18. ↑ Pina, Diógenes (2007-01-26). Hell in 'God's Paradise'. Inter Press Service News Agency. Retrieved 2007-06-04.
  19. ↑ Robles, Francis (2007-03-13). Pollution sickens children in Dominican Republic. Miami Herald. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  20. ↑ "Dominican Economy grows 9.1% slightly less than before", Diariolibre, May 14th 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
  21. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named godom
  22. ↑ Culture of Dominican Republic. Everyculture.com. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  23. ↑ Country Profile: Dominican Republic. Religious Intelligence.com (2006). Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  24. ↑ Torres-Saillant, Silvio (May 1998). The Tribulations of Blackness: Stages in Dominican Racial Identity. Latin American Perspectives, Issue 100. CUNY Dominican Studies Institute. Retrieved 2007-06-04.
  25. ↑ Salaam, Kiini Ibura (2000). There's No Racism Here? - A Black Woman in the Dominican Republic. Eyeball Literary Magazine. ChickenBones: A Journal. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
  26. ↑ Fussell, Jim (November 15, 2001). Global Survey of Group Classification on National ID Cards. Group Classification on National ID Cards as a Factor in Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing. Genocide Watch. Retrieved 2007-06-08.
  27. ↑ Zahka, Jeffrey (February 28, 2006). Anti-Haitian Bias Rooted in Dominican History. Worldpress.org. Retrieved 2007-06-06.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Robles, Frances (June 13, 2007). Black Denial. A Rising Voice: Afro-Latin Americans. The Miami Herald. Retrieved 2007-06-15.
  29. ↑ Juan Bosch - Government Officials. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  30. ↑ "CCNY Jewish Studies Class to Visit Dominican Village that Provided Refuge to European Jews During World War II", City College of New York. Retrieved 2007-05-22.
  31. ↑ Illegal people. Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 Hiltz, Wayne (1998). Slavery in paradise. Montreal Mirror. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  33. ↑ Turnham, Steve (2006-12-18). Is sugar production modern slavery?. CNN. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  34. ↑ Grossman, Andrew (2004-10-11). Birthright citizenship as nationality of convenience. Proceedings of the Third Conference on Nationality. Council of Europe. Retrieved 2007-06-03.
  35. ↑ Dominican Republic, Haiti, and the United States: Protect rights, reduce statelessness. Reuters (2007-01-19). Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  36. ↑ Garcia, Michelle (2006). No Papers, No Rights. Amnesty International. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  37. ↑ Haiti’s ambassador also denies Dominican “slavery”. Dominican Today (2007-05-25). Retrieved 2007-06-03.
  38. ↑ Dominican Republic: A Life in Transit. Amnesty International (2007-03-21). Retrieved 2007-06-03.
  39. ↑ Consular Information Sheet - Dominican Republic. Consular Information Sheet (2007-05-29). Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  40. ↑ Dominican Crime Statistics. Nationmaster. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  41. ↑ Ribando, Claire (2005-03-05). Dominican Republic: Political and Economic Conditions and Relations with the United States.. CRS Report for Congress. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  42. ↑ O'Connell Davidson, Julia (December 1995). Child Prostitution and Sex Tourism - Dominican Republic. ECPAT. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
  43. ↑ Fish, Mike (2007-02-15). Steroid problem reaches critical mass in the D.R.. ESPN.com. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  44. ↑ Shanahan, Tom (2007-03-24). Sports at Lunch, Luis Castillo and Felix Sanchez. San Diego Hall of Champions. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  45. ↑ "Power Outages Reduced in 2006 in some sectors", Diariolibre, Jan 19th 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
  46. ↑ "Power Outages Decreased in sectors in the 24 hrs service plan but increased in other sectors", Listin Diario Digital (Spanish), May 10th 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-24.

See also

  • Dominican National Team
  • Military of 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

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