WHY DOMINICAN REPUBLIC?
Today this beautiful island of gregarious people and stunning scenery is a popular Caribbean destination, as unlike its neighbor to the west, the country’s economy is one of the fasting growing in the western hemisphere.

ABOUT DOMINICAN REPUBLIC?
The country has had a history of changing ownership, with occasional attempts at independence and self-rule. First a Spanish colony and then a French colony, it was subsequently ruled by Haiti and then Spain again, and later the United States twice ruled Dominican territory.

In the beginning the island was primarily inhabited by the Taino, a branch of the Arawaks. Taino means “the good” in that native language. A system of Cacicazgos (chiefdoms) 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 Cacicagzos 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).

HISTORY:
The country has had a history of changing ownership, with Spain, France, Haiti, Spain again, and the United States (twice) taking their turns at ruling Dominican territory amid attempts at independence and self-rule. In the beginning the island was primarily inhabited by the Taino, a branch of the Arawaks. Taino means “The good” in that native language. A system of Cacicazgos (chiefdoms) Marien, Maguana, Higuey, Magua and Xaragua were their names. These chiefdoms were then subdivided into subchiefdoms. The Cacicagzos were based on a system of tribute, consisting of the food grown by the Taino.

The arrival of the Guamikena (the covered ones)

In October of 1492, the Europeans arrived and the Taino believing that these beings from over the horizon were in someway supernatural feted them with all the honors available to them. This was a totally different society from the one the Europeans came from. One of the things that piqued the curiosity was the amount of clothing worn by the Europeans. Therefore they came to call them guamikena. Guacanagarix the chief who hosted Columbus and his men treated them kindly and provided him with everything they desired.

The twentieth century was marked by repeated U.S. intervention in local affairs. Apart from tentative U.S. support for the Trujillo dictatorship (1930-1961) (though this faded during his final years,) the most infamous example of this is 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. This invasion had the effect of establishing the rule of Joaquín Balaguer (1966-1978), and ensuring that 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.

PEOPLE / CULTURE:
(Coming Soon)

Columbus discovered the island of Hispaniola (which he called La Espaniola) in 1492 and established it as his main base for the further exploration of the region. In 1697, the western part of the island came under French control, with the east remaining under Spanish control. In 1795, the city of Santo Domingo – the oldest city in the Americas, founded by Columbus’ brother, in 1496 – was ceded to the French, followed by the rest of the island of Hispaniola later the same year. The battle of Palohincado, in 1808, in which Dominican General Ramirez inflicted an important defeat on the French, heralded the collapse of French rule in the eastern part of the island. The colony reverted to Spanish sovereignty in 1809, and in 1821, the colonial treasurer, José Nunez de Caceres, proclaimed Santo Domingo’s independence. This independence was short-lived – in 1822, the Haitians invaded the colony and occupied it for 22 years, until, on 27 February 1844, the territory of Santo Domingo recovered its sovereignty and declared independence once again, this time permanently, as the Dominican Republic.

The bicameral National Congress comprises the legislature. Members of both the 150-seat Camara de Diputados (Chamber of Deputies) and the 32-seat Senado (Senate) are popularly elected. So is the president, who wields executive power. All are elected for four-year terms.

The country relies on substantial foreign aid, principally from the USA and the Inter-American Development Bank. The Dominican Republic is a member of CARICOM, the major regional reading bloc. The USA is substantially the Dominican Republic’s main trading partner, followed by Venezuela, Mexico, The Netherlands and Japan.