The Dominican Republic is a Caribbean country sharing an island with Haiti. It has a tumultuous history with colonizers and a mixed-race population. Despite this, the country has a thriving culture and is known for its tropical beauty and tourist trade.
The Dominican Republic, also known as Republica Dominicana, is a beautiful country located in the Caribbean. It shares its island, called Hispaniola, with the Republic of Haiti. The country is a representative democracy with a government somewhat modeled on that of the United States. Santo Domingo is the capital.
The history of the Dominican Republic is tainted with bloodshed, due in large part to the colonizers who settled in the area. Over time, however, the Dominican Republic gained its independence, though it did so in jerks and jerks: first fighting for its freedom, then reverting to Spanish rule, then reuniting with its French half, then fighting again for freedom. At one point in the 1870s, the Dominican Republic even tried to sell itself to the United States as a colony for US$1.5 million.
Sadly, one of the casualties of the country’s centuries of strife are the Tainos, one of Hispaniola’s native peoples, who died out in the 1500s, due to both smallpox – a disease previously unknown on the island – and brutal treatment by the Spanish , who wanted to enslave them.
Despite its past, the country has proven resilient. Its people have evolved to be a mixed race with ethnic minorities such as Spaniards, French, Jews, Americans, and even some Chinese and Japanese thrown into the fray. The country is also home to a fairly sizeable Lebanese population.
Dominican culture also thrived. Like its Caribbean neighbors, it seeks to blend influences from Europe, Africa and native Taino cultures together. This vibrant mix can be seen in the cuisine, religion, traditions and even the language. While Spanish is the country’s official language, English, French, Haitian Creole, and even Italian are also spoken on its shores.
Nowadays, the Dominican Republic enjoys a healthy reputation for tropical beauty. Americans flock to its beaches so continuously that while the official currency is the Dominican peso, US dollars are also accepted in most shops, especially in areas known for their tourist trade.
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