Dominican Republic FactsHere are a few Dominican Republic Facts. The Dominican Republic occupies the eastern two thirds of the Island of Hispaniola, the second largest of the Greater Antilles after Cuba and above Jamaica and Puerto Rico. It is located east of Cuba and west of Puerto Rico. On the north are the Islands of Turks and Caicos and on the south the open Caribbean Sea.
Santo Domingo the Capital of Dominican Republic
Brief History The Island of Hispaniola was discovered by Columbus on his first voyage in 1492, was claimed by Spain and served as a springboard for further conquests in the Caribbean and in the mainland. In 1697 French claimed the western third of the island and years later in 1804 the Republic of Haiti was established. In 1821 the Spanish portion gained its independence but was conquered and ruled by Haiti for 22 years, until finally gaining its full independence as the Dominican Republic on February 27, 1844. In 1861 the Dominicans voluntarily returned to the Spanish Empire, but two years later they launched a war that restored independence in 1865. Many years of non representative governments followed and continued in 1930 with the cruel dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo that ended in a bloody coup in 1961. Juan Bosch was elected president in 1962 but later deposed in 1963 by one more military coup in 1963. The United States led an intervention in 1965 due to a starting civil war. In 1966 Joaquin Balaguer was elected and ruled the country on a tight grip for most of the next 30 years when international reaction to flawed elections forced him to curtail his term in 1996. Since then, regular competitive elections have been held in which opposition candidates have won the presidency. Former President (1996-2000) Leonel Fernandez Reyna won election to a new term in 2004 following a constitutional amendment allowing presidents to serve more than one term, and was since reelected to a second consecutive term.
The Dominican Republic Beaches are all awe inspiring
Dominican Republic Facts • Country name: Republica Dominicana Search our site and the web
A typical fruit vendor on the beach in Boca Chica
Dominican Republic Facts Administrative divisions: 31 provinces in Spanish provincias, and 1 district* • Azua
Agriculture and especially sugar cane are very important for the economy
Dominican Republic Facts • Independence: 27 February 1844 (from Haiti) • National holiday: Independence Day, 27 February (1844) • Constitution: 28 November 1966; amended 25 July 2002 and January 2010 • Legal system: Civil law system based on the French civil code; Criminal Procedures Code modified in 2004 • Suffrage: 18 years of age, universal and compulsory; married persons regardless of age; note - members of the armed forces and national police cannot vote • Climate: tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall • Terrain: Rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed • Lowest Point: Lago Enriquillo 46 m below sea level • Highest point: Pico Duarte 3,175 m • Natural resources: Nickel, bauxite, gold, silver
Some of the best golf courses in the Caribbean are here
Dominican Republic Facts Tourism Industry Since this site is about Travel and Tourism to the Caribbean Islands, I have to mention that thanks to the Dominican Republic Beaches, this country is visited by around 4 million tourists a year. The beaches are all scattered around the beautiful coasts of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. I would like to mention: Cabarete Beach, Puerto Plata and Samana on the north, Punta Cana Beaches and Bavaro Beach on the eastern tip and Boca Chica and La Romana on the south. And one more thing which is my favorite, Dominican Republic Food is to die for…... All these Dominican Republic Facts are important but, believe me, this country is a paradise for tourism. I've been there many times.
Image Credits: All courtesy of Wikimedia Commons The resorts images are courtesy of the resorts mentioned.
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• Puerto Plata
