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| Dominican RepublicRepública Dominicana | |
|---|---|
Flag
Coat of arms
| |
| Motto: "Dios, Patria, Libertad" (Spanish) "God, Homeland, Liberty" | |
| Anthem: Quisqueyanos valientes | |
 | |
| Capitaland largest city | Santo Domingo |
| Official languages | Spanish |
| Government | Presidential Republic |
| • President | 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 inequality |
| 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 ) 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/Sint Maarten. 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 Quisqueya, a name for Hispaniola that is debated to have been used by indigenous Taíno people meaning "mother of all lands" . Other names for Hispaniola are Bohio and Ayiti ("land of the high mountains ; and from which the name Haiti is derived)") , referring to Pico Duarte, 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
Main article: History of the Dominican RepublicThe 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 Domingo was also the first capital in the Americas.
Taínos
Before the Spanish and French colonization of the island of Hispaniola, it was the home of the indigenous people: the Taínos. The Taínos according to documents were completely exterminated by the Spanish invaders who took over land and created plantations where Africans were brought in to work as slaves for European profits. Many Tainos escaped into the mountains of the island forming Marroon colonies with escaped Africans. These colonies would later play a major role in the Haitian Revolution that would eventually liberate the entire island from invading European colonialists in 1822.
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 of the Republic
In 1801, Toussaint Louverture unified the former Spanish Colony of Santo Domingo or Spanish Haiti (which became the Dominincan Republic) which was ceded to France in 1795 and abolished slavery. He then unified French and Spanish Haiti. By 1808 after various degrees of instability Santo Domingo reverted to Spanish rule. . Two years later in 1810 the French finally leave Santo Domingo.
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. 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. Ramón Matías Mella and Francisco del Rosario Sánchez (the latter one being a mestizo), 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.
Dominican-Haitian Wars
Haiti engaged in various invasions to undermine the sovereignty of the newly created Dominican Republic in what is known as the Dominican-Haitian Wars. Haitian-Dominican War I was carried out by the invasion of General Periot in 1845, who was defeated in the Battle of La Estrelleta and Sabana de Beller.] .
Dominican-Haitian War II was carried out by Faustine Soulouque in 1849, who was defeated at the Battles of El Numero and Las Carreras. ]
Dominican-Haitian War III was the last invasion by Soulouque,in 1855, where he was defeated at the Battles of Santome and El Cambronal (near Neiba) and Sabana Larga in 1856.]
Re-establishment as a colony
In 1861 due to numerous reasons, the Dominican Republic reverted back to a colonial state of Spain. 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.
The civil war was called the War of Restoration led by 2 men; Ulises Heureaux who was of black Haitian origin (and 3 time President of the Dominican Republic) and Gen. Gregorio Luperón.
Restoration War started on August 16, 1863 and, after two years of fighting, Spanish troops abandoned the island.
About a decade later the Dominican Republic sought to sell itself to the United States and become a colony. 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. 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.
U.S. Treaty for Control
In 1906, the Dominican Republic and the United States entered into a 50 year treaty. 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. 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. As a result, Ramón Báez Machado, was elected provisional president in the Dominican Republic. 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. The results were immediate with the budget balanced, debt reduced, and economic growth renewed.. The US troops came from Haiti , 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.
1930 to 1980
The Dominican Republic was ruled by dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo (who was himself 1/4 Haitian ) 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 ordered the Army to kill all Haitians on the Dominican side of the border; an estimated 17,000 to 35,000 Haitians were killed in a single day... This massacre was alleged to have been an attempt to seize money and property from Haitians living on the border As a result of this act of genocide the Dominican Republic was forced to pay Haiti $750,000.00. Currently there is a lawsuit for reparations for damages from this genocide. The Dominican government headed by Trujillo for a time was supported by the USA (because of his anti-communist stance and a mutually friendly relationship between the Dominican Republic and the USA) , the Catholic Church and the Dominican elite; even after the death of Dominicans opposition and over 17,000 Haitians.
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 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 an second term.
Politics
Main article: Politics of the Dominican RepublicThe government of the Dominincan Republic is based on that of the United States. , 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
Main articles: Provinces of the Dominican Republic and Municipalities of the Dominican RepublicThe 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 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.
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
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. "70, 80 or 90 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood is serious and results in swelling of the brain...These guys were at 300. I am sure they were going to die" said one scientist.
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 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 agreement) and the Foreign Investment have been one that given great opportunity to the Dominican economy..
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 CIA, World Fact Book, The population of the Dominican Republic is made up of 16% Whites, 11% Blacks, and 73% of Mixed race. Other groups in the Dominican Republic include Haitians, Germans, Italians, French, Jews and Americans. A smaller presence of East Asians (primarily ethnic Chinese and Japanese. Large numbers of Middle Easterners, primarily Lebanese) can be found throughout the population. The culturally indigenous Taíno population is blended into the culture and considered to be the common tie that binds there have been claims that the Taíno population died off within 25 years of settlement of Europeans.
Racial identity issues
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). This is reinforced by the national identity cards issued by the Dominican Republic using many of these terms as official racial designations. 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. an attempt to erase any vestiges of African culture from the Dominican Republic. We were, in some way, brainwashed and we've become westernized." Another factor is the phenomenon of Antihaitianismo, or ethnic tension towards Haitians and descendants of Haitian immigrants. Many physical traits related to African descent are associated with Haiti in Dominican culture and thus there is a stigma attached to them which ties back to the long-standing conflict between the Dominican Republic and its neighboring nation. As a result Dominicans tend to classify themselves as having dark skin, but by no means black or African. According to a study by the CUNY Dominican Studies Institute, about 90% of the contemporary Dominican population has African ancestry or has African roots.
Religion
Main article: Religion in the Dominican RepublicMore 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%
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.
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 and Joaquín Balaguer 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 . 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.
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 . Current estimates put the Haitian-born population in the Dominican Republic as high as 1 million. Working conditions on these sugar plantations have recently caused controversy, with assertions that conditions are near-slavery and a form of de facto apartheid– with the children of illegal Haitian immigrants denied citizenship , under the Dominican constitution, and basic health care, and frequent physical attacks and roundups on adult immigrants. 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". 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". 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." 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,"
Emigration
Main article: Dominican illegal immigration to Puerto RicoA 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. Currently there is a bill in the Puerto Rican Senate that wishes to serverly restrict the entrance of Dominicans into Puerto Rico until the situation for Haitians in the Dominican Republic improves greatly. . 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. . He currently lives a life of luxury in the Dominican Republic. . While living in the Dominican Republic it is alleged that he continues to over see the New York operations.
Crime
Main article: Crime in the Dominican RepublicThere have been reports of crimes against tourists in the Dominican Republic.. The Dominican Republic has served as a transportation hub for Colombian drug cartels. . Over 8% of all cocaine smuggled into the United States has come through the Dominican Republic. The Dominican based gang Dominicans Don't Play have been involved in many acts of violence throughout the United States and Spain . In New York, the numbers of "DDP" has carved out a niche for itself following immigration patterns in Washington Heights and the Bronx. . There exists a current rivalry between that of the DDP and the Bloods. 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.
Culture
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 , 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 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 Taíno words as they are in Puerto Rico and Haiti.
Music
Main article: Music of the Dominican RepublicMusically, the Dominican Republic and Haiti 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 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 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. NFL Football player Luis Castillo and gold medalist Felix Sanchez both hail from the Dominican Republic.
| 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
Main article: Transportation in the Dominican RepublicThere 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
Main article: Communications in the Dominican RepublicThe 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
Main article: Highways and Routes in the Dominican RepublicDominican 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...
References
- ^ "Santo Domingo, city, Dominican Republic". The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Bartleby.com. 2005. Retrieved 2007-06-03.
- Cambeira, A. Quisqueya la Bella: The Dominican Republic in Historical and Cultural Perspective. p. 8.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Ramos, Ruth (2005). "Dominican Republic History". Visiting the Dominican Republic.com. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ "History - Dominican Republic". godominicanrepublic.com. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
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{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Toussaint Chronology". Retrieved 2007-06-03.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - Corbett, Bob (1995-10-27). "Chronology of Haitian History". Retrieved 2007-06-03.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Guitar, Lynne. "History of the Dominican Republic". Hispaniola.com. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Pons, Moya. The Dominican Republic, A National History. . pp. 147–149.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Dominican Republic". Encarta Encyclopedia. Microsoft Corporation. Retrieved 2007-06-06.
- ^ 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.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: date format (link) - Hutchinson, Sydney (2006). "Dominican Republic - background". Merengue típico. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - "Ulysses S. Grant". American Experience. Public Broadcasting Service. 2006. Retrieved 2007-06-06.
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{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Forrest, Dave. "The Dominican Dictator: Rafael Trujillo". James Logan High School. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - Pina, Diógenes (2007-01-26). "Hell in 'God's Paradise'". Inter Press Service News Agency. Retrieved 2007-06-04.
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{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - Garcia, Michelle (2006). "No Papers, No Rights". Amnesty International. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
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{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - O'Connell Davidson, Julia (December 1995). "Child Prostitution and Sex Tourism - Dominican Republic" (PDF). ECPAT. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
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{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - Shanahan, Tom (2007-03-24). "Sports at Lunch, [[Luis Castillo]] and Felix Sanchez". San Diego Hall of Champions. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); URL–wikilink conflict (help) - "Power Outages Reduced in 2006 in some sectors". Diariolibre. Jan 19th 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
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{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help)
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
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
- Demographics of Dominican Republic
- Juan Bosch biography
- Haitian treatment in DR
- US State Department summary
- Hotels Directory of the Dominican Republic
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