Geography

The Dominican Republic covers an area of 18,704 square miles (48,443 square kilometers). Its northern shores are washed by the Atlantic Ocean, while the southern beaches border the Caribbean Sea.

The geography of the Dominican Republic is one of the most diverse in the Caribbean. The island has fertile valleys; dry, desertlike areas; and four major mountain ranges. Duarte Peak reaches a height of 10,417 feet (3,175 meters) and is the highest mountain in the West Indies. Thanks to the gentle Atlantic trade winds, the tropical nation enjoys a mild climate all year long.

Plants and animals

There were once many pines and hardwood trees in the Dominican Republic. But hurricanes, fire, commercial lumbering, and the removal of trees in order to create new farmland has destroyed much of this woodland.

The Dominican Republic contains an unusually high number of plant species. Many varieties of orchids grow in the highland region, and royal palm trees grow throughout the country. Low shrubs grow in the dry regions, and rain forests occur in areas with more rainfall.

Cattle and goats used to live on the grasslands but are now scarce in the wild. A great variety of birds can be spotted in the Dominican Republic, including parrots, woodpeckers, parakeets, owls, egrets, ducks, hummingbirds, and warblers.

People and culture

Most of the population lives in the Cibao Valley region and in the capital, Santo Domingo. Poverty has forced many people to leave the countryside and move into towns, especially the capital city, in search of work.

The Dominican Republic is known throughout the Caribbean for its thriving musical culture. African rhythms are common, and there are popular folk songs derived from Spain and the Middle East. There is also a national symphony orchestra. The most popular dance style is called merengue.

Dominicans are passionate about the sport of baseball. It was introduced to the country in the early 20th century. Dozens of players from the Dominican Republic play baseball in the United States, including home run hitter Sammy Sosa.

Economy

Although agriculture was the most important part of the economy in the Dominican Republic for many years, that is no longer the case. As the population moved from the countryside to the cities, the economy shifted to production, service, and tourism. Sugar processing is the major industry in the country.

Mining is also important. The country has large deposits of minerals, especially bauxite, nickel, and gold.

History

Christopher Columbus' brother Bartholomew founded Santo Domingo in 1496. It was the first permanently settled Spanish colony in the Americas. At that time there were more than 1 million native inhabitants on the island. Within decades of the arrival of the Europeans, however, most Indians had died from starvation, overwork in the mines, and European diseases.

In 1697 Spain gave the western third of Hispaniola to France. France gained control of the whole island in 1795, but slave uprisings in the west in 1804 led to the creation of Haiti, a separate black republic.

In 1809 Spain again took control of the eastern part of the island, but the Dominicans declared independence in 1821. Soon afterward the Haitians invaded the Dominican Republic and ruled it by force for 23 years. After a long battle the Dominican Republic finally achieved independence in 1844. Since then its government has alternated between weak democracies and governments led by dictators. One such ruler was General Rafael Trujillo. For nearly 31 years, until his assassination in 1961, Trujillo headed a ruthless police state.

After Trujillo's death, presidential elections were fierce battles. Corruption in the government remained widespread. In 1996, however, a new leader was elected who vowed to fight corruption. Population (2000 estimate), 8,443,000.