Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic, (Spanish: República Dominicana, IPA [re’puβlika domini’kana]) is a country located on the eastern two-thirds of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, bordering Haiti. Hispaniola is the second-largest of the Greater Antilles islands, and lies west of Puerto Rico and east of Cuba and Jamaica. A legacy of unsettled, mostly non-representative rule lasted for much of the 20th century; the move towards representative democracy has improved vastly since the death of military dictator Rafael Leónidas Trujillo in 1961. Dominicans sometimes refer to their country as Quisqueya, a name for Hispaniola used by indigenous Taíno people. The Dominican Republic is not to be confused with Dominica, another Caribbean country.
History
Early map of HispaniolaThe indigenous inhabitants of the island of Hispaniola, on which the Dominican Republic is located, were the Taíno Amerindians. The Taínos were a seafaring branch of the South American Arawaks. Taíno means “the good” or “noble” 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 cacicazgos were based on a system of tribute, consisting of the food grown by the Taíno. 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).
The islands was subsequently explored and claimed by Christopher Columbus on his first voyage in 1492, and Hispaniola became a springboard for Spanish conquest of the Caribbean and the American mainland. In 1697, Spain recognized French dominion over the western third of the island, which in 1804 became Haiti. The remainder of the island, by then known as Santo Domingo, sought to gain its own independence in 1821, but was conquered and ruled by the Haitians for 22 years; it finally attained independence as the Dominican Republic in 1844. In 1861, the Dominicans voluntarily returned to the Spanish Empire, but two years later they launched a war that restored independence in 1865. Later the United States ruled Dominican territory with a military government from 1916-1924.
Politics
Politics of 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
The Dominican Republic is divided into 31 provinces. 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.
Bahoruco (Neiba)
Barahona
Dajabón
Duarte (San Francisco de Macorís)
Elías Piña (Comendador)
El Seibo
Espaillat (Moca)
Hato Mayor
Independencia (Jimaní)
La Altagracia (Higüey)
La Romana
La Vega
María Trinidad Sánchez (Nagua)
Monseñor Nouel (Bonao)
Monte Cristi
Monte Plata
Pedernales
Peravia (Baní)
Puerto Plata
Salcedo
Samaná
Sánchez Ramírez (Cotuí)
San Cristóbal
San José de Ocoa
San Juan
San Pedro de Macorís
Santiago
Santiago Rodríguez (Sabaneta)
Santo Domingo
Valverde (Mao)
D.N.*
* The national capital, also known as Distrito Nacional (D.N.), is the city of Santo Domingo.
Geography
The capital of the country is the city of Santo Domingo-full name Santo Domingo de Guzman, located in the south part of the island. Originally a single city located within the province Distrito Nacional (National District), it has now been divided into a 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 Guzman, 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 up 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 here is Pico Diego de Ocampo. The lowest and shortest of the three ranges is the Eastern Mountains, in the eastern part of the country. There are also the Sierra Bahoruco and the Sierra Neyba in the southwest. This is a country of many rivers, including the navigable Soco, Higuamo, Romana (also known as ‘Rio Dulce’), Yaque del Norte, Yaque del Sur, Yuna, Yuma, and Bajabonico. Puerto Plata’s Mount. Isabela is famous for the Cuban plane that crashed there in 1992.
The two largest islands, nearshore, 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:
Navidad Bank
Silver Bank
Mouchoir Bank
Navidad and Silver Banks have been officially claimed by the Dominican Republic.
Climate
A beach on the Saona islandThe country is a Tropical maritime, with a wet season from May to November, and periodic cyclones 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 North-east and 500 mm in the West. The mean annual temperature is 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
The Dominican Republic is a middle-income developing country primarily dependent on agriculture, trade, and services, especially tourism. 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 $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 $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, after the second commercial bank of the country (Baninter) collapsed, caused by a major fraud and bailout by 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%. With the election of former president Leonel Fernandez in 2004 and implementation of economic reforms, the economy has re-stabilized and strong GDP growth has resumed. 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 $130 million to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Commodity Credit Corporation.
According to the 2005 Annual Report of the United Nations Subcommitee on Human Development in the Dominican Republic, the country is ranked #71 in the world for resource availability, #94 for human development, and #14 in the world for resource mismanagement. These statistics emphasize the national government corruption, the foreign economic interference in the country, and the rift between the rich and poor.
Currency
The Dominican Peso (RD$) is the national currency of the country although the US dollar is often acceptable in some places, especially tourist oriented shops and hotels. Initially, the peso was worth the same as a US dollar. In more recent years, however, the value has decreased relative to the US dollar. The exchange rate to the US dollar was about RD$14.00 in 1993 and RD$16.00 in 2000, but in early 2004 reached RD$54.00 per US dollar. It ended the year 2005 at about RD$34.00 per dollar.
The exchange rate to the US dollar currently fluctuates on a daily basis, and is usually between $33.50-35.00 pesos as of February 2006. The International Monetary Fund revealed a growth of 7.6% over inflation index for 2006, which implies that the national currency of the Dominican Republic could naturally finish the year with an average basis between 35.70 and touching 38 per dollar roof. Another factor which would have a certain impact over the currency exchange market of the Dominican Republic is the fluctuations of the American Dollar at international currency market. The US dollar is implicated over almost all commercial actions of the Dominican Republic, supporting the theory that explains the devaluation of the peso in front of the dollar in 2005 is the result of the international currency market; On Feb 2005 1.32 USD = one € = 29 DR pesos, later on Oct 2005 1.19 USD = one € = 32 DR pesos.
Multiple local economists (Andres Dahjalhe Jr. and Magda Azer, principally) and well-recognized commercial analyst firms and institutions estimated an over-evaluation of the Dominican Peso suggesting that the daily basis of the Dominican currency is artificially controlled by the government, considerably bordering a free market’s policies.
Demographics
Dominican girls at carnival in Taíno garments and makeup (2005)Main article: Demographics of the Dominican Republic
About three quarters of all Dominicans are mulatto, that is, of mixed European and African ancestry. Some of these could also possess a smaller degree of indigenous Taíno ancestry. The presence of Taíno ancestry in the Dominican genepool needs to be further tested, and without proper scientific investigation sweeping claims cannot be made about the exact composition of any indigenous bloodlines.
There are also black and white ( Spanish descended) minorities. A smaller presence of East Asians (primarily ethnic Chinese) and Middle Easterners (primarily Lebanese) can also be found. The culturally indigenous Amerindian population is practically extinct.
Many foreigners reside in the country for business, religious, or leisure purposes. There are significant numbers of American, Canadian, German and French expats residing in the country.
Since the early 1960s, economic problems have led to a vast migration of Dominicans to the United States, mainly to large east coast cities. New York City’s Washington Heights is so densely populated by Dominicans that it is sometimes referred to as Quisqueya Heights. Quisqueya is a popular name for Hispaniola that many believe derives from the island’s original Arawak name, although this is disputed by some historians. Sizeable Dominican emigre communities have migrated to the Netherlands, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Spain, and St. Maarten.
In recent years, illegal immigration from black majority Haiti has dramatically increased as the Dominican economy improves and the Haitian economy remains virtually moribund. Most Haitian immigrants work at low-paying, unskilled labor jobs, including construction work and household cleaning.
Culture
Constanza, central region of the island
Statue of Juan Pablo Duarte in front of La PelonaThe Dominican Republic is a Hispanic country, therefore, as with all Hispanic countries in the Americas, its culture is derived predominantly from Spain, though heavily blended with African traditions, and to a much smaller degree with indigenous Amerindian cultural elements. The Spanish heritage of the culture is most evident in the national language and predominant religion - Catholicism. African cultural elements are most prominent in musical expressions and the carnival vibe of life, testimony to the rich African heritage that existed before and after slavery, but was not allowed to be practiced during it. More recent Antilliean and Anglo-American influences also exist. Near the border between Haiti and Dominican Republic, some people practice voodoo.
Baseball is the top national sport in the Dominican Republic and there are many popular Dominicans who play Major League Baseball in the U.S., including Albert Pujols, Sammy Sosa, Jolmi Minaya, Pedro Martínez, David Ortiz, Rafael Furcal, Vladamir Guerrero, Miguel Tejada, and Manny Ramirez. The Dominican Republic also has its own baseball league which runs from October to January. Many MLB players and minor leaguers play in this six-team league during off-season. As such, the Dominican winter league serves as an important “training ground” for the MLB. The winner of the Dominican winter league goes on to represent the country at the Caribbean World Series.
Eighty-nine percent of Dominicans are baptized in the Roman Catholic Church. Other substantial religious groups are the Evangelical Christians and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Around one percent of the nation’s inhabitants practice pure spiritism, although it is very common for Catholicism and spiritism to be mixed in Santeria’s seancees and “saint” parties.
The Dominican Republic has national holidays on January 26 (Duarte), February 27 (Independence Day), May 1 (Labour Day), July 16 (Foundation of Sociedad la Trinitaria), August 16 (Restoration Day), October 12 (Columbus Day), and October 24 (United Nations Day).
Music
The Dominican Republic is known for a form of music called Merengue, which has been popular since the mid- to late-1900s. It has sexually charged syncopated beats using Latin percussion, brass instruments, bass and electric guitars. What was considered unpopular to the youth, until today, is a form of folk music called Bachata. Bachata is usually slow, romantic, and Spanish guitar driven. However, bachata’s rhythm can be sped up to the same syncopation as Merengue, and its called bacharengue. Both genres of music are popular throughout the world.
Reggaeton, a style of music originally from Puerto Rico, is a genre of music that is popular among the country’s youth. Among the most successful producers of reggaeton is Luny Tunes, who has produced many songs by popular artists such as Daddy Yankee, Tego Calderón, Ivy Queen and Don Omar. Some native regggaeton groups include La Fabrica and Ingco Crew.
A relatively new genre that is rising in popularity is Dominican rock. Among the most successful Dominican rock bands are Toque Profundo, Luis Dias, Tabu Tek, Tribu Del Sol, TKR, Al-Jadaqui, La Siembra and others. Among the most popular bands of recently are González, Auro y Clemt (winner of the 2005 Cassandra, an arts and entertainment award, for Best Rock Band of the Year), Calor Urbano, and many more. Many concerts are held yearly at the auditorium of the Domínico Americano, a local school, thanks to ANivelDe.com, a website known as the source of Dominican rock music for many young fans. The Dominican Republic also holds the record of most spanish language rock bands in Latin America.
Dominican culture is heavily based on music. Some major international exponents include Juan Luis Guerra, Millie Quezada, Sergio Vargas, and Johnny Ventura. In recent years, many young artists have also emerged such as Alih Jey and Carlo Silver.
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