subject: The Story Of The Dominican Republic [print this page] There is one island in the Caribbean that has a unique feature that is not shared by any of its contemporaries. The island in question is not the biggest or the most populated, but it does possess one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Caribbean. That island is La Hispaniola, and its unique feature is that it is the only island in the world that is the home, in entirety, to two distinct nations. Both Haiti and the Dominican republic call the island home.
Cuba is the only country in the large area of the Caribbean that has a larger land mass and population than the Dominican Republic. The land mass of the Dominican Republic measures 48,422 square kilometers and has a population which is estimated to be over ten million. The capital of the Dominican Republic is Santo Domingo. The population of Santo Domingo is over four million, making it one of the largest cities in the Caribbean. In addition to being second in size and population, the Dominican Republic also has the second largest economy in the Caribbean. Today tourism plays a large role in the economy, but in past times it was mainly based on sugar production.
The capital of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo, was the first settlement and capital city established, not only by the Spanish, but also of any European nation. Other firsts for Santo Domingo in the New World was the construction of a castle, cathedral and university. Until the arrival of the Spanish, and more specifically, Christopher Columbus, the Taino people were the inhabitants of the area that is now Santo Domingo.
The Dominican Republic remained under Spanish control for over 300 years, with a few take-overs by the French and the Haitians. Rights for the black and mulatto population were virtually non-existent, even after the Dominican Republic gained its freedom from Spain in 1821. Surprisingly, after independence slavery still persisted. Not long after independence, then ruler, Jose Nunez de Caceras, made plans for the Dominican Republic to join a new, but short-lived, republic - the Gran Colombia. Haiti felt threatened by this possible union and worked, in conjunction with slave revolts in the Dominican Republic, to successfully unseat Jose Nunez de Caceras.
The removal of Jose Nunez de Caceras did not end all the conflicts in the Dominican Republic. To free themselves from the control of the Haitians, war was declared in 1844. For the previous 22 years, Haiti had been in charge of the entire island of La Hispaniola. Once this new conflict errupted, the Dominican Republic endured further Spanish control for 72 more years. America assumed power over the region from 1916 to 1924 once the Spanish left a second time. After America left, the Dominican Republic enjoyed a period of relative calm for six years under the leadership of, Horacio Vsquez Lajara. When the country turned into a dictatorship with Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina as the head, the peaceful times came to a close. The dictatorship was over in 1961.
Troubles continued for the Dominican Republic when the country fell into civil war in 1965. The USA led an intervention and were instrumental in resolving the conflict. From 1966 to 1978, the authoritarian leader, Joaquin Balaque, stepped in to fill the gap. Since this time, life in the Dominican Republic has improved exponentially. Thanks to Leonel Fernndez, the Dominican Republic is making strides to become a representative democracy.
With its new found stability, the economy in the Dominican Republic has continued to grow. The biggest growth can be found in the burgeoning tourism industry. It is estimated now that one in seven jobs in the Dominican Republic has come as a result of increased tourism. In addition, ecotourism has yet to be tapped and is expected to provide even more tourism jobs. This beautiful country is experiencing more positive times now.
