The flagThe flag of the Dominican Republic was designed by founding father, Juan Pablo Duarte, and adopted in 1844. It is centered with a white cross that extends to the edges and divides the flag into four rectangles. The color blue is for liberty , red for the blood of the heroes, and white for salvation or sacrifice, The Emblem shows a bible, a cross of gold, four dominican flags , and two spears on the pattern of the flag. There are also branches of olive and palm around the shield and above on a ribbon is the motto. It says, "Dios, Patrio, Libertad" meaning, "God, Fatherland, Liberty."
|
The locationThe Dominican Republic lies at the points 19 degrees north and 70.6667 degrees west. The Dominican Republic occupies the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, which it shares with Haiti. It is the second largest country in the West Indies after Cuba. It is north of the Caribbean Sea and east of the Gulf of Mexico.
|
The timeline
This timeline was taken from BBC News.
1492 - Christopher Columbus visits the island, which he names Hispaniola, or "Little Spain".
1496 - Spaniards set up first Spanish colony in Western hemisphere at Santo Domingo, which subsequently serves as capital of all Spanish colonies in America.
1697 - Treaty of Ryswick gives western part of Hispaniola island (Haiti) to France and eastern part (Santo Domingo - the present Dominican Republic) to Spain.
1795 - Spain cedes its portion of Hispaniola island to France.
1808 - Spain retakes Santo Domingo following revolt by Spanish Creoles.
1821 - Uprising against Spanish rules is followed by brief period of independence.
1822 - Haitian President Jean-Pierre Boyer marches his troops into Santo Domingo and annexes it.
Republic is born
1844 - Boyer overthrown; Santo Domingo declares its independence and becomes the Dominican Republic.
1861-63 - President Pedro Santana returns the Dominican Republic to Spanish rule.
1863-64 - Spain withdraws from, and annuls its annexation of, the Dominican Republic following a popular revolt.
1865 - The second Dominican Republic proclaimed.
1906 - Dominican Republic and US sign 50-year treaty according to which the US takes over the republic's customs department in return for buying its debts.
1916-24 - US forces occupy the Dominican Republic following internal disorder.
1924 - Constitutional government assumes control; US forces withdraw.
Trujillo dictatorship
1930 - General Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina establishes personal dictatorship following the overthrow of President Horacio Vazquez.
1937 - Army massacres 19,000-20,000 Haitians living in areas of the Dominican Republic adjacent to Haiti.
1960 - Organisation of American States adopts resolution calling for severance of diplomatic ties with the Dominican Republic.
1961 - Trujillo assassinated.
Return to democracy
1966 - Joaquin Balaguer, a Trujillo protege and former leader of the Reformist Party (later to become the centre-right Christian Social Reform Party (PRSC)), is elected president.
1978 - Silvestre Antonio Guzman (PRD) is elected president and proceeds to release some 200 political prisoners, ease media censorship and purge the armed forces of Balaguer supporters.
1979 - Two hurricanes leave more than 200,0000 people homeless and cause damage worth 1 billion dollars as the economy continues to deteriorate due to high fuel prices and low sugar prices.
1982 - Another PRD candidate, Jorge Blanco, elected president.
Austerity, unrest
1985 - IMF-prescribed austerity measures, including price rises for basic foods and petrol, lead to widespread riots.
1986 - Balaguer (PRSC) re-elected president.
1988 - Jorge Blanco tried in absentia and found guilty of corruption during his presidential tenure.
1990 - Balaguer re-elected, defeating Bosch by a small majority.
1996 - Leonel Fernandez Reyna of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) elected president.
1998 - Hurricane George causes widespread devastation.
2000 - PRD returned to power with Hipolito Mejia as president.
2001 May - Appeals court quashes a conviction against former president, Salvador Jorge Blanco, on charges of corruption.
2001 November - US jet bound for Santo Domingo crashes in New York killing all 255 people on board. Three days of national mourning declared.
2002 July - Former president Joaquin Balaguer dies aged 95; thousands pay their last respects to a man who dominated politics for more than 50 years.
2003 November - Deadly clashes between police and protesters during demonstrations against high prices, power cuts. Two months later, demonstrations about economic policies leave at least five dead.
1492 - Christopher Columbus visits the island, which he names Hispaniola, or "Little Spain".
1496 - Spaniards set up first Spanish colony in Western hemisphere at Santo Domingo, which subsequently serves as capital of all Spanish colonies in America.
1697 - Treaty of Ryswick gives western part of Hispaniola island (Haiti) to France and eastern part (Santo Domingo - the present Dominican Republic) to Spain.
1795 - Spain cedes its portion of Hispaniola island to France.
1808 - Spain retakes Santo Domingo following revolt by Spanish Creoles.
1821 - Uprising against Spanish rules is followed by brief period of independence.
1822 - Haitian President Jean-Pierre Boyer marches his troops into Santo Domingo and annexes it.
Republic is born
1844 - Boyer overthrown; Santo Domingo declares its independence and becomes the Dominican Republic.
1861-63 - President Pedro Santana returns the Dominican Republic to Spanish rule.
1863-64 - Spain withdraws from, and annuls its annexation of, the Dominican Republic following a popular revolt.
1865 - The second Dominican Republic proclaimed.
1906 - Dominican Republic and US sign 50-year treaty according to which the US takes over the republic's customs department in return for buying its debts.
1916-24 - US forces occupy the Dominican Republic following internal disorder.
1924 - Constitutional government assumes control; US forces withdraw.
Trujillo dictatorship
1930 - General Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina establishes personal dictatorship following the overthrow of President Horacio Vazquez.
1937 - Army massacres 19,000-20,000 Haitians living in areas of the Dominican Republic adjacent to Haiti.
1960 - Organisation of American States adopts resolution calling for severance of diplomatic ties with the Dominican Republic.
1961 - Trujillo assassinated.
Return to democracy
1966 - Joaquin Balaguer, a Trujillo protege and former leader of the Reformist Party (later to become the centre-right Christian Social Reform Party (PRSC)), is elected president.
1978 - Silvestre Antonio Guzman (PRD) is elected president and proceeds to release some 200 political prisoners, ease media censorship and purge the armed forces of Balaguer supporters.
1979 - Two hurricanes leave more than 200,0000 people homeless and cause damage worth 1 billion dollars as the economy continues to deteriorate due to high fuel prices and low sugar prices.
1982 - Another PRD candidate, Jorge Blanco, elected president.
Austerity, unrest
1985 - IMF-prescribed austerity measures, including price rises for basic foods and petrol, lead to widespread riots.
1986 - Balaguer (PRSC) re-elected president.
1988 - Jorge Blanco tried in absentia and found guilty of corruption during his presidential tenure.
1990 - Balaguer re-elected, defeating Bosch by a small majority.
1996 - Leonel Fernandez Reyna of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) elected president.
1998 - Hurricane George causes widespread devastation.
2000 - PRD returned to power with Hipolito Mejia as president.
2001 May - Appeals court quashes a conviction against former president, Salvador Jorge Blanco, on charges of corruption.
2001 November - US jet bound for Santo Domingo crashes in New York killing all 255 people on board. Three days of national mourning declared.
2002 July - Former president Joaquin Balaguer dies aged 95; thousands pay their last respects to a man who dominated politics for more than 50 years.
2003 November - Deadly clashes between police and protesters during demonstrations against high prices, power cuts. Two months later, demonstrations about economic policies leave at least five dead.
The population demographicsThe numbers
Life Expectancy: 78 years Birth Rate: 18.97 births/1000 Death Rate: 4.5 death/1000 Infant Mortality Rate: 19.63 deaths/1000 live births Total Fertility Rate: 2.36 children born/woman Rate of Natural Increase: 1.2 Net Migration Rate: -1.91 The analysis The life expectancy of the Dominican Republic is 78 years. This is fairly high and shows that while the Dominican Republic has decent health care but that it is not very reliable. The birth rate is 18.97 births/1000 and the death rate is 4.5 death/1000. This shows that many children are being born and because the death rate is significantly lower than the birth rate, this shows how the population is declining. The IMR is 19.63 death/1000 live births. This is very high and shows the poor health care conditions of the Dominican Republic. The TFR is 2.36 children born per woman. This number is fairly lower and gives us an insight of the dynamics of the family. The rate of natural increase is 1.2, this shows how the population is growing. The net migration rate is -1.92 and shows how more people are leaving than entering. This is likely because many people are seeking better economic opportunities in other countries. From looking at the population pyramid, you can immediately notice that the Dominican Republic is a lesser developed country because the percentage of the population in the adolescent group is very high and this is typical of a lesser developed nation. This country is in the second or early expanding stage of the demographic transition model because the death rate is low but the birthrate is still very high. The population of the Dominican Republic is heavily concentrated around Santo Domingo, the capital city. The further away for the ocean that you get, the less concentrated the population gets. This is likely because many of the industries are dependent on the ocean for profits. Also, people are not concentrated near the Haitian border. This is likely because of the conflicts between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. |
The economy
The GDP of the Dominican Republic is $61.16 billion and the GDP per capita is $9,800. Both of these numbers are very low in comparison to other nations. This is likely because the economy is built around the primary and secondary sectors which do not bring in a large profit. The economy is heavily based on agriculture and manufacturing. The HDI ranking is 102th which is very low and shows how the Dominican Republic is not a very developed nation. The level of economic development is a lesser developed country because the economy is still heavily dependent on other countries and does not have a large profit.
|
The climateThe majority of the Dominican Republic enjoys beautiful tropical weather all year round, with the average annual temperature hovering around 25°C or 77°F. The Dominican Republic has a tropical climate, with a varying rainy season. The northern coast receives receives rain November through January, but the rest of the country receives rain from May through November.
There are slight variations between the summer and winter months. The so-called 'cool' or winter season, runs from November to April. The humidity is relatively low during these months and it tends to cool down in the evenings much more than in the summer months. The coastal/beach regions generally experience highs of around 28°C or 83°F during the day and lows of about 20°C or 68°F in the evening. The mountainous interior of the country is considerably cooler, and on the highest mountain peaks the thermometer can sometimes drop below freezing point. The summer season in the Dominican Republic runs from May to October. Average daily highs for the coastal/beach regions rise to around 31°C or 87°F during the day, dropping down to about 22°C or 72°F at night. The humidity is very high during this time. Overall the weather is hot all year. The whole Caribbean is vulnerable to hurricanes and the Dominican Republic is no exception. Tropical storms and hurricanes usually strike the southern coast. The official hurricane season runs from the beginning of June to the end of November but in the past years tropical storms have taken place in the Dominican Republic from August to September. |
The governmentGaining its independence in 1844, the Dominican Republic endured decades of political stability and repressive governments. Since the countries independence, they have had 38 constitutions which is more than any other country. Today, it is a democracy, economically dependent on agriculture and tourism. The Dominican Republic is considered a democratic republic which mean that the people elect the representatives. The government is separated into there branches: the executive, the judicial, and the legislative branch. The president is elected by absolute majority vote through a two-round system and each president serves a 4 year term . The supreme court and constitutional court judges are appointed by the national council of the judiciary. The senate has 32 members and the chamber of deputies has 178 members.
|
The economyThe Dominican Republic has a mixed economy based largely on agriculture, services and tourism. The Dominican Republic occupies the primary and secondary sectors of the economy. Their largest exports include; Ferro nickel, sugar, gold, silver, coffee, coca, tobacco, meats and consumer goods. Many people either work in factories or on farms. The major crops produced include; sugarcane, coffee, cotton, cocoa, tobacco, rice, and beans. The economy is also largely dependent on the United States because 70% of their exports go to the United States. Tourism is a large part of the economy and is the number one revenue earner. It earns more than $4.3 billion overhear and is only growing. Disadvantages of the Dominican Republic are that there is only a very small elite group that often exploits the poorer groups. There is no "middle class" here, This leads to a large percentage of people in poverty. The Dominican Republic has been stunted in its growth because large countries have prevented it from growing. Also, the agriculture field of the economy does not have large margins.
|
The racial distributionThe racial distribution consists of two primary groups: Dominicans and Haitian-Dominicans. The majority of the population is Dominican, a racial mixture of Afro-Carribean, Indigenous Caribbean, and European ancestry. The majority of Haitian-Domicans are not recognized as citizens even though they were born in the United States. They are many people of mixed race in the Dominican Republic and are many hispanic people. There are very few people that are white or of Asian decent. There are even fewer people of American Indian/Alaskan decent.
|
The religious distributionJudaism, Islam, Hinduism, and indigenous beliefs are found across the Dominican Republic but the majority of people are of Christianity. The most prominent of the branches of Christianity is Catholicism. Many people also have beliefs that align with evangelical Protestantism. This is a Christian movement that focused on personal salvation and empowerment through miraculous healing and transformation. The church plays a large part in the culture of the Dominican Republic because the church not only has power over the congregation but in many aspects has power over the government. The church still remains highly influential and relevant to its believers.
|
The push and pull factorsThe Dominican Republic has a negative immigration rate. This means that more people are leaving the Dominican Republic then are coming in. The factors that push people away from the Dominican republic include poor job opportunities, poor living conditions, bad health care, and poor education systems. Women in the Dominican Republic are often hindered and seen as below men, this causes many women to move to other countries where they can have equal opportunities. The main job opportunities in the Dominican include jobs in the primary and secondary sectors. Any one who wants to pursue work in other fields will need to move to another country. The Dominican Republic also has a very unstable and under developed government. This causes many structural issues and the lack of proper infrastructure. Massive influxes of people leave the Dominican Republic every year in hope of a better life.
The Dominican Republic does not have a very large number of immigrants but the pull factors include natural resources, agriculture, and tourism. Many people from other countries are drawn to the Dominican Republic because they want to exploit its resources to make a profit, This is bad for the Dominican Republic because it hinders growth and industrialization. The beaches and scenery of the Dominican Republic draws many people in because of their beauty. |
The bond with the USAThe United States established diplomatic relations with the Dominican Republic in 1884 following its independence from Spain in 1865. Post-independence, the country saw a mix of coups, U.S. military intervention and occupations, military government, and democratic government. U.S. relations with the Dominican Republic are excellent. The country is an important partner in hemispheric affairs due to its standing in the Caribbean as the largest economy and second-largest country in terms of population and land mass. Its proximity to the US makes relationships even stronger. The two governments have and continue to work together in the fight against illegal drug trafficking. The United States has a strong interest in a democratic, stable, and economically healthy Dominican Republic and supports its democratic and economic development. The US is trying to help improve the poor education systems and bad health conditions. The is trying to help jump-start the Dominican economy.
The Dominican Republic's most important trading partner is the United States. The two countries are parties to the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement. This agreement creates new economic opportunities by eliminating tariffs, opening markets, reducing barriers to services, and promoting transparency. This creates increased integration between the USA and the Dominican Republic. U.S. exports to the Dominican Republic include oil, agricultural products, machinery, vehicles, and cotton, yarn, and fabric. U.S. imports from the Dominican Republic include optical and medical instruments, jewelry and gold, agricultural products, machinery, tobacco, and knit apparel. The relationship between the Untied States and the Dominican Republic benefits the United States more than in benefits the Dominican Republic. In fact, this trade agreement has encouraged the Dominican Republic not to industrialize and makes it dependent on other countries. |
The energyThe total electricity consumption of the Dominican Republic is13.11 billion kWh a year. The economy consumes around 115 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day broken down by oil products (54%) for transportation purposes, firewood (23%) mostly in residential consumption, and electricity (20%) for the industrial, residential and commercial sectors. Electricity coverage is around 96%. There has been significant growth in energy usage and supply over the year.
The major source of energy is electricity. This energy is harnessed from coal and natural gases. There is great potential for the use of wind and solar energy in the future because the Dominican Republic is sunny all year long and has high wind speeds. Not only would this save the local people money but this would be a more reliable resource for the Dominican Republic. This will also improve the air quality and lower the pollution rates. |
The natural resourcesThe Dominican Republic has abundant resources of nickel, bauxite, gold, silver, arable land. These resources play a major role in the structure and income of the economy. There are many businesses centered around mining and the collecting of minerals. Arable land is one of the main reasons that the Dominican Republic is able to produce many raw materials and is prolific in farming and the production of plants and vegetables. The natural resources cause the economy to reside mainly in the primary and secondary sectors of the working field.
|
The infrastructureThe Dominican Republic's infrastructure has greatly improved since the growth of tourism in the Dominican Republic. Since the advert of tourism, both the government and private corporations have invested in roads, airports, and docks and other forms of tourism-based construction. The Dominican Republic has 13 airports, 5 of them classified as "international.
There are only 12,600 kilometers or 7,830 miles of existing roads and only half of these roads are paved. Many of these roads only connect to major attractions and were not "thought out" in the most convenient or necessary way. This means that major roads are not present in much of the island. The roads vary in quality and structure and are not always reliable because of weather conditions. There are occasional stretches of railway line but they are all owned by sugar plantations. These trains are used for transporting sugar-cane rater than passengers. One of the major faults in the infrastructure of the Dominican Republic is unreliable electrical service. Throughout the island there is not an electrical service and this holds the island back in many ways. This means that telephone and other forms of communication are not reliable on the island either. |