Dios, Patria, Libertad (Spanish) ("God, Fatherland, Liberty") | |||||
| Anthem | "Quisqueyanos Valientes" | ||||
| Capital (and largest city) |
Santo Domingo | ||||
| Other cities | Santiago, La Vega | ||||
| Language | Spanish | ||||
| Religion | Catholicism | ||||
| Demonym | Dominican | ||||
| Government | Unitary Parliamentary Republic | ||||
| Established | 27 February 1844 | ||||
| Independence | from Spain | ||||
| Currency | Dominican peso | ||||
The Dominican Republic (Spanish: República Dominicana) is a sovereign country in the Caribbean, located in the eastern part the island of Hispaniola: the nation of Haiti occupies the western part. The Dominican Republic's long and troubled history began in the 15th century, when it became the first territory in the New World that was permanently settled by Europeans, as a colony of Spain. The Taino natives were exterminated, and the colony was populated with Spanish settlers and African slaves brought to work in the plantations.
Afterwards, during the 19th century, the Dominican Republic became the first Spanish colony to declare independence: after a troubled period of continuous wars involving France, Spain and neighboring Haiti, all of which attempted to gain control of the territory, the newborn republic managed to be finally recognized as an independent state, and has not participated in any war since then. Today the country has one of the strongest economies in the whole Caribbean, also thanks to its many natural resources: the world's second largest gold mine is in the Dominican Republic.
The country is today mostly populated by people of mixed race descent, as well as numerous whites (mostly descendants of Spanish colonists) and blacks. Quite geographically diverse, the Dominican Republic is home to the tallest peak in the Caribbean, Pico Duarte, as well as numerous forests, river and lakes, while on the sea long, sandy beaches stretch as far as the eye can see. Tourism is an important sector of the economy, together with naval industry, agriculture, and as said before, mining.