.The Dominican Republic (Spanish: República Dominicana, pronounced [reˈpuβlika ðominiˈkana]) is a nation on the island of Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region.^ It occupies 48,730 square kilometers, making it the second largest island of the Greater Antilles, and supports a population of 8.9 million inhabitants.

• GlobaLex - Guide to Legal Research in the Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.nyulawglobal.org [Source type: Original source]

^ The Dominican Republic (DR) comprises the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, which it shares with Haiti.

• Minority Rights Group International : Dominican Republic : Dominican Republic Overview 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.minorityrights.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The mountains of the Dominican Republic divide the country into northern, central, and southwestern regions.

• Culture of Dominican Republic - traditional, history, people, clothing, traditions, women, beliefs, food, customs, family, social, marriage, men, life, immigrants, population, religion, History and ethnic relations 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.everyculture.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are occupied by two countries.^ Dominican Republic A country in the Caribbean, the eastern part of the island of Hispaniola.

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^ West Indies, on the eastern two thirds of the island of Hispaniola .

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^ It shares with Haiti the island of Hispaniola, occupying two thirds of the eastern side of the island.

• GlobaLex - Guide to Legal Research in the Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.nyulawglobal.org [Source type: Original source]

.Both by area and population, the Dominican Republic is the second largest Caribbean nation (after Cuba), with 48,442 square kilometres (18,704 sq mi) and an estimated 10 million people.^ The population is estimated at 3.6 million.

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^ It occupies 48,730 square kilometers, making it the second largest island of the Greater Antilles, and supports a population of 8.9 million inhabitants.

• GlobaLex - Guide to Legal Research in the Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.nyulawglobal.org [Source type: Original source]

^ The majority of the unions in the FTZs were affiliated with the National Federation of Free Trade Zone Workers or with FEDOTRAZONAS. FEDOTRAZONAS estimated that fewer than 10 percent of the workers in the FTZs were unionized.

• Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[2][7]

.Inhabited by Taínos since the seventh century, the territory of the Dominican Republic was reached by Christopher Columbus in 1492 and became the site of the first permanent European settlement in the Americas, namely Santo Domingo, the country's capital and Spain's first capital in the New World.^ Santo Domingo, Capital (1781 Miles) .

• Women Seeking Men in the Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC amigos.com [Source type: General]

^ The city was the site of the signing of the Dominican Republic's first constitution in 1844.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The capital and largest city is Santo Domingo .

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.In Santo Domingo stand, among other firsts in the Americas, the first university, cathedral, and castle, the latter two in the Ciudad Colonial area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.^ Santo Domingo was a walled city, modeled after those of medieval Spain, and for three decades was the seat of Spanish power and culture in the New World.

• Culture of Dominican Republic - traditional, history, people, clothing, traditions, women, beliefs, food, customs, family, social, marriage, men, life, immigrants, population, religion, History and ethnic relations 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.everyculture.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The capital, Santo Domingo, was the first permanent European settlement in the New World and was established by Spain in 1496.

• Culture of Dominican Republic - traditional, history, people, clothing, traditions, women, beliefs, food, customs, family, social, marriage, men, life, immigrants, population, religion, History and ethnic relations 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.everyculture.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Compared to the French forced labour plantation colony on the western side of the island, which had become the wealthiest in the New World, the Spanish colony of Santo Domingo remained poor and derelict.

• Minority Rights Group International : Dominican Republic : Dominican Republic Overview 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.minorityrights.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[2][8]

.After three centuries of Spanish rule, with French and Haitian interludes, the country became independent in 1821 but was quickly taken over by Haiti.^ Originally a Spanish colony and later under Haitian rule, the Dominican Republic gained independence in 1844.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ By 1804 the black African slaves in the western portion of the island (now Haiti) rebelled against the French and ruled the entire island.

• Culture of Dominican Republic - traditional, history, people, clothing, traditions, women, beliefs, food, customs, family, social, marriage, men, life, immigrants, population, religion, History and ethnic relations 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.everyculture.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ In 1838 a small group of Spanish-speaking Dominican intellectuals from Santo Domingo organized a secret society called La Trinitaria to overthrow the Haitian rule.

• Culture of Dominican Republic - traditional, history, people, clothing, traditions, women, beliefs, food, customs, family, social, marriage, men, life, immigrants, population, religion, History and ethnic relations 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.everyculture.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.Victorious in the Dominican War of Independence in 1844, Dominicans experienced mostly political turmoil and a brief return to Spanish rule over the next 72 years.^ Originally a Spanish colony and later under Haitian rule, the Dominican Republic gained independence in 1844.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ In 1838 a small group of Spanish-speaking Dominican intellectuals from Santo Domingo organized a secret society called La Trinitaria to overthrow the Haitian rule.

• Culture of Dominican Republic - traditional, history, people, clothing, traditions, women, beliefs, food, customs, family, social, marriage, men, life, immigrants, population, religion, History and ethnic relations 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.everyculture.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The Dominican Republic gained its independence in 1844 after a successful revolt against Haitian rule, but its political history remained stormy, with foreign intervention in the country's affairs from the late 1800s to the middle part of this century.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

The United States occupation of 1916–1924, and a subsequent, calm and prosperous six-year period under Horacio Vásquez Lajara, were followed by the military dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina until 1961. The last civil war was ended by the 1965 United States occupation of the Dominican Republic, and was followed by the authoritarian rule of Joaquin Balaguer, 1966 – 1978. Since then, the Dominican Republic has moved toward representative democracy,^[1] and has been led by Leonel Fernández for most of the time after 1996.

.The Dominican Republic has adopted economic liberalism, and has the second largest economy in the Caribbean.^ Dominican Republic A country in the Caribbean, the eastern part of the island of Hispaniola.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Santo Domingo, the oldest continuous European settlement in the Americas, is the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The Dominican Republic is among the fastest-growing economies in Latin America.

• Culture of Dominican Republic - traditional, history, people, clothing, traditions, women, beliefs, food, customs, family, social, marriage, men, life, immigrants, population, religion, History and ethnic relations 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.everyculture.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[9][10] .Though long known for sugar production, the economy is now dominated by services.^ Tourism is also important to the economy, and the service sector is now the country's largest employer.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[1] The country's economic progress is exemplified by its advanced telecommunication system.^[11] .Nevertheless, unemployment,^[1] government corruption, and inconsistent electric service remain major Dominican problems.^ Some Dominicans call it the Wall of Shame and argue that the country needs basic services, such as dependable electricity and transportation, not expensive monuments to Columbus.

• Culture of Dominican Republic - traditional, history, people, clothing, traditions, women, beliefs, food, customs, family, social, marriage, men, life, immigrants, population, religion, History and ethnic relations 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.everyculture.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ According to the World Bank's worldwide governance indicators, government corruption was a serious problem.

• Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

The country also has "marked income inequality".^[1]

International migration greatly affects the country, as it receives and sends large flows of migrants. .Haitian immigration and the integration of Dominicans of Haitian descent are major issues; the total population of Haitian origin is estimated to be 800,000.^[12] A large Dominican diaspora exists, most of it in the United States, where it comprises 1.3 million.^ The population is estimated at 3.6 million.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Most sugarcane workers were Haitian or of Haitian descent.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The capital, Santo Domingo, has over 2.14 million people, while the population of other large cities, including Santiago de los Caballeros, La Romana, and San Pedro de Macorís, ranges from 124,000 to 364,000.

• Culture of Dominican Republic - traditional, history, people, clothing, traditions, women, beliefs, food, customs, family, social, marriage, men, life, immigrants, population, religion, History and ethnic relations 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.everyculture.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[13] They aid national development as they send billions of dollars to their families, accounting for one-tenth of the Dominican GDP.^[1][14]

.The Dominican Republic has become the Caribbean's largest tourist destination; the country's year-round golf courses are among the top attractions.^ Dominican Republic A country in the Caribbean, the eastern part of the island of Hispaniola.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Dominican Republic visa Top 5 requested .

• Dominican Republic Visa : Application, Requirements. Apply for Dominican Visas Online. 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC dominican-republic.visahq.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The Dominican Republic is a hurricane-prone country.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[11] .In this mountainous land is located the Caribbean's highest mountain, Pico Duarte, as is Lake Enriquillo, the Caribbean's largest lake and lowest elevation.^ Or climb to the summit of the Caribbean’s highest mountain, Pico Duarte.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.allinclusiveoutlet.com [Source type: General]

^ The highest point in the Caribbean is Pico Duarte, which reaches an elevation of over 10,414 feet (3,175 meters) and has alpine forests near the summit.

• Culture of Dominican Republic - traditional, history, people, clothing, traditions, women, beliefs, food, customs, family, social, marriage, men, life, immigrants, population, religion, History and ethnic relations 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.everyculture.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Pico Duarte, at 10,128 feet the highest mountain in the West Indies, is within this range.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[15] .Quisqueya, as Dominicans often call their country, has an average temperature of 26 °C (79°F) and great biological diversity.^ The Dominican Republic boasts an average temperature between 78 and 88 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.allinclusiveoutlet.com [Source type: General]

^ Some Dominicans call it the Wall of Shame and argue that the country needs basic services, such as dependable electricity and transportation, not expensive monuments to Columbus.

• Culture of Dominican Republic - traditional, history, people, clothing, traditions, women, beliefs, food, customs, family, social, marriage, men, life, immigrants, population, religion, History and ethnic relations 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.everyculture.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[11]

.Music and sport are of the highest importance in Dominican culture, with merengue as the national dance and song and baseball the favorite sport.^ Add to this its colonial charm and infectious music and dance which are at the heart of Dominican culture.  .

• Book cheap holidays to the Dominican Republic & find holiday deals 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.thomascook.com [Source type: General]

^ Santo Domingo's modern Cultural Plaza with its four museums, National Theater, and National Library is the scene of many artistic, musical, and theatrical productions.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Baseball is the national sport, and all games draw large crowds.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[2]

.The Arawakan-speaking Taínos moved into Hispaniola, displacing earlier inhabitants,^[16] circa A.D. 650. The Taínos called the island Kiskeya or Quisqueya ("mother of the earth").^ The Taínos, the legend continues, were the ultimate victims--pushed into extinction, wiped clean from the face of the Earth, a very dramatic statement, but not true.

• A Chronology of Taino Cultural and Biological Survival 11 September 2009 9:52 UTC www.centrelink.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^{[citation needed]} They engaged in farming and fishing,^[17] and hunting and gathering.^[16] The fierce Caribs drove the Taínos to the northeastern Caribbean during much of the 15th century.^[18] .The estimates of Hispaniola's population in 1492 vary widely, including one hundred thousand,^[19] three hundred thousand,^[16] and four hundred thousand to two million.^ The population is estimated at 3.6 million.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ There were two women in the 32-member Senate, 33 women in the 178-member House of Representatives, three women in the cabinet, and five women on the 16-seat Supreme Court.

• Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Consequently, thousands of Dominican-born persons of Haitian descent were functionally stateless; one estimate placed the number at between 600,000 and one million persons.

• Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[20] .By 1492 the island was divided into five Taíno chiefdoms.^ Soon after, the French colony of Saint Domingue was established which divided the island into two distinctive cultures -- The French on the western side of the island and the Spanish on the eastern [4] .

• GlobaLex - Guide to Legal Research in the Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.nyulawglobal.org [Source type: Original source]

^{[citation needed]}

.The Spanish arrived in 1492. After initially friendly relations, the Taínos resisted the conquest, led by the female Chief Anacaona of Xaragua and her husband Chief Caonabo of Maguana, as well as Chiefs Guacanagarix, Guamá, Hatuey, and Enriquillo.^ Male immigrants from Iberia to the Indies outnumbered females by a 17:1 ratio through 1539, although more Spanish females began arriving afterward.

• A Chronology of Taino Cultural and Biological Survival 11 September 2009 9:52 UTC www.centrelink.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

The latter's successes gained his people an autonomous enclave for a time on the island. .Nevertheless, within a few years after 1492 the population of Taínos had declined drastically, due to smallpox and other diseases that arrived with the Europeans,^[21] and from other causes discussed below.^ The death rate in the first quarter century of European occupation was, no doubt, staggering, as it was among other Native populations elsewhere, but especially in the tropics.

• A Chronology of Taino Cultural and Biological Survival 11 September 2009 9:52 UTC www.centrelink.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ It wasn’t until Christopher Columbus’ famous voyage in 1492 that Europeans arrived on the island and enslaved the Taino Indians in order to harvest the gold discovered on the island.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.allinclusiveoutlet.com [Source type: General]

^ Seventy-three percent of the population is mixed race—combinations of descendants of Spaniards and other Europeans, West African slaves, and natives.

• Culture of Dominican Republic - traditional, history, people, clothing, traditions, women, beliefs, food, customs, family, social, marriage, men, life, immigrants, population, religion, History and ethnic relations 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.everyculture.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.The decline continued, and by 1711 the Taíno numbered just 21,000.^[22] The last record of pure Taínos in the country was from 1864. Due to intermarriage over the centuries, many Dominicans have Taíno ancestry.^ Consequently, thousands of Dominican-born persons of Haitian descent were functionally stateless; one estimate placed the number at between 600,000 and one million persons.

• Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ In particular there were strong prejudices against Haitians, which disadvantaged many Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian ancestry, as well as other foreigners of dark complexion.

• Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The aim is to demonstrate that Taíno cultural and biological survival in Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico has in fact been documented over the past five centuries.

• A Chronology of Taino Cultural and Biological Survival 11 September 2009 9:52 UTC www.centrelink.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[23][24] .Remnants of the Taino culture include their cave paintings,^[25] as well as pottery designs which are still used in the small artisan village of Higüerito, Moca.^ Many escaped into the mountains to coexist with the Maroons , where still today many non African plants are used medicinally , plants that were once part of the Taino pharmacology.

• A Chronology of Taino Cultural and Biological Survival 11 September 2009 9:52 UTC www.centrelink.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Many escaped into the mountains to coexist with the Maroons, where still today many non African plants are used medicinally, plants that were once part of the Taino pharmacology.

• A Chronology of Taino Cultural and Biological Survival 11 September 2009 9:52 UTC www.centrelink.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ As a consequence of the New Laws (1542) that gave the Aboriginal People total freedom, some small villages were created in which surviving groups of Tainos and their descendants resided in.

• A Chronology of Taino Cultural and Biological Survival 11 September 2009 9:52 UTC www.centrelink.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.Christopher Columbus arrived on Hispaniola on December 5, 1492, during the first of his four voyages to America.^ Christopher Columbus made his first landing in the New World December 5, 1492, on the northwest coast of an island he named Hispaniola.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Though most of the Tainos of Hispaniola now comprised of Haiti and the Dominican Republic) vanished in the Americas first genocide, there are many traces left of them today.

• A Chronology of Taino Cultural and Biological Survival 11 September 2009 9:52 UTC www.centrelink.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ When Christopher Columbus first discovered the island in 1492, he named it La Isla Española, which became Hispaniola.

• Culture of Dominican Republic - traditional, history, people, clothing, traditions, women, beliefs, food, customs, family, social, marriage, men, life, immigrants, population, religion, History and ethnic relations 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.everyculture.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.He claimed the island for Spain and named it La Española.^ When Christopher Columbus first discovered the island in 1492, he named it La Isla Española, which became Hispaniola.

• Culture of Dominican Republic - traditional, history, people, clothing, traditions, women, beliefs, food, customs, family, social, marriage, men, life, immigrants, population, religion, History and ethnic relations 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.everyculture.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ In 1492, when Columbus first landed, he named the island La Isla Española, which later changed to Hispaniola.

• Culture of Dominican Republic - traditional, history, people, clothing, traditions, women, beliefs, food, customs, family, social, marriage, men, life, immigrants, population, religion, History and ethnic relations 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.everyculture.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.In 1496 Bartholomew Columbus, Christopher's brother, built the city of Santo Domingo, Europe's first permanent settlement in the "New World". The Spaniards created a plantation economy on the island.^ The capital and largest city is Santo Domingo .

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The capital, Santo Domingo, was the first permanent European settlement in the New World and was established by Spain in 1496.

• Culture of Dominican Republic - traditional, history, people, clothing, traditions, women, beliefs, food, customs, family, social, marriage, men, life, immigrants, population, religion, History and ethnic relations 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.everyculture.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ On the north coast are La Isabela, Columbus' first settlement in the New World (1493); Sosua, settled by Jewish refugees from Germany in 1939; and Macao, 95 miles from Santo Domingo, noted for its beautiful, long beach.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[19] .The colony was the springboard for the further Spanish conquest of America and for decades the headquarters of Spanish power in the hemisphere.^ Santo Domingo was a walled city, modeled after those of medieval Spain, and for three decades was the seat of Spanish power and culture in the New World.

• Culture of Dominican Republic - traditional, history, people, clothing, traditions, women, beliefs, food, customs, family, social, marriage, men, life, immigrants, population, religion, History and ethnic relations 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.everyculture.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo is one of the great treasures of Spanish America today, with many original buildings intact and restored.

• Culture of Dominican Republic - traditional, history, people, clothing, traditions, women, beliefs, food, customs, family, social, marriage, men, life, immigrants, population, religion, History and ethnic relations 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.everyculture.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

Christopher was buried in Santo Domingo upon his death in 1506.

.The Taínos nearly disappeared, above all, from European infectious diseases to which they had no immunity.^ The DR has consistently interpreted all Haitians as being ‘in transit', especially if they have no papers, arguing that they are migrant workers.

• Minority Rights Group International : Dominican Republic : Dominican Republic Overview 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.minorityrights.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.Other causes were abuse, suicide, the breakup of family, starvation,^[16] enslavement, forced labor, torture, war with the Spaniards, changes in lifestyle, and even miscegenation.^ One NGO program reported that it successfully removed 8,449 children from exploitive labor conditions and prevented 16,990 children from entering the labor force .

• Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The government's new police chief implemented changes that diminished the level of killings and other abuse carried out by security forces and in some cases prosecuted those suspected of misconduct.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Although the law prohibits torture, beating, and physical abuse of detainees and prisoners, members of the security forces, primarily police, continued such practices.

• Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.Laws passed for the Indians' protection (beginning with the Laws of Burgos, 1512–1513^[26]) were never truly enforced.^ In June of 1547 Dr. Montano was given the responsibility of seeing the new laws (to protect the Indians) were enforced on Hispaniola.

• A Chronology of Taino Cultural and Biological Survival 11 September 2009 9:52 UTC www.centrelink.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

Yet as stated above, the Taínos did survive. .Some scholars believe that las Casas exaggerated^[27] the Indian population decline in an effort to persuade King Carlos to intervene, and that encomenderos also exaggerated it, in order to receive permission to import more African slaves.^ Nearly every royal document dealing with the importation of African slaves to Hispaniola in the sixteenth century mandates ratios of one female to every three males--or more.

• A Chronology of Taino Cultural and Biological Survival 11 September 2009 9:52 UTC www.centrelink.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Perhaps in more ways than one, the Indians were treated “like Negroes” and were included in African categories- not because of their color but because of their status .

• A Chronology of Taino Cultural and Biological Survival 11 September 2009 9:52 UTC www.centrelink.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Non-African Hispanics tend to show relatively even European/Native American admixture with some showing more (even all) European, and others more (even all) Native American 5/27/04.

• A Chronology of Taino Cultural and Biological Survival 11 September 2009 9:52 UTC www.centrelink.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

Moreover, censuses of the time omitted the Indians who fled into remote communities,^[23] where they often joined with runaway Africans (cimarrones), producing Zambos. Also, Mestizos who were culturally Spanish were counted as Spaniards, some Zambos as black, and some Indians as Mulattos.^[23]

After her conquest of the Aztecs and Incas, Spain neglected her Caribbean holdings. .French buccaneers settled in western Hispaniola, and by the 1697 Treaty of Ryswick, Spain ceded the area to France.^ From 1607 forward France began to advance and colonize the western side of Hispaniola by taking over large portions of land belonging to Spain and converting them into agricultural developments, raising cattle, and stimulating an economy of French commercial goods [3] .

• GlobaLex - Guide to Legal Research in the Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.nyulawglobal.org [Source type: Original source]

^ Discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492, the Dominican Republic was colonized by Spain until 1795 when, pursuant to the Treaty of Basle, which ended the war between France and Spain sparked by the French Revolution, Spain ceded to France the eastern side of the island, giving to France control over the entire island of Hispaniola [2] .

• GlobaLex - Guide to Legal Research in the Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.nyulawglobal.org [Source type: Original source]

^ The French colony which flourished on the western one-third of the island was officially recognized by Spain in 1697 under the Treaty of Ryswick.

• GlobaLex - Guide to Legal Research in the Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.nyulawglobal.org [Source type: Original source]

.France created the wealthy colony Saint-Domingue there, with a population 90% slave, and overall four times as populous (500,000 to 125,000) as the Spanish area at the end of the 18th century.^ Soon after, the French colony of Saint Domingue was established which divided the island into two distinctive cultures -- The French on the western side of the island and the Spanish on the eastern [4] .

• GlobaLex - Guide to Legal Research in the Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.nyulawglobal.org [Source type: Original source]

^ The colony sank into poverty and in 1697 Spain ceded the western end of the island (which became known as Saint-Domingue, now Haiti) to France.

• Minority Rights Group International : Dominican Republic : Dominican Republic Overview 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.minorityrights.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The population of the Spanish colony grew and by 1777 it was estimated to be around 400,000, with a large proportion being of mixed background: it was calculated as Europeans (100,000), Africans (70,000) European/indigenous mestizos (100,000) African/indigenous mestizos (60,000), African/European mestizos ( mulatos ) (70,000).

• Minority Rights Group International : Dominican Republic : Dominican Republic Overview 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.minorityrights.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[28]

.France came to own the whole island in 1795, when by the Peace of Basel Spain ceded Santo Domingo as a consequence of the French Revolutionary Wars.^ Discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492, the Dominican Republic was colonized by Spain until 1795 when, pursuant to the Treaty of Basle, which ended the war between France and Spain sparked by the French Revolution, Spain ceded to France the eastern side of the island, giving to France control over the entire island of Hispaniola [2] .

• GlobaLex - Guide to Legal Research in the Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.nyulawglobal.org [Source type: Original source]

^ I came back to Santo Domingo a week later and am staying s..."

• Dominican Republic Hotels - find your Dominican Republic hotel at Travelocity 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.travelocity.com [Source type: General]

^ From 1795 to 1844 the Dominican Republic was governed successively by France, Haiti, Spain and then Haiti again, until it finally declared its independence on February 27, 1844.

• GlobaLex - Guide to Legal Research in the Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.nyulawglobal.org [Source type: Original source]

At the time, Saint–Domingue's slaves, led by Toussaint Louverture, were in revolt against France. .In 1801 they captured Santo Domingo, thus controlling the entire island; but in 1802 an army sent by Napoleon captured Toussaint Louverture and sent him to France as prisoner.^ TOUSSAINT L'OUVERTURE took over the island soon after but the Spanish regained control of the eastern part of the island in 1809.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ After Spain by the Treaty of Basel (1795) ceded the colony of Santo Domingo to France, the area now known as the Dominican Republic was conquered by Haitians under Toussaint L'Ouverture .

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^ The island of Hispaniola was divided between France and Spain, with France gaining control of the entire island in 1795.

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.However, Toussaint Louverture's lieutenants, and yellow fever, succeeded in expelling the French again from Saint-Domingue, which in 1804 the rebels made independent as the Republic of Haiti.^ Most of southern Haiti and southwestern parts of the Dominican Republic received at least 200 mm (~8 inches, shown in yellow) of rain.

• NASA - Hurricane Season 2008: Gustav (Atlantic Ocean) 16 September 2009 8:58 UTC www.nasa.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ A bloody revolution on the French-held western end of the island in 1791 led to the establishment of Haiti as an independent country.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The Dominican Republic declared its independence from Spain in 1821, although in the following year it was again annexed by Haiti.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.Eastwards, France continued to rule Spanish Santo Domingo.^ Santo Domingo, the oldest continuous European settlement in the Americas, is the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The armed forces continued to provide troops to support the National Police in its nightly patrols of Santo Domingo, Santiago, and other areas of the country.

• Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ In November 1821 the Spanish lieutenant governor proclaimed Santo Domingo's new status as the independent state of Spanish Haiti (Haiti Español).

• Minority Rights Group International : Dominican Republic : Dominican Republic Overview 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.minorityrights.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.In 1808, following Napoleon's invasion of Spain, the criollos of Santo Domingo revolted against French rule and, with the aid of Great Britain (Spain's ally) and Haiti,^[29] returned Santo Domingo to Spanish control.^ The resident French commander was able to fend off the attacks of Jean Jacques Dessalines , but in 1808 the people revolted and in 1809, with the aid of an English squadron, ended French control of the city of Santo Domingo.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Passenger and cargo ships call at Santo Domingo, Puerto Plata, Haina, and Port-au-Prince (Haiti) on an irregular basis.

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^ The Dominican Republic declared its independence from Spain in 1821, although in the following year it was again annexed by Haiti.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[30]

After a dozen years of discontent and failed independence plots by various groups, Santo Domingo's former Lieutenant–Governor (top administrator), José Núñez de Cáceres, declared the colony's independence, on November 30, 1821. He requested the new state's admission to Simón Bolívar's republic of Gran Colombia, but Haitian forces, led by Jean-Pierre Boyer, invaded just nine weeks later, in February 1822.^[31]

As Toussaint Louverture had done two decades earlier, the Haitians abolished slavery. .But they also nationalized most private property, including all the property of landowners who had left in the wake of the invasion; much Church property; as well as all property belonging to the former rulers, the Spanish Crown.^ The university is considered the nation's best, and is supported by the Catholic Church and both public and private endowments.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Spanish colonial landowners - who as Europeans were forbidden to own property under the Haitian Constitution - were forcibly relieved of their holdings.

• Minority Rights Group International : Dominican Republic : Dominican Republic Overview 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.minorityrights.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

Boyer also placed more emphasis on cash crops grown on large plantations, reformed the tax system, and allowed foreign trade. .But the new system was widely opposed by Dominican farmers, although it produced a boom in sugar and coffee production.^ Although sugarcane is the chief crop and sugar is an important export, sugar production has sharply declined in recent years.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Founded in 1575, the city is situated in a region that produces rice, sugar, fruit, potatoes, livestock, and coffee.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ This new Code constitutes a profound transformation of the criminal procedure system in the Dominican Republic.

• GlobaLex - Guide to Legal Research in the Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.nyulawglobal.org [Source type: Original source]

.All levels of education collapsed; the university was shut down, as it was starved both of resources and students, since young Dominican men from 16 to 25-years-old were drafted into the Haitian army.^ In September a private security officer shot and killed 22-year-old student Alexandra Nunez Rodriguez at a popular Santo Domingo nightclub.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Since 2004 the Venezuelan embassy received multiple complaints from trafficked Venezuelans victimized by a Dominican-Venezuelan company named Literatura Universal.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Spanish is taught as a foreign language in all grades, and four years of French are offered at the secondary level.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.Boyer's occupation troops, who were largely Dominicans, were unpaid, and had to "forage and sack" from Dominican civilians.^ However, Afro-Dominicans who had just won their freedom resented being forced to grow cash crops under Boyer's Code Rural.

• Minority Rights Group International : Dominican Republic : Dominican Republic Overview 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.minorityrights.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.Haiti imposed a "heavy tribute" on the Dominican people.^ Unfortunately, 59 people died as a result in Haiti and 8 in the Dominican Republic mainly from flooding and mudslides.

• NASA - Hurricane Season 2008: Gustav (Atlantic Ocean) 16 September 2009 8:58 UTC www.nasa.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ These rainbands are rotating counter-clockwise around the storm and bringing heavy rainfall into Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

• NASA - Hurricane Season 2008: Gustav (Atlantic Ocean) 16 September 2009 8:58 UTC www.nasa.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^{[32]:page number needed} .Many whites fled Santo Domingo for Puerto Rico and Cuba (both still under Spanish rule), Venezuela, and elsewhere.^ Originally a Spanish colony and later under Haitian rule, the Dominican Republic gained independence in 1844.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Games during both seasons are played at Quisqueya Stadium in Santo Domingo, and at stadiums in Santiago de los Caballeros, San Pedro de Macor í s, and La Romana.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Passenger and cargo ships call at Santo Domingo, Puerto Plata, Haina, and Port-au-Prince (Haiti) on an irregular basis.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

In the end the economy faltered and taxation became more onerous. Rebellions occurred even by Dominican freedmen, while Dominicans and Haitians worked together to oust Boyer from power. Anti-Haitian movements of several kinds — pro-independence, pro-Spanish, pro-French, pro-British, pro-United States — gathered force following the overthrow of Boyer in 1843.^{[32]:page number needed}

.In 1838 Juan Pablo Duarte founded a secret society called La Trinitaria, which sought the complete independence of Santo Domingo without any foreign intervention.^ Games during both seasons are played at Quisqueya Stadium in Santo Domingo, and at stadiums in Santiago de los Caballeros, San Pedro de Macor í s, and La Romana.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Passenger and cargo ships call at Santo Domingo, Puerto Plata, Haina, and Port-au-Prince (Haiti) on an irregular basis.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ In practice, however, the police conducted illegal searches and seizures, including raids without warrants on private residences in many poor Santo Domingo neighborhoods.

• Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[33]Ramón Matías Mella and Francisco del Rosario Sánchez, despite not being among the founding members of La Trinitaria, were decisive in the fight for independence. .Duarte and they are the three Founding Fathers of the Dominican Republic.^ Shop for local handicrafts and artwork , or precious stones such as amber or larimar found only in the Dominican Republic.

• Punta Cana Vacation Packages - Apple Vacations - Vacations for Families, Weddings, Luxury, Groups, Golf, Honeymoons,Spa and more 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.applevacations.com [Source type: General]

^ SAN JUAN (full name, San Juan de la Maguana), located in west-central Dominican Republic, was founded in 1508.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^{.January 2010" style="white-space:nowrap;">[citation needed]} On February 27, 1844, the Trinitarios (Trinitarians), declared the independence from Haiti.^ The Dominican Republic declared its independence from Spain in 1821, although in the following year it was again annexed by Haiti.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ This made it easier for Dominicans to declare independence from Haiti, on 27 February 1844.

• Minority Rights Group International : Dominican Republic : Dominican Republic Overview 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.minorityrights.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.They were backed by Pedro Santana, a wealthy cattle rancher from El Seibo, who became general of the army of the nascent Republic.^ This protection generally applied to individuals who gained access to the refugee process and had been issued proof that they were refugees or had applications pending.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
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^ In March 1861, Santana gave the Dominican Republic back to Spain.

• Minority Rights Group International : Dominican Republic : Dominican Republic Overview 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.minorityrights.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ A revolt broke out in 1844, the Haitians were defeated, a constitution was promulgated, and a republic was established under Pedro Santana .

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.The Dominican Republic's first Constitution was adopted on November 6, 1844, and was modeled after the United States Constitution.^ The city was the site of the signing of the Dominican Republic's first constitution in 1844.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Originally a Spanish colony and later under Haitian rule, the Dominican Republic gained independence in 1844.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Population growth is a continuing problem in the Dominican Republic, and emigration to the United States, particularly to New York City, has been high.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[17]

.The decades that followed were filled with tyranny, factionalism, economic difficulties, rapid changes of government, and exile for political opponents.^ Section 3 Respect for Political Rights: The Right of Citizens to Change Their Government .

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Threatening the nation's independence were renewed Haitian invasions occurring in 1844, 1845–49, 1849–55, and 1855–56.^{[32]:page number needed}

.Meanwhile, archrivals Santana and Buenaventura Báez held power most of the time, both ruling arbitrarily.^ For many years (1930-1961), this group held what little economic power was not monopolized by the ruling Trujillo family.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.They promoted competing plans to annex the new nation to another power: Santana favored Spain, and Báez the United States.^ Also in 2004 the country agreed to join in a free-trade area with the United States and most Central American nations.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Population growth is a continuing problem in the Dominican Republic, and emigration to the United States, particularly to New York City, has been high.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The first president of the independent state was Pedro Santana, a powerful cattle rancher, who served for three terms between 1844 and 1861.

• Minority Rights Group International : Dominican Republic : Dominican Republic Overview 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.minorityrights.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.In 1861, after imprisoning, silencing, exiling, and executing many of his opponents and due to political and economic reasons, Santana signed a pact with the Spanish Crown and reverted the Dominican nation to colonial status, the only Latin American country to do so.^ Originally a Spanish colony and later under Haitian rule, the Dominican Republic gained independence in 1844.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Also in 2004 the country agreed to join in a free-trade area with the United States and most Central American nations.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Approximately 800 Dominican students attend universities in the U.S. annually, and several hundred also study in Europe (especially Spain) and in neighboring Latin American countries, particularly Mexico and Venezuela.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

His ostensible aim was to protect the nation from another Haitian annexation.^[34] But opponents launched the War of the Restoration in 1863, led by Santiago Rodríguez, Benito Monción, and Gregorio Luperón, among others. .Haiti, fearful of the re-establishment of Spain as colonial power on its border, gave refuge and supplies to the revolutionaries.^ Torre del Homenaje, part of Ozama Fortress, was erected in 1503, and reflects the power of colonial Spain.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[34] The United States, then fighting its own Civil War, vigorously protested the Spanish action. After two years of fighting, Spain abandoned the island in 1865.^[34]

.Political strife again prevailed in the following years; warlords ruled, military revolts were extremely common, and the nation amassed debt.^ When he returned the following year on his second voyage, he found that the Indians had revolted against Spanish abuse, and had destroyed his small garrison.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.It was now Báez's turn to act on his plan of annexing the country to the United States, where two successive presidents were supportive.^ Also in 2004 the country agreed to join in a free-trade area with the United States and most Central American nations.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The 1982 elections brought Dr. Salvador Jorge Blanco to the presidency in an orderly succession, and a growing strength in the country's democratic institution has been demonstrated.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ In October the president established a National Commission against Trafficking in Persons to combat trafficking via interagency cooperation acting on a national plan.

• Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[17][31][35] U.S. President Grant desired a naval base at Samaná and also a place for resettling newly freed Blacks.^[36] .The treaty, which included U.S. payment of $1.5 million for Dominican debt repayment, was defeated in the United States Senate in 1870^[31] on a vote of 28–28, two-thirds being required.^ Unable to preserve order, Báez himself negotiated a treaty of annexation with the United States, which the Dominicans approved but which the U.S. Senate failed to ratify.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Population growth is a continuing problem in the Dominican Republic, and emigration to the United States, particularly to New York City, has been high.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ It is advisable to contact the Embassy of the Dominican Republic in Washington, D.C. or one of the Dominican Republic's consulates in the United States for specific information regarding customs requirements.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[37][38]

Báez was toppled in 1874, returned, and was toppled for good in 1878. A new generation was thence in charge, with the passing of Santana (he died in 1864) and Báez from the scene. .Relative peace came to the country in the 1880s, which saw the coming to power of General Ulises Heureaux.^ The emerging sugar interests found an ally in the person of General Ulises Heureaux when he came to power in 1882.

• Minority Rights Group International : Dominican Republic : Dominican Republic Overview 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.minorityrights.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ General Ulises Heureaux .

• Minority Rights Group International : Dominican Republic : Dominican Republic Overview 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.minorityrights.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[39]

"Lilís", as the new president was nicknamed, enjoyed a period of popularity. .He was, however, "a consummate dissembler", who put the nation deep into debt while using much of the proceeds for his personal use and to maintain his police state.^ Many persons with prior criminal records allegedly were incorporated into police ranks, either under false names or with identification or recommendations from other state institutions, such as the army.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Unlike in the previous year, the National Journalists' Union did not record any killings of journalists in the country; however, it reported that civil, police, and military authorities, criminals, and other persons assaulted or threatened more than 40 journalists during the year.

• Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ In addition persons who are undocumented cannot obtain the national identification card (cedula) or a voting card.

• Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

Heureaux became rampantly despotic and unpopular.^[39][40] In 1899 he was assassinated. .However, the relative calm over which he presided allowed improvement in the Dominican economy.^ The political climate, however, remained uneasy, with the economy stagnant, and from 1978 to 1986 the Dominican Revolutionary party (PRD) held power.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The economy worsened, however, under Mejía, and he failed to win a second term in 2004, as voters elected his predecessor, Leonel Fernández, to the presidency.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.The sugar industry was modernized,^[41] and the country attracted foreign workers and immigrants, both from the Old World and the New.^ There were conflicting reports that sugarcane plantations around the country had ceased the practice of transporting new undocumented workers from Haiti.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The city's modern port handles most of the country's exports, which include molasses, timber, cattle, and sugar.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The opening of the National Theater in August 1973 signaled the beginning of a new cultural era for the country; the theater now draws artists and groups from around the world.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

From 1902 on, short-lived governments were again the norm, with their power usurped by caudillos in parts of the country. .Furthermore, the national government was bankrupt and, unable to pay Heureaux's debts, faced the threat of military intervention by France and other European creditor powers.^ The Early Twentieth Century The republic was hopelessly bankrupt by 1905 and faced intervention by European powers.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[42]

.U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt sought to prevent European intervention, largely to protect the routes to the future Panama Canal, as the canal was already under construction.^ The country occupies a strategic position on major sea routes leading from Europe and the USA to the Panama Canal.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt arranged a U.S. customs receivership.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.He made a small military intervention to ward off the European powers, proclaimed his famous Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, and in 1905 obtained Dominican agreement for U.S. administration of Dominican customs, then the chief source of income for the Dominican government.^ The Early Twentieth Century The republic was hopelessly bankrupt by 1905 and faced intervention by European powers.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The collection of Dominican customs revenues was controlled by the U.S. from 1905 to 1940.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Military Crisis Management: U.S. Intervention in the Dominican Republic, 1965 .

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

A 1906 agreement provided for the arrangement to last 50 years. The United States agreed to use part of the customs proceeds to reduce the immense foreign debt of the Dominican Republic, and assumed responsibility for said debt.^[17][42]

.After six years in power, President Ramón Cáceres (who had himself assassinated Heureaux)^[39] was assassinated in 1911. The result was several years of great political instability and civil war.^ A subsequent investigation resulted in the firing of several other police officers, including Colonel Antonio Cepeda Urena, who had served as director of the city's police detachment.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ There were kaleidoscopic changes in the presidency and a long (1882-99), ruthless dictatorship under Ulíses Heureaux, ended by his assassination and followed by more revolutions.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The first president of the independent state was Pedro Santana, a powerful cattle rancher, who served for three terms between 1844 and 1861.

• Minority Rights Group International : Dominican Republic : Dominican Republic Overview 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.minorityrights.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

U.S. mediation by the William Howard Taft and Woodrow Wilson administrations achieved only a short respite each time. A political deadlock in 1914 was broken after an ultimatum by Wilson telling Dominicans to choose a president or see the U.S. impose one. .A provisional president was chosen, and later the same year relatively free elections put former president (1899–1902) Juan Isidro Jimenes Pereyra back in power.^ In Dec., 1962, in their first free election since 1924, the Dominicans elected Juan Bosch president by a substantial majority.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The Partido Reformista remained in power after the 1990 elections with Joaquín Balaguer as President.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

In order to achieve a more broadly supported government, Jimenes named opposition individuals to his Cabinet. But this brought no peace and, with his former Secretary of War Desiderio Arias maneuvering to depose him and despite a U.S. offer of military aid against Arias, Jimenes resigned on May 7, 1916.^[43]

.Wilson thus ordered the U.S. occupation of the Dominican Republic.^ Columbus then ordered the construction of a new city, La Isabela, near the present city of Puerto Plata on the north coast of the Dominican Republic.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.U.S. Marines landed on May 16, 1916, and had control of the country two months later.^ The USA assumed fiscal control, but disorder continued and the country was occupied (1916–24) by US marines.

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^ Disorder continued, however, and the country was occupied by U.S. marines in 1916.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ A naval mission, chiefly composed of U.S. Marines, governed the country from 1916 to 1924.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.The military government established by the U.S., led by Rear Admiral Harry Shepard Knapp, was widely repudiated by Dominicans.^ Under an accord with the Vatican in 1954, Roman Catholicism was formally established as the state religion, and the Dominican Government provides some financial support to the church.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ A constitutional government was established (1924), but this was overthrown by Rafael TRUJILLO , whose military dictatorship lasted from 1930 to 1961.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ On his assassination, President Juan Bosch established (1962–63) a democratic government, until he was deposed by a military junta.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.Some Cabinet posts had to be filled by U.S. naval officers, as Dominicans refused to serve in the administration.^ Women held three cabinet posts in the Fernandez administration.

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Censorship and limits on public speech were imposed. .The guerrilla war against the U.S. forces was met with a vigorous, "often brutal" response.^ Between January and June, the NGO Reporters Without Borders reported more than 25 threats of violence against journalists or physical attacks on news organization in which those responsible were often security forces.

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^[43]

.But the occupation regime, which kept most Dominican laws and institutions, largely pacified the country, revived the economy, reduced the Dominican debt, built a road network that at last interconnected all regions of the country, and created a professional National Guard to replace the warring partisan units.^ Also in 2004 the country agreed to join in a free-trade area with the United States and most Central American nations.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ All-Inclusive Value Plus The Barcelo Dominican Beach is set on the most beautiful beach with vibrant turquoise sea, and gentle breezes rustling through...

• Punta Cana Vacation Packages - Apple Vacations - Vacations for Families, Weddings, Luxury, Groups, Golf, Honeymoons,Spa and more 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.applevacations.com [Source type: General]

^ For the most part, apparel that is suitable for a Washington, DC summer is appropriate all year in the Dominican climate.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[43]

Opposition to the occupation continued, however, and after World War I it increased in the U.S. as well. .There, President Warren G. Harding (1921–23), Wilson's successor, worked to end the occupation, as he had promised to do during his campaign.^ At year's end there were some indications that the government was working to develop a system to issue birth certificates to the children of nonresidents, a central component of the court's ruling.

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U.S. government ended in October 1922, and elections were held in March 1924.^[43]

The victor was former president (1902–03) Horacio Vásquez Lajara, who had cooperated with the U.S. He was inaugurated on July 13, and the last U.S. forces left in September. .Vásquez gave the country six years of good government, in which political and civil rights were respected and the economy grew strongly, in a peaceful atmosphere.^ Although the law provides for these rights, and the government generally respected these provisions in practice, there were some exceptions.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the government generally respected this right in practice.

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^ The law provides for freedom of speech and of the press, and the government generally respected these rights in practice.

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^[43][44] hahahaha

When Vásquez attempted to win another term, opponents rebelled in February, 1930, in secret alliance with the commander of the National Army (the former National Guard), General Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina, by which the latter remained 'neutral' in face of the rebellion. Vásquez resigned. .Trujillo then stood for election himself, and in May was elected president virtually unopposed, after a violent campaign against his opponents.^ In August 2004 President Leonel Fernandez of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) was elected for a second (nonconsecutive) term, and in May the PLD won majorities in both chambers of Congress during congressional and municipal elections.

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^ General Rafael Trujillo was elected president in 1930 with 95 per cent of the vote.

• Minority Rights Group International : Dominican Republic : Dominican Republic Overview 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.minorityrights.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[44]

.There was considerable economic growth during Trujillo's long and iron-fisted regime, although a great deal of the wealth was taken by the dictator and other regime elements.^ There are deposits of nickel, bauxite, gold, silver, and other minerals, and mining is of growing economic importance.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The preponderance of the Trujillos in both the economic realm and in government ended with the dictator's assassination in 1961, but some of the established social patterns continue to linger.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

There was progress in healthcare, education, and transportation, with the building of hospitals and clinics, schools, and roads and harbors. Trujillo also carried out an important housing construction program and instituted a pension plan. .He finally negotiated an undisputed border with Haiti in 1935, and achieved the end of the 50-year customs agreement in 1941, instead of 1956. He made the country debt-free in 1947,^[17] a proud achievement for Dominicans for decades to come.^ The convicted traffickers remained free at year's end.

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^ The Dominican Association for Rehabilitation, which had 17 branches around the country, received a subsidy from the Ministry of Public Health to provide rehabilitation assistance to persons with disabilities.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
• Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ With all of these vacation options, it's the allure of the Dominican people , with their warm hearts, friendly smiles, and pride in their country that will keep you coming back again and again.

• Punta Cana Vacation Packages - Apple Vacations - Vacations for Families, Weddings, Luxury, Groups, Golf, Honeymoons,Spa and more 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.applevacations.com [Source type: General]

This was accompanied by absolute repression and the copious use of murder, torture, and terrorist methods against the opposition. .Moreover, Trujillo's megalomania was on display in his renaming after himself the capital city Santo Domingo to "Ciudad Trujillo" (Trujillo City),^[17] the nation's—and the Caribbean's—highest mountain Pico Duarte (Duarte Peak) to "Pico Trujillo", and many towns and a province.^ The capital and largest city is Santo Domingo .

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ There are 30 senators, one for each province and the National District (the city of Santo Domingo).

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ He named the new city Santo Domingo in honor of his favorite saint, Dominic.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

Some other places he renamed after members of his family.

.In 1937 Trujillo (who was himself one-quarter Haitian),^[45] in an event known as the Parsley Massacre or, in the Dominican Republic, as El Corte (The Cutting),^[46] ordered the Army to kill Haitians living on the Dominican side of the border.^ The Dominican Republic is a representative constitutional democracy with a population of approximately 9.2 million, including an estimated 650,000 to one million undocumented Haitians.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ All-Inclusive The Sirenis Resort is a hotel complex situated on the eastern side of the Dominican Republic on the Uvero Alto-Macao beach in the...

• Punta Cana Vacation Packages - Apple Vacations - Vacations for Families, Weddings, Luxury, Groups, Golf, Honeymoons,Spa and more 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.applevacations.com [Source type: General]

.The Army killed an estimated 17,000 to 35,000 Haitians over six days, from the night of October 2, 1937 through October 8, 1937. To avoid leaving evidence of the Army's involvement, the soldiers used machetes rather than bullets.^ Consequently, thousands of Dominican-born persons of Haitian descent were functionally stateless; one estimate placed the number at between 600,000 and one million persons.

• Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The Dominican Republic is a representative constitutional democracy with a population of approximately 9.2 million, including an estimated 650,000 to one million undocumented Haitians.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ As of October the Migration Directorate reported more than 300 applications, nearly all made by Haitians.

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^[31][45][47] .The soldiers of Trujillo were said to have interrogated anyone with dark skin, using the shibboleth perejil (parsley) to tell Haitians from Dominicans when necessary; the 'r' of perejil was of difficult pronunciation for Haitians.^ In particular there were strong prejudices against Haitians, which disadvantaged many Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian ancestry, as well as other foreigners of dark complexion.

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^ Police regulations permit the confiscation of vehicles offering transportation to illegal immigrants, which makes it difficult for all dark-skinned people to get around.

• Minority Rights Group International : Dominican Republic : Dominican Republic Overview 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.minorityrights.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ In particular there were strong prejudices against Haitians, which disadvantaged many Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian ancestry, as well as other foreigners of dark complexion (see section 1.d.

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^[46] As a result of the massacre, the Dominican Republic agreed to pay Haiti US$750,000, later reduced to US$525,000.^[34][44]

On November 25, 1960 Trujillo killed three of the four Mirabal sisters, nicknamed Las Mariposas (The Butterflies). The victims were Patria Mercedes Mirabal (born on February 27, 1924), Argentina Minerva Mirabal (born on March 12, 1926), and Antonia María Teresa Mirabal (born on October 15, 1935). Minerva was an aspiring lawyer who was extremely opposed to Trujillo's dictatorship since Trujillo had begun to make rude sexual advances towards her. .The sisters have received many honors posthumously, and have many memorials in various cities in the Dominican Republic.^ Remnants of wrecked vessels can be found along these reefs and shed light on the many cultures that have sought the beauty of the Dominican Republic.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.allinclusiveoutlet.com [Source type: General]

Salcedo, their home province, changed its name to Hermanas Mirabal Province (Mirabal Sisters Province). .The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is observed on the anniversary of their deaths.^ In its October session, the IACHR held a hearing on the situation of violence against women in the country.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ As of October, the unit received 9,950 cases of gender violence, of which 8,596 were against women.

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.For a long time, the US supported the Trujillo government, as did the Catholic Church and the Dominican elite.^ The authoritarianism of the Trujillo period continued under Balaguer, who enjoyed the support of the right, the military, and the Church.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The university is considered the nation's best, and is supported by the Catholic Church and both public and private endowments.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The Dominican Republic is officially Roman Catholic, but many other denominations maintain churches in the country.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.This support persisted despite the assassinations of political opposition, the massacre of Haitians, and Trujillo's plots against other countries.^ Trujillo ordered the army massacre of between 20,000 and 25,000 unarmed Haitians living on the Haitian-Dominican border, justifying the action as a reprisal for Haiti's supposed support for Dominican exiles plotting to overthrow his regime.

• Minority Rights Group International : Dominican Republic : Dominican Republic Overview 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.minorityrights.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ In particular there were strong prejudices against Haitians, which disadvantaged many Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian ancestry, as well as other foreigners of dark complexion.

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^ Military officers and other officials regularly collect bribes in return for releasing Haitians suspected of being in the country illegally.

• Minority Rights Group International : Dominican Republic : Dominican Republic Overview 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.minorityrights.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

The US believed Trujillo was the lesser of two or more evils.^[46] .The U.S. finally broke with Trujillo in 1960, after Trujillo's agents attempted to assassinate the Venezuelan president, Rómulo Betancourt.^ The Balaguer-Bosch Era Joaquín Balaguer , who had been named president by Trujillo in 1960, initiated democratization measures and withstood attempts by the Trujillo family to regain power.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[48] Trujillo was assassinated on May 30, 1961.^[44]

.A democratically elected government under leftist Juan Bosch took office in February, 1963, but was overthrown in September.^ Leonel Fernandez was elected president in a second round of voting and took office in August.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The major parties are the conservative Social Christian Reformist party, organized by Joaquín Balaguer , the rival and social-democratic Dominican Revolutionary party, organized by Juan Bosch , and the centrist Dominican Liberation party.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ In Dec., 1962, in their first free election since 1924, the Dominicans elected Juan Bosch president by a substantial majority.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.After nineteen months of military rule, a pro-Bosch revolt broke out in April, 1965. U.S. president Lyndon Johnson, concerned over the possible takeover of the revolt by communists who might create a "second Cuba", sent the Marines days later, followed immediately by the Army's 82d Airborne Division and other elements of the XVIIIth Airborne Corps in Operation Powerpack.^ In 1965 civil war broke out again after military supporters of Bosch toppled the government.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The second group is composed of former civil servants and military officials who attained prominence and wealth under previous governments.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ On his assassination, President Juan Bosch established (1962–63) a democratic government, until he was deposed by a military junta.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

"We don't propose to sit here in a rocking chair with our hands folded and let the Communist set up any government in the western hemisphere", Johnson said.^[49] .The forces were soon joined by comparatively small contingents from the Organization of American States.^ Also in 2004 the country agreed to join in a free-trade area with the United States and most Central American nations.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ A cease-fire was negotiated by the Organization of American States (OAS) and in 1965 a compromise agreement was reached.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.All these remained in the country for over a year and left after supervising elections in 1966 won by Joaquín Balaguer, who had been Trujillo's last puppet-president.^ The Partido Reformista remained in power after the 1990 elections with Joaquín Balaguer as President.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ In 1966, with Bosch and Balaguer the leading candidates, an election was held.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ In 2000, Hipólito Mejía Dominguez, an agronomist and businessman who was the PRD candidate, won the presidential election; he promised to aid those who had not benefited from the years of growth.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[17][50]

.Balaguer remained in power as president for 12 years.^ In June 1966, Dr. Joaqu í n Balaguer was elected to a four-year term as president.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The Balaguer-Bosch Era Joaquín Balaguer , who had been named president by Trujillo in 1960, initiated democratization measures and withstood attempts by the Trujillo family to regain power.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The Partido Reformista remained in power after the 1990 elections with Joaquín Balaguer as President.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.His tenure was a period of repression of human rights and civil liberties, ostensibly to keep pro-Castro or pro-communist parties out of power.^ In the revised police curriculum, both new and existing officers received human and civil rights training as well as increased technical training.

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^ In a revised police curriculum, both new and existing officers received human and civil rights training as well as increased technical training.

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His rule was further criticized for a growing disparity between rich and poor. It was, however, praised for an ambitious infrastructure program, which included large housing projects, sports complexes, theaters, museums, aqueducts, roads, highways, and the massive Columbus Lighthouse, completed in a subsequent tenure in 1992.

In 1978, Balaguer was succeeded in the presidency by opposition candidate Antonio Guzmán Fernández, of the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD). .Another PRD win in 1982 followed, under Salvador Jorge Blanco.^ The 1982 elections brought Dr. Salvador Jorge Blanco to the presidency in an orderly succession, and a growing strength in the country's democratic institution has been demonstrated.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.Under the PRD presidents, the Dominican Republic experienced a period of relative freedom and basic human rights.^ However, Afro-Dominicans who had just won their freedom resented being forced to grow cash crops under Boyer's Code Rural.

• Minority Rights Group International : Dominican Republic : Dominican Republic Overview 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.minorityrights.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Originally a Spanish colony and later under Haitian rule, the Dominican Republic gained independence in 1844.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Local human rights observers reported roundups of Haitian and Dominican-Haitian construction workers and other manual laborers.

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.Balaguer regained the presidency in 1986, and was re-elected in 1990 and 1994, this last time just defeating PRD candidate José Francisco Peña Gómez, a former mayor of Santo Domingo.^ Santo Domingo and the municipalities are each governed by a mayor and a municipal council, elected by popular vote for four-year terms.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ In June 1966, Dr. Joaqu í n Balaguer was elected to a four-year term as president.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Rising prices resulting from a program of economic austerity cost the PRD its ruling position, and the aging Balaguer again won the presidency in 1986, in 1990, and (for a two-year term) in 1994, but he was barred from running again 1996.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.The 1994 elections were flawed, bringing on international pressure, to which Balaguer responded by scheduling another presidential contest in 1996.^[1] This time Leonel Fernández achieved the first-ever win for the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), which Bosch founded in 1973 after leaving the PRD (also founded by Bosch).^ Elections in 1996 led to a runoff that was won by the Dominican Liberation party (PLD) candidate, Leonel Fernández Reyna.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ In August 2004 President Leonel Fernandez of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) was elected for a second (nonconsecutive) term, and in May the PLD won majorities in both chambers of Congress during congressional and municipal elections.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ In 2004 President Leonel Fernandez of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) was elected for a second (nonconsecutive) term, and in 2006 elections the PLD won majorities in both chambers of Congress.

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Fernández oversaw a fast-growing economy, averaging 7.7% per year, with a drop in unemployment and stable exchange and inflation rates.^[51]

.In 2000 the PRD's Hipólito Mejía won the election.^ In 2000, Hipólito Mejía Dominguez, an agronomist and businessman who was the PRD candidate, won the presidential election; he promised to aid those who had not benefited from the years of growth.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.This was a time of economic troubles,^[51] and Mejía was defeated in his re-election effort four years later by Fernández, who won re-election in 2008.^[14] Fernández and the PLD are credited with initiatives that have moved the country forward technologically, such as the construction of the Metro Railway ("El Metro").^ The government in the Dominican Republic is structured much like that in the U.S., with a democratic process of elections, three government branches and a presidential term of four years.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.allinclusiveoutlet.com [Source type: General]

^ In 2000, Hipólito Mejía Dominguez, an agronomist and businessman who was the PRD candidate, won the presidential election; he promised to aid those who had not benefited from the years of growth.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Elections in 1996 led to a runoff that was won by the Dominican Liberation party (PLD) candidate, Leonel Fernández Reyna.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

On the other hand, his administrations have also been accused of corruption.^[51]

.The Dominican Republic is a representative democracy or democratic republic,^[1][2][14] with three branches of power: executive, legislative, and judicial.^ The government in the Dominican Republic is structured much like that in the U.S., with a democratic process of elections, three government branches and a presidential term of four years.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.allinclusiveoutlet.com [Source type: General]

^ The Dominican Republic is a representative constitutional democracy with a population of approximately 9.4 million, including hundreds of thousands of undocumented Haitians.

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^ Haitians, who represent a substantial minority of up to a million people, form a distinct cultural and linguistic group within the Dominican Republic.

• Minority Rights Group International : Dominican Republic : Dominican Republic Overview 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.minorityrights.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.The President of the Dominican Republic heads the executive branch and executes laws passed by the Congress, appoints the Cabinet, and is commander in chief of the armed forces.^ The government in the Dominican Republic is structured much like that in the U.S., with a democratic process of elections, three government branches and a presidential term of four years.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.allinclusiveoutlet.com [Source type: General]

^ The military, CESA, CESEP, and CESFRONT are under the secretary of the armed forces; the DNI and the DNCD, which have personnel both from the police and military, report directly to the president.

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^ The military, CESA, and CESEP are under the secretary of the armed forces; the DNI and the DNCD, which have personnel both from the police and military, report directly to the president.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.The president and vice-president run for office on the same ticket and are elected by direct vote for 4-year terms.^ He enacted a new constitution that set a two-year presidential term limit and provided for direct elections.

• Minority Rights Group International : Dominican Republic : Dominican Republic Overview 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.minorityrights.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ General Rafael Trujillo was elected president in 1930 with 95 per cent of the vote.

• Minority Rights Group International : Dominican Republic : Dominican Republic Overview 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.minorityrights.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.The national legislature is bicameral, composed of a Senate, which has 32 members, and the Chamber of Deputies, with 178 members.^ The legislature is the bicameral National Congress.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ There were two women in the 32-member Senate, 33 women in the 178-member House of Representatives, three women in the cabinet, and five women on the 16-seat Supreme Court.

• Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ There were two women in the 32-member Senate, 33 women in the 178-member House of Representatives, and five women on the 16-seat Supreme Court.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[14] .Judicial authority rests with the Supreme Court of Justice's 16-members.^ There were two women in the 32-member Senate, 33 women in the 178-member House of Representatives, three women in the cabinet, and five women on the 16-seat Supreme Court.

• Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ There were two women in the 32-member Senate, 33 women in the 178-member House of Representatives, and five women on the 16-seat Supreme Court.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Although judicial authorities initially ordered release of the documents, the executive branch appealed this decision to the Supreme Court on "national security" grounds, but that court ordered the government to provide the requested documents, and the Ministry of Transportation complied with the ruling.

• Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.They are appointed by a council composed of the President, the leaders of both houses of Congress, the President of the Supreme Court, and an opposition or non–governing-party member.^ In August 2004 President Leonel Fernandez of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) was elected for a second (nonconsecutive) term, and in May the PLD won majorities in both chambers of Congress during congressional and municipal elections.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The latter resigned as party leader in 1991, but remained President.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ There were two women in the 32-member Senate, 33 women in the 178-member House of Representatives, three women in the cabinet, and five women on the 16-seat Supreme Court.

• Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.The Court "alone hears actions against the president, designated members of his Cabinet, and members of Congress when the legislature is in session."^ There were two women in the 32-member Senate, 33 women in the 178-member House of Representatives, three women in the cabinet, and five women on the 16-seat Supreme Court.

• Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ In its October session, the IACHR held a hearing on the situation of violence against women in the country.

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^[14]

.The president appoints the governors of the thirty-one provinces.^ The country is divided into 29 provinces, each administered by a governor appointed by the president.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.Mayors and municipal councils administer the 124 municipal districts and the National District (Santo Domingo).^ The Santo Domingo district attorney's office reported that in most of abuse cases, the accused was a person close to the child, such as a family member or close family friend.

• Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Santo Domingo and the municipalities are each governed by a mayor and a municipal council, elected by popular vote for four-year terms.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The National Council for Children and Adolescents (CONANI), a noncabinet public agency, coordinates public policy to protect children's human rights and administers the minors' code.

• Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

They are elected at the same time as congressional representatives.^[14]

The Dominican Republic has a multi-party political system. .Elections are held every two years, alternating between the Presidential elections, which are held in years evenly divisible by four, and the Congressional and municipal elections, which are held in even-numbered years not divisible by four.^ In 2000, Hipólito Mejía Dominguez, an agronomist and businessman who was the PRD candidate, won the presidential election; he promised to aid those who had not benefited from the years of growth.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Observers also described the 2006 congressional and municipal elections as generally free and fair.

• Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Santo Domingo and the municipalities are each governed by a mayor and a municipal council, elected by popular vote for four-year terms.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

."International observers have found that presidential and congressional elections since 1996 have been generally free and fair."^ Observers also described the 2006 congressional and municipal elections as generally free and fair.

• Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ In May observers described the congressional and municipal elections as generally free and fair.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Impartial outside observers assessed both elections as generally free and fair.

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^[14] .The Central Elections Board (JCE) of 9 members supervises elections, and its decisions are unappealable.^ In March the Central Elections Board (JCE) ordered officials to refrain from issuing, signing, and copying birth documents for individuals whose parents were foreigners and had not legally proven their residency.

• Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[14]

.There are many political parties and advocacy groups and, new on the scene, civil organizations.^ There were many privately owned radio and television stations, broadcasting a wide spectrum of political views.

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• Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

The three major parties are the conservative Social Christian Reformist Party (Spanish: Partido Reformista Social Cristiano [PRSC]), in power 1966–78 and 1986–96; the social democratic Dominican Revolutionary Party (Spanish: Partido Revolucionario Dominicano [PRD]), in power in 1963, 1978–86, and 2000–04); and the originally leftist, increasingly conservative Dominican Liberation Party (Spanish: Partido de la Liberación Dominicana [PLD]), in power 1996–2000 and since 2004.

.The presidential elections of 2008 were held on May 16, 2008, with incumbent Leonel Fernandez winning with 53% of the vote.^ In August 2004 President Leonel Fernandez of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) was elected for a second (nonconsecutive) term, and in May the PLD won majorities in both chambers of Congress during congressional and municipal elections.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ In 1997, a new law took effect, allowing expatriate Dominicans to retain their citizenship and vote in presidential elections.

• Minority Rights Group International : Dominican Republic : Dominican Republic Overview 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.minorityrights.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[52] He defeated Miguel Vargas Maldonado, of the PRD, who achieved a 40.48% share of the vote. Amable Aristy, of the PRSC, achieved 4.59% of the vote. .Other minority candidates, which includes former Attorney General Guillermo Moreno from the Movement for Independence, Unity and Change (Movimiento Independencia, Unidad y Cambio [MIUCA]) and PRSC former presidential candidate and defector Eduardo Estrella obtained less than 1% of the vote.^ The commission includes the three members of the subcommittee, the legal advisor to the president, and members from the National Police, the Ministry of Labor, and the attorney general's office.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The commission includes the three members of the subcommittee, the legal advisor to the president, and members from the National Police, the Ministry of Labor, and the Attorney General's Office.

• Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.The Dominican Republic is divided into 31 provinces.^ Administratively, the country is divided into 31 provinces and the National District.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ LA VEGA (full name, Concepci ó n de la Vega) is the capital of La Vega Province in west-central Dominican Republic.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ A signed health and rabies vaccination certificate from a licensed veterinarian must be presented when importing a pet into the Dominican Republic, or the pet will be quarantined.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.Santo Domingo, the capital, is designated Distrito Nacional (National District).^ Santo Domingo, Capital (1781 Miles) .

• Women Seeking Men in the Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC amigos.com [Source type: General]

^ Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional (1772 Miles) .

• Women Seeking Men in the Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC amigos.com [Source type: General]

^ Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional (1775 Miles) .

• Women Seeking Men in the Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC amigos.com [Source type: General]

The provinces are divided into municipalities (municipios; singular municipio). They are the second-level political and administrative subdivisions of the country.

.The Dominican Republic is situated on the eastern part of the second-largest island in the Greater Antilles, Hispaniola.^ Dominican Republic A country in the Caribbean, the eastern part of the island of Hispaniola.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The DOMINICAN REPUBLIC shares with the Republic of Haiti the tropical island of Hispaniola, one of the Greater Antilles situated between Cuba and Puerto Rico.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The Dominican Republic occupies the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, the second largest (after Cuba) of the Greater Antilles group, and shares a 224-mile border with Haiti to the west.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.It shares the island roughly at a 2:1 ratio with Haiti.^ The DOMINICAN REPUBLIC shares with the Republic of Haiti the tropical island of Hispaniola, one of the Greater Antilles situated between Cuba and Puerto Rico.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.The country's area is reported variously as 48,442 km² (by the embassy in the United States)^[2] and 48,730 km² (by the U.S. CIA),^[1] ) making it the second largest country in the Antilles, after Cuba.^ Also in 2004 the country agreed to join in a free-trade area with the United States and most Central American nations.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Because of the high incidence of fraud in the Dominican Republic and potential delays with Dominican Immigration, the U.S. Embassy strongly recommends that United States citizens travel with passports.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The Dominican Republic occupies the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, the second largest (after Cuba) of the Greater Antilles group, and shares a 224-mile border with Haiti to the west.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.The country's capital and greatest metropolitan area, Santo Domingo, is located on the southern coast.^ It has three offices in Santo Domingo and another three around the country.

• Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ It opened three offices in Santo Domingo and another three at locations around the country.

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^ The armed forces continued to provide troops to support the National Police in its nightly patrols of Santo Domingo, Santiago, and other areas of the country.

• Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.There are many small offshore islands and cays that are part of the Dominican territory.^ Dominican Republic A country in the Caribbean, the eastern part of the island of Hispaniola.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ In particular there were strong prejudices against Haitians, which disadvantaged many Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian ancestry, as well as other foreigners of dark complexion.

• Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ In particular there were strong prejudices against Haitians, which disadvantaged many Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian ancestry, as well as other foreigners of dark complexion (see section 1.d.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

The two largest islands near shore are Saona, in the southeast, and Beata, in the southwest. To the north, at distances of 100–200 kilometres (62–120 mi), are three extensive, largely submerged banks, which geographically are a southeast continuation of the Bahamas: Navidad Bank, Silver Bank, and Mouchoir Bank. .Navidad Bank and Silver Bank have been officially claimed by the Dominican Republic.^ Spanish is the official language of the Dominican Republic.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.allinclusiveoutlet.com [Source type: General]

^ The official currency of the Dominican Republic is the Dominican peso.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.allinclusiveoutlet.com [Source type: General]

^ The Dominican Republic is officially Roman Catholic, but many other denominations maintain churches in the country.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.The country's mainland has four important mountain ranges.^ Four nearly parallel mountain ranges traverse the country from northwest to southeast.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.The most northerly is the Cordillera Septentrional ("Northern Mountain Range"), which extends from the northwestern coastal town of Monte Cristi, near the Haitian border, to the Samaná Peninsula in the east, running parallel to the Atlantic coast.^ Four nearly parallel mountain ranges traverse the country from northwest to southeast.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.The highest range in the Dominican Republic — indeed, in the whole of the West Indies — is the Cordillera Central ("Central Mountain Range").^ Palm-fringed shores and inspiring mountain ranges have made the Dominican Republic an oasis for wedding ceremonies and honeymoon escapes.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.allinclusiveoutlet.com [Source type: General]

^ LA VEGA (full name, Concepci ó n de la Vega) is the capital of La Vega Province in west-central Dominican Republic.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Wide rivers, striking mountains and coastal fairways have made the Dominican Republic a refuge for golfers of every aptitude.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.allinclusiveoutlet.com [Source type: General]

.It gradually bends southwards and finishes near the town of Azua, on the Caribbean coast.^ AZUA (full name, Azua de Compostela) is located near the Caribbean Sea about 50 miles west of Santo Domingo.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.In the Cordillera Central are found the four highest peaks in the Caribbean: Pico Duarte (3,098 metres / 10,164 feet above sea level), La Pelona (3,094 metres / 10,151 feet, La Rucilla (3,049 metres / 10,003 feet) and Pico Yaque (2,760 metres / 9,060 feet).^ Or climb to the summit of the Caribbean’s highest mountain, Pico Duarte.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.allinclusiveoutlet.com [Source type: General]

^ CONSTANZA , 90 miles northwest of Santo Domingo over tortuous mountain roads, offers a scenery and climate change at 4,000 feet above sea level.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ SAN JUAN (full name, San Juan de la Maguana), located in west-central Dominican Republic, was founded in 1508.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.In the southwest corner of the country, south of the Cordillera Central, there are two other ranges.^ The Cordillera Central is the largest range and divides the country into almost equal parts.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.The more northerly of the two is the Sierra de Neiba, while in the south the Sierra de Bahoruco is a continuation of the Massif de la Selle in Haiti.^ In March citizens beat two Haitians, doused them with gasoline, and set them on fire in the rural community of Las Matas de Farfan.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

There are other, minor mountain ranges, such as the Cordillera Oriental ("Eastern Mountain Range"), Sierra Martín García, Sierra de Yamasá and Sierra de Samaná.

.Between the Central and Northern mountain ranges lies the rich and fertile Cibao valley.^ The Dominican Republic is a breathtaking island filled with fertile river valleys, forested mountains and soft, unspoiled beaches.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.allinclusiveoutlet.com [Source type: General]

^ Land and People The land ranges from mountainous to gently rolling, with fertile river valleys.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The largest and most fertile valley, the Cibao, about 150 miles long and 10 to 30 miles wide, is in the upper central part of the country.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.This major valley is home to the city of Santiago and most of the farming areas in the nation.^ Also in 2004 the country agreed to join in a free-trade area with the United States and most Central American nations.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Major credit cards and traveler’s checks are also accepted at most resort areas and ATMs can be found within the resort areas.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.allinclusiveoutlet.com [Source type: General]

^ The armed forces continued to provide troops to support the National Police in its nightly patrols of Santo Domingo, Santiago, and other areas of the country.

• Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.Rather less productive is the semi-arid San Juan Valley, south of the Central Cordillera.^ SAN JUAN (full name, San Juan de la Maguana), located in west-central Dominican Republic, was founded in 1508.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

Still more arid is the Neiba Valley, tucked between the Sierra de Neiba and the Sierra de Bahoruco. Much of the land in the Enriquillo Basin is below sea level, with a hot, arid, desert-like environment. .There are other smaller valleys in the mountains, such as the Constanza, Jarabacoa, Villa Altagracia, and Bonao valleys.^ There were also several smaller organizations, both secular and religious, that addressed among other things women's rights, labor issues, and the rights of Haitians.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.The Llano Costero del Caribe ("Caribbean Coastal Plain") is the largest of the plains in the Dominican Republic.^ Wide rivers, striking mountains and coastal fairways have made the Dominican Republic a refuge for golfers of every aptitude.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.allinclusiveoutlet.com [Source type: General]

^ The Dominican Republic’s nine distinct ecological zones cater to a myriad of eco tours and promise the most rewarding excursions in the Caribbean.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.allinclusiveoutlet.com [Source type: General]

^ The Dominican Republic is an impressive display of the Caribbean at its finest.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.allinclusiveoutlet.com [Source type: General]

.Stretching north and east of Santo Domingo, it contains many sugar plantations in the savannahs that are common there.^ Despite the law, the police conducted illegal searches and seizures, including raids without warrants on private residences in many poor Santo Domingo neighborhoods.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.West of Santo Domingo its width is reduced to 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) as it hugs the coast, finishing at the mouth of the Ocoa River.^ CONANI asserted that three of every 10 children in Santo Domingo had been sexually abused.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ On November 10, authorities rescued six trafficked Venezuelans in the Hotel Kay in Santo Domingo.

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Another large plain is the Plena de Azua ("Azua Plain"), a very dry region in Azua Province.

A few other small coastal plains are in the northern coast and in the Pedernales Peninsula.

.Four major rivers drain the numerous mountains of the Dominican Republic.^ What major religions are in the Dominican Republic?

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The government in the Dominican Republic is structured much like that in the U.S., with a democratic process of elections, three government branches and a presidential term of four years.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.allinclusiveoutlet.com [Source type: General]

^ Palm-fringed shores and inspiring mountain ranges have made the Dominican Republic an oasis for wedding ceremonies and honeymoon escapes.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.allinclusiveoutlet.com [Source type: General]

The Yaque del Norte is the longest and most important Dominican river. It carries excess water down from the Cibao Valley and empties into Monte Cristi Bay, in the northwest. Likewise, the Yuna River serves the Vega Real and empties into Samaná Bay, in the northeast. Drainage of the San Juan Valley is provided by the San Juan River, tributary of the Yaque del Sur, which empties into the Caribbean, in the south. The Artibonito is the longest river of Hispaniola and flows westward into Haiti.

There are many lakes and coastal lagoons. The largest lake is Enriquillo, a salt lake at 40 metres (130 ft) below sea level, the lowest point in the Caribbean. Other important lakes are Laguna de Rincón or Cabral, with freshwater, and Laguna de Oviedo, a lagoon with brackish water.

.The climate of the Dominican Republic is mostly tropical.^ What is the climate like in the Dominican Republic?

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The DOMINICAN REPUBLIC shares with the Republic of Haiti the tropical island of Hispaniola, one of the Greater Antilles situated between Cuba and Puerto Rico.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Weddings and Honeymoons Palm-fringed beaches, inspiring mountains and vibrant tropical flora have led to the increased popularity of destination weddings in the Dominican Republic.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.allinclusiveoutlet.com [Source type: General]

The annual average temperature is 25 °C (77 °F). At higher elevations, the temperature averages 18 °C (64 °F) while near sea level the average temperature is 28 °C (82 °F). Low temperatures of 0 °C (32 °F) are possible in the mountains while high temperatures of 40 °C (104 °F) are possible in protected valleys. January and February are the coldest months of the year, while August is the hottest month. Some snowflakes can fall in rare occasions on the top of the Pico Duarte.^[53]

The wet season along the northern coast lasts from November through January. Elsewhere, the wet season stretches from May through November, with May being the wettest month. Average annual rainfall is 1,500 millimetres (59 in) countrywide, with individual locations in the Valle de Neiba seeing averages as low as 350 millimetres (14 in) while the Cordillera Oriental averages 2,740 millimetres (108 in). The driest portion of the country lies in the west. Tropical cyclones impact the country every couple of years, with 65 percent of the impacts along the southern coast. Hurricanes are most likely between August and October.^[53] The last time a category 5 hurricane struck the country was Hurricane David in 1979.^[54]

.Bajos de Haina, 12 miles (19 km) west of Santo Domingo, was included on the Blacksmith Institute's list of the world's 10 most polluted places, released in October 2006, due to lead poisoning by a battery recycling smelter closed in 1999. Cleanup of the site began in 2008, but children continue to be born with high lead levels, causing learning disabilities, impaired physical growth and kidney failure.^ Santo Domingo, Capital (1781 Miles) .

• Women Seeking Men in the Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC amigos.com [Source type: General]

^ Santo Domingo (1702 Miles) .

• Women Seeking Men in the Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC amigos.com [Source type: General]

^ Santo Domingo Oest (1781 Miles) .

• Women Seeking Men in the Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC amigos.com [Source type: General]

^[55][56]

.Some of the important symbols include the flag, the coat of arms, and the national anthem, titled Himno Nacional.^ The flag of the Dominican Republic consists of two red and two blue sections divided by a white cross centered with the Dominican coat of arms.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.The flag has a large white cross that divides it into four quarters.^ The flag of the Dominican Republic consists of two red and two blue sections divided by a white cross centered with the Dominican coat of arms.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

Two quarters are red and two are blue. Red represents the blood shed by the liberators. Blue expresses God's protection over the nation. The white cross symbolizes the struggle of the liberators to bequeath future generations a free nation. An alternate interpretation is that blue represents the ideals of progress and liberty, whereas white symbolizes peace and unity amongst Dominicans.^[57] .In the center of the cross is the Dominican coat of arms, in the same colors as the national flag.^ The flag of the Dominican Republic consists of two red and two blue sections divided by a white cross centered with the Dominican coat of arms.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

The coat of arms pictures a red, white and blue flag-draped shield with a Bible and cross; the shield is surrounded by an olive branch (on the left) and a palm branch (on the right). A blue ribbon above the shield reads, "Dios, Patria, Libertad" (meaning "God, Fatherland, Liberty"). .A red ribbon under the shield reads, "República Dominicana" (meaning "Dominican Republic").^ Originally a Spanish colony and later under Haitian rule, the Dominican Republic gained independence in 1844.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The time in the Dominican Republic is Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) minus four (the same as observed during Daylight Saving Time on the U.S. east coast).

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Together they created the Dominican sugar bourgeoisie and under their management the Dominican Republic became a major sugar exporter.

• Minority Rights Group International : Dominican Republic : Dominican Republic Overview 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.minorityrights.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

Out of all the flags in the world, the depiction of a Bible is unique to the Dominican flag.

The national flower is that of the West Indian Mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni).^[58] The national bird is the Cigua Palmera or Palmchat (Dulus dominicus).^[59]

.For most of its history (up to independence) the colony was known as Santo Domingo,^[28] the name of its present capital, and its patron saint, Saint Dominic.^ Santo Domingo, Capital (1781 Miles) .

• Women Seeking Men in the Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC amigos.com [Source type: General]

^ He named the new city Santo Domingo in honor of his favorite saint, Dominic.

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^ The capital and largest city is Santo Domingo .

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.The residents were called "Dominicanos" (Dominicans), the adjective form of "Domingo", and the revolutionaries named their newly independent country "La República Dominicana". At present, the Dominican Republic is one of two nations worldwide (along with the Central African Republic) with only a demonym–based name.^ The Dominican Republic is a hurricane-prone country.

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^ Remnants of wrecked vessels can be found along these reefs and shed light on the many cultures that have sought the beauty of the Dominican Republic.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.allinclusiveoutlet.com [Source type: General]

^ Originally a Spanish colony and later under Haitian rule, the Dominican Republic gained independence in 1844.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[60]

.The Dominican Republic has the second largest economy^[9] (the largest, according to the U.S. State Department)^[14] in Central America and the Caribbean.^ The Dominican Republic’s nine distinct ecological zones cater to a myriad of eco tours and promise the most rewarding excursions in the Caribbean.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.allinclusiveoutlet.com [Source type: General]

^ The Dominican Republic is an impressive display of the Caribbean at its finest.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.allinclusiveoutlet.com [Source type: General]

^ The time zone in the Dominican Republic is Eastern Caribbean Time (GMT- 4hrs.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.allinclusiveoutlet.com [Source type: General]

.It is an upper middle-income developing country,^[61] with a 2007 GDP per capita of $9,208, in PPP terms, which is relatively high in Latin America.^ Trujillo professed an admiration for European fascist dictators and developed the Guardia Nacional into one of the largest military forces in Latin America.

• Minority Rights Group International : Dominican Republic : Dominican Republic Overview 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.minorityrights.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ While being relatively poor, with an estimated per capita GDP of US $6,300 in 2004, nonetheless the Dominican Republic is wealthier than Haiti (US $1,500 per capita).

• Minority Rights Group International : Dominican Republic : Dominican Republic Overview 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.minorityrights.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

In the trimester of January–March 2007 it experienced an exceptional growth of 9.1% in its GDP, which was actually below the previous year's 10.9% in the same period. Growth was led by imports, followed by exports, with finance and foreign investment the next largest factors.^[62]

The D.R. is primarily dependent on natural resources and government services. .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 is also important to the economy, and the service sector is now the country's largest employer.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Light industry, expansion of duty-free industrial zones, and tourism are being fostered in the Dominican Republic to diversify a primarily agricultural economy which exports sugar, cocoa, and coffee.

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^ Free-trade zones have led to an increase in light industry, especially the manufacture of textiles and clothing.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

The service sector in general has experienced growth in recent years, as has construction. .Free Trade Zone earnings and tourism are the fastest-growing export sectors.^ Free-trade zones have led to an increase in light industry, especially the manufacture of textiles and clothing.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Light industry, expansion of duty-free industrial zones, and tourism are being fostered in the Dominican Republic to diversify a primarily agricultural economy which exports sugar, cocoa, and coffee.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The majority of the unions in the FTZs were affiliated with the National Federation of Free Trade Zone Workers (FENATRAZONAS) or FEDOTRAZONAS. FEDOTRAZONAS estimated that fewer than 10 percent of the workers in the FTZs were unionized.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

Real estate tourism alone accounted for $1.5 billion in earnings for 2007.^[63] Remittances from Dominicans living abroad amounted to nearly $3.2 billion in 2007.^[14]

Economic growth takes place in spite of a chronic energy shortage,^[64] which causes frequent blackouts and very 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.^ La Romana itself is Gulf and Western Americas Corporation headquarters in the Dominican Republic, and also the site of the largest privately owned sugar refinery in the world.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Current Dominican Republic News: .

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^{[citation needed]}

.Following economic turmoil in the late 1980s and 1990, during which the gross domestic product (GDP) fell by up to 5% and consumer price inflation reached an unprecedented 100%, the Dominican Republic entered a period of growth and declining inflation until 2002, after which the economy entered a recession.^ The time in the Dominican Republic is Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) minus four (the same as observed during Daylight Saving Time on the U.S. east coast).

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Dominican Republic LNG Export and Import Markets to 2015- Analysis and Forecasts of Terminal wise Capacity and Associated Contracts, LNG Trade movements and Prices.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Population growth is a continuing problem in the Dominican Republic, and emigration to the United States, particularly to New York City, has been high.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[14]

.This recession followed the collapse of the second–largest commercial bank in the country, Baninter, linked to a major incident of fraud valued at $3.5 billion, during the administration of President Hipólito Mejía (2000–2004).^ In August 2004 President Leonel Fernandez of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) was elected for a second (nonconsecutive) term, and in May the PLD won majorities in both chambers of Congress during congressional and municipal elections.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ In 2000, Hipólito Mejía Dominguez, an agronomist and businessman who was the PRD candidate, won the presidential election; he promised to aid those who had not benefited from the years of growth.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Judicial proceedings in three major bank fraud cases moved forward, although doubts about the pace of progress remained.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

The Baninter fraud had a devastating effect on the Dominican economy, with GDP dropping by 1% in 2003 while inflation ballooned by over 27%. .All defendants, including the star of the trial, Ramon Baez Figueroa, were found guilty and convicted; one subpoena failed to be delivered upon the United States denial of extradition.^ Civil society commentators considered the trial, which began in May, to be a major challenge to impunity; two of the principal defendants, Baninter former president Ramon Baez Figueroa and economist Luis Alvarez Renta, reportedly had strong ties within local political circles.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ In some instances, a defendant appeared before the judge on the scheduled trial date, but the trial could not go forward due to the absence of one or more co-defendants.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Unable to preserve order, Báez himself negotiated a treaty of annexation with the United States, which the Dominicans approved but which the U.S. Senate failed to ratify.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^{[citation needed]}

.According to the 2005 Annual Report of the United Nations Subcommittee on Human Development in the Dominican Republic, the country is ranked #71 in the world for resource availability, #79 for human development, and #14 in the world for resource mismanagement.^ Country dominican republic .

• Women Seeking Men in the Dominican Republic 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC amigos.com [Source type: General]

^ Dominican Republic , republic (2005 est.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The Dominican Republic is a hurricane-prone country.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.These statistics emphasize national government corruption, foreign economic interference in the country, and the rift between the rich and poor.^ This registration process would not confer nationality but would assist the government in meeting its legal obligation to register all children born in the country.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ These unions have been tolerated by the Dominican government, under pressure from foreign agencies and liberal opinion in the US Congress.

• Minority Rights Group International : Dominican Republic : Dominican Republic Overview 19 January 2010 18:22 UTC www.minorityrights.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.The Dominican peso (DOP, or RD$)^[65] is the national currency, although United States dollars (USD) and the euro (EUR) are also accepted at most tourist sites.^ The sole monetary unit is the Dominican peso , written RD$.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The official currency of the Dominican Republic is the Dominican peso.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.allinclusiveoutlet.com [Source type: General]

^ Also in 2004 the country agreed to join in a free-trade area with the United States and most Central American nations.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.The U.S. dollar is implicated in almost all commercial transactions of the Dominican Republic; such dollarization is common in high inflation economies.^ The high school follows a college preparatory program, covering all of the general areas of study, plus Dominican history and Spanish.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Population growth is a continuing problem in the Dominican Republic, and emigration to the United States, particularly to New York City, has been high.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Because of the high incidence of fraud in the Dominican Republic and potential delays with Dominican Immigration, the U.S. Embassy strongly recommends that United States citizens travel with passports.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

The peso was worth the same as the USD until the 1980s, but has depreciated. The exchange rate in 1993 was 14.00 pesos per USD and 16.00 pesos in 2000, but it jumped to 53.00 pesos per USD in 2003. In 2004, the exchange rate was back down to around 31.00 pesos per USD. As of February 2009 the exchange rate was 1 DOP = 0.0281 USD, i.e. 35.65 DOP per USD; 1 DOP = 0.022 euro (EUR, or €); and 1 DOP = 2.74 Japanese yen (JPY, or ¥).^[65]

.Tourism is fueling the Dominican Republic's economic growth.^ As touted by the Ministry of Tourism, the Dominican Republic is a land that is truly ‘Inexhaustible.’ .

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.allinclusiveoutlet.com [Source type: General]

^ Population growth is a continuing problem in the Dominican Republic, and emigration to the United States, particularly to New York City, has been high.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ PRNewswire/ -- U.S. tourists to the Dominican Republic increased by more than 20.3 percent over 1998, according to Dominican Republic tourism officials.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.For example, the contribution of travel and tourism to employment is expected to rise from 550,000 jobs in 2008—14.4% of total employment or 1 in every 7 jobs—to 743,000 jobs—14.2% of total employment or 1 in every 7.1 jobs by 2018.^[66] With the construction of projects like Cap Cana, San Souci Port in Santo Domingo, and Moon Palace Resort in Punta Cana, the Dominican Republic expects increased tourism activity in the upcoming year.^ Americans in Santo Domingo enjoy these activities year round.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ What is the climate like in the Dominican Republic?

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends Malaria vaccinations for those traveling to Punta Cana and intending on visiting the rural regions of the Dominican Republic.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.allinclusiveoutlet.com [Source type: General]

.Ecotourism has been a topic increasingly important in the nation, with towns like Jarabacoa and neighboring Constanza, and locations like the Pico Duarte, Bahia de Las Aguilas and others becoming more significant in efforts to increase direct benefits from tourism.^ In recent years, San Pedro de Macor í s has become a hotbed for baseball, producing more players per capita for U.S. major league teams than any other town ever.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ SAN JUAN (full name, San Juan de la Maguana), located in west-central Dominican Republic, was founded in 1508.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Air-conditioned express buses run daily on regular schedules from Santo Domingo to Bonao, La Vega, Moca, Santiago, Puerto Plata, San Pedro de Macor í s, La Romana, and other towns in the interior.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.The population of the Dominican Republic in 2007 was estimated by the United Nations at 9,760,000,^[67] which placed it number 82 in population among the 193 nations of the world.^ Although the number seeking to enter the U.S., Venezuela, Canada, and Europe is increasing, the outflow is partially offset by significant illegal immigration of Haitians (estimated at 600,000) to the Dominican Republic.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ International groups estimated that between 30,000 and 50,000 Dominican women worked in prostitution around the world, a substantial portion of whom were victims of trafficking.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Population growth is a continuing problem in the Dominican Republic, and emigration to the United States, particularly to New York City, has been high.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.In that year approximately 5% of the population was over 65 years of age, while 35% of the population was under 15 years of age.^ While the law prohibits employment of children younger than 14 years of age and places restrictions on the employment of children under the age of 16, child labor was a serious problem.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The penalties for committing rape are 10 to 15 years in prison (or 10 to 20 years in case of rape against a vulnerable person or under other egregious circumstances) and a fine of approximately $3,300 to $6,600 (100,000 to 200,000 pesos).

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

There were 103 males for every 100 females in the country in 2007.^[1] According to the UN, the annual population growth rate for 2006–2007 is 1.5%, with the projected population for the year 2015 at 10,121,000.

.It was estimated by the Dominican government that the population density in 2007 was 192 per km² (498 per sq mi), and 63% of the population lived in urban areas.^ The Dominican Republic is a representative constitutional democracy with a population of approximately 9.2 million, including an estimated 650,000 to one million undocumented Haitians.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ More than half of the Dominican Republic's 8.3 million inhabitants live in towns with populations over 10,000.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[7] .The southern coastal plains and the Cibao Valley are the most densely populated areas of the country.^ Also in 2004 the country agreed to join in a free-trade area with the United States and most Central American nations.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The nation's population density of 171 persons per square mile makes it the seventh most densely populated country in Latin America, but it does not exceed that of most of the islands of the West Indies.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The largest and most fertile valley, the Cibao, about 150 miles long and 10 to 30 miles wide, is in the upper central part of the country.

• Dominican Republic Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.The capital city, Santo Domingo, had a population of 3,014,000 in 2007. Other important cities are Santiago de los Caballeros (pop.^ In an effort to stem a rise in crime, in June the armed forces began providing troops to support the National Police in its nightly patrols of Santo Domingo, Santiago, and other areas of the country.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

756,098), La Romana (pop. .250,000), San Pedro de Macorís, San Francisco de Macorís, Puerto Plata, and La Vega.^ These included programs to eliminate the employment of children in hazardous agriculture in the rice-growing region around San Francisco de Macoris and the agricultural provinces of Constanza, San Juan de la Maguana, and Barahona.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The Diocese of San Pedro de Macoris continued to promote worker rights in the bateyes and to seek a work contract for cane workers.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The public prosecutor's office transferred the case to San Francisco de Macoris, where it remained active at year's end.

• Dominican Republic 27 January 2010 23:47 UTC www.state.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

Per the United Nations, the urban population growth rate for 2000–2005 was 2.3%.^[68]