The Dominican Republic in the West Indies occupies the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, which it shares with Haiti. Its area equals that of Vermont and New Hampshire combined. Duarte Peak, at 10, ft 3, m , is the highest point in the West Indies. The Dominican Republic was explored by Columbus on his first voyage in He named it La Espaola, and his son, Diego, was its first viceroy.
The capital, Santo Domingo, founded in , is the oldest European settlement in the Western Hemisphere. Spain ceded the colony to France in , and Haitian blacks under Toussaint L'Ouverture conquered it in In , the people revolted and captured Santo Domingo the next year, setting up the first republic.
Spain regained title to the colony in In Spanish rule was overthrown, but in the colony was reconquered by the Haitians. In , the Haitians were thrown out and the Dominican Republic was established, headed by Pedro Santana. Uprisings and Haitian attacks led Santana to make the country a province of Spain from to President Buenaventura Bez, faced with an economy in shambles, attempted to have the country annexed to the U.
Senate refused to ratify a treaty of annexation. Disorder continued until the dictatorship of Ulses Heureaux; in , when chaos broke out again, the U. A sergeant in the Dominican army trained by the marines, Rafal Leonides Trujillo Molina, overthrew Horacio Vsquez in and established a dictatorship that lasted until his assassination in , 31 years later. In , Juan Bosch of the leftist Dominican Revolutionary Party, became the first democratically elected president in four decades.
In , a military coup ousted Bosch and installed a civilian triumvirate. Leftists rebelled against the new regime in April , and U. After a cease-fire in May, a compromise installed Hector Garcia-Godoy as provisional president.
In , right-wing candidate Joaquin Balaguer won in free elections against Bosch, and U. In , the army suspended the counting of ballots when Balaguer trailed in a fourth-term bid.
Balaguer was again elected president in May and remained in office for the next ten years. In , U. The first item on the president's agenda was the partial sale of some state-owned enterprises. The assistance and partnership have also stimulated the growth of income-generating opportunities such as small businesses, promote learning of English language and educational opportunities.
The partnership has also led to improved environmental protection, enabled local communities to promote cultural tourism and ecological tourism, and promoted the equitable provision of education and health services. The US exports several products to the Dominican Republic, including agricultural products, petroleum products, machinery, cotton, and fabrics. Apart from the US, the Dominican Republic also has close relations with other countries across all the continents.
In Africa, it has a close relationship with Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa, with established embassies. The Dominican Republic has diplomatic relations with 25 countries in the Americas, 10 countries in Asia, and 16 in Europe. It also belongs to a number of international organizations as a sovereign including the World Trade Organization, the United Nation, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States, and the World Bank among other organizations.
Sophy Owuor July 22 in World Facts. African heritage is reflected in music. President: Luis Abinader. Luis Abinader, a US-educated scion of a political dynasty, was elected president in on a platform of leading the country out of the economic crisis caused by the Covid pandemic.
Of Lebanese extraction, he has business interests in the important tourism sector, and has made its revival his priority. He stood unsuccessfully for the presidency in , and his win ended 16 years of rule by the centre-left Dominican Liberation Party. President Abinader has signalled a toughening of relations with neighbouring Haiti by announcing the constructions of a border fence to curb drug smuggling and migration.
Media ownership is concentrated in a few influential hands. There are scores of terrestrial TV channels and hundreds of radio stations, most of them commercial.
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