When Christopher Columbus landed on the island now known as Hispaniola, he described it in his journal as “a beautiful island paradise with high forested mountains and large river valleys.” And much of that beauty can still be seen today.
Santo Domingo was founded in 1496 by Columbus’ brother, Bartholomew. It is the oldest European settlement in the Western Hemisphere. With a population of just over 2 million people, this historic coastal city - also the nation's capital - lays claim to the oldest cathedral, hospital and university in the Americas.
Control of the western third of the island was handed from the Spanish to the French in 1697. (It wasn’t until 1804 that this part of Hispaniola became known as Haiti.)
Slave revolts, civil wars, and political corruption and instability marked much of the island’s history well into the latter half of the 20th century. The assassination of dictator Rafael Trujilo in 1961 brought another grave period of chaos. In 1965, U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered U.S. Marines to restore order to the Dominican Republic. Since the late 70s, most observers agree, elections have been democratic and the government has been able to provide civic and political stability for its people.
|
|
Fast Facts
- The highest point in the Dominican Republic – Pico Duarte – was named after Juan Pablo Duarte, the leader of an underground resistance group that ultimately gained independence from Haiti in 1844.
- A hurricane leveled the newly settled city of Santo Domingo in 1502, but it was quickly rebuilt.
- The mountains surrounding Santiago protect the area from the frequent hurricanes that often cause widespread destruction throughout the rest of the country.
- The Dominican Republic is known for producing some of the world’s finest cigars and rums.
- The old section of the city of Santo Domingo is known as Zona Colonial and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1990.
|
|