The Dominican
Republic
The
Dominican Republic- is a nation on the island of Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. the Dominican Republic is the second
largest Caribbean nation (after Cuba),
Taínos inhabited what is now the
Dominican Republic since the 7th century. Christopher Columbus landed on it in 1492, and it 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. the country became independent in
1821.The Dominican Republic is the second-most visited destination in the
Caribbean, after Puerto Rico. The country's
year-round golf courses are among the top attractions on the island.[13] 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.[17] Quisqueya, as Dominicans often call
their country, has an average temperature of 26
°C (78.8 °F)and great
biological diversity.[13] Music and sport are of great
importance in the Dominican culture, with Merengue and Bachata as the national dance and music, and
baseball as the favorite sport.[3]
Name and symbols
Some
of the important symbols include the flag, the coat of arms, and the national anthem, titled Himno Nacional. The flag has a large white cross that divides it
into four quarters. 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
among Dominicans.[69] In the center of the cross is the Dominican coat of
arms, in the same colors as the national flag.
The national flower is the Bayahibe Rose and the national tree is the West Indian Mahogany.[70] The national bird is the Cigua Palmera or Palmchat
The Dominican Republic is 68.9% Roman Catholic, 18.2% Evangelical, 10.6% with no religion,
and 2.3% other. The population of the Dominican Republic is entirely Spanish-speaking, however; a
local dialect is spoken called Dominican Spanish and it has influences from African
languages and borrowed
The culture and people of the Dominican Republic, like its Spanish Caribbean neighbors, is a blend of the cultures
of the Spaniard colonists, African slaves, and Taíno natives. European, African
and Taíno cultural elements are most prominent in food, family structure,
religion and music. Many Arawak/Taíno names and words are used in daily
conversation and for many foods native to the Dominican Republicvocabularies
from the Arawak language.
Musically, the Dominican Republic is known for the creation of the
musical style called merengue,[120]:376–7 a type of lively,
fast-paced rhythm and dance music consisting of a tempo of about 120 to 160
beats per minute (though it varies) based on musical elements like drums,
brass, chorded instruments, and accordion, as well as some elements unique to
the Spanish-speaking Caribbean, such as the tambora and güira. Its syncopated beats use Latin percussion, brass instruments, bass, and piano or
keyboard. Bachata, a form of music and
dance that originated in the countryside and rural marginal neighborhoods of
the Dominican Republic, has become quite popular in recent years. Its subjects
are often romantic; especially prevalent are tales of heartbreak and sadness.
Tourism is fueling the Dominican Republic's economic growth. 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.
