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The Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic real estate has quickly become the one of hottest investments in the Caribbean. Dominican Republic villas enjoy excellent year round weather in the 80s and 90s. Direct flights from major American and European cities facilitate a quick arrival to your Dominican Republic villa rental and you can enjoy miles of golden beaches. Dominican Republic villas exist with beach front lots, luxury landscaping and wonderful amenities. Dominican Republic villa purchasers may decide to use their Dominican Republic real estate for a DR real estate investment, a Dominican Republic rental villa or a Dominican Republic vacation villa. Caribbean Real Estate Showcase's friendly Dominican Republic Real Estate Agents will happily show you the DR real estate listings that they have for sale. From wherever you in the World you come, you will love the North Coast of the Dominican Republic. If you have decided to purchase a property in the Caribbean an investment in Dominican Republic real estate will be a lasting benefit for you and your family.
The Dominican Republic is a land of many contrasts. There is an amazing display of plants and wildlife. The Dominican Republic is particularly blessed by birds. The amazing Green Cockatoo lives naturally among its rain forests with wild orchids in abundance. There are crocodiles and rushing rivers with white water rapids. The Dominican Republic is a paradise for the nature lover.
Map of the Dominican Republic
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Map of Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic)
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A Short History of the Dominican Republic
Christopher Columbus called the whole island which is now Haiti and the Domican Republic by the name Hispaniola. The original inhabitants were the Taino Indians who were descended from two groups of Indian immigrants who came separately from Central and South America. The Spaniards described these Tainos as being a wonderful people, who worked well and productively together.
Columbus found Hispaniola to be tremendously beautiful with mountains and green river valleys. The people were peaceful and docile and there was gold in the rivers. Hispaniola was truly an island in paradise worth crossing the Atlantic to find. After a party during Christmas of 1492, the crew of Columbus' main vessel the Santa Maria hit a reef near Cap Haitien and was wrecked. For this reason, Columbus was forced to create a village in Hispaniola called Navidad (for Christmas) where he left behind 39 of his men on his return to Spain. The Spaniards brutalized the Indians and finally were wiped out by the Tainos, who burned the Spanish settlement and left it razed to the ground. In 1493, when Columbus returned, The Spaniards created their next settlement at Isabella near Puerto Plata to be near the gold in the River Cibao. The Spaniards came with horses and dogs and were ready this time to subdue the Indians and use them as forced labor to collect the gold. They also imported black slaves from Africa. The Spaniards brutally subdued the Indians by killing all of their chiefs after inviting them to a feast supposedly to welcome the new governor to the island. Finally the struggle with the Spaniards and the arrival of smallpox on the island in 1518 wiped out all of the remaining Indians. The gold became exhausted by the early 1500s and Cortez discovered Mexico with its wealth of silver. Most of the Spanish settlers moved on and Hispaniola became a place were food was supplied to ships en route to and from Europe and the Americas.
In 1697, the Western third of Hispaniola became a French territory called Saint Domingue and in the course of the next hundred years, became the most valuable colony in the World. The production of sugar by black slaves was a brutal and profitable business. In 1791, the slaves under Toussaint Louverture revolted and defeated the French settlers. They later went on to dominate the Spanish side of the island also. Napoleon was furious and sent his brother in law to retake the island but this expedition was also defeated by the slave army. The liberated slaves established their own republic of Haiti on the Western third of the island. The French kept the Eastern side up to 1809 when the Spanish once again took over. The Spaniards once again used slaves, both imported and by enslaving captured free Haitians. In 1822, Haiti once again conquered the Western side of the island and incorporated it into Haiti. The Spanish ruling class was bitter about their loss of power and by 1844 after fighting between the Spaniards and the Haitian army, Independence from Haiti was declared under the new name the Dominican Republic. For the next 70 years or so, there was political chaos in the Dominican Republic with strong supreme leaders named cuadillos a brief return of Spanish state rule and even an invitation to the United States to acquire control. Hardwood cultivation and sale and cigar production were added to the original staple of agriculture.
In the beginning of the 20th century the sugar industry was resurgent with US businessman controlling most of the sugar production of the Dominican Republic. By 1916 the US sent the marines to control the Dominican Republic on the pretext that she needed defense against a possible German invasion and occupation. It is said by many that it was done to protect US business interests on the island. This continued for 8 years. This hurt many small local businessmen's interests but brought political stability and greatly improved the Dominican Republic's infrastructure.
For most of the time between 1900 and 1994, there was political chaos including a terrible period under the rule of the famous strongman Trujillo, from 1930 until 1961 when he was murdered.
The Dominican Republic is now a free Democratic nation. Political freedom is openly displayed. Newspapers are free to publish their opinions without fear or reprisal. Like every young Democracy, the Dominican Republic must carefully hold on to the freedom that her people have gained.
Dominican Republic Facts
The Dominican Republic is located in the Caribbean Sea, occupying the Eastern side of the island of Hispaniola with the independent state of Haiti to the West.
Map coordinates are 19 00 North and 70 40 West
Total land area of the Dominican Republic is 48,730 square kilometers, of which 350 square kilometers is water
The Dominican Republic has 1288 kilometers of coastline
The Haitian border with the Dominican Republic measure 360 kilometers
The terrain of the Dominican Republic is mountainous with green valleys ripe for agriculture
The highest point in the Dominican Republic is Pico Duarte at 3,175 meters
The lowest point of the Dominican Republic is 46 meters below sea level at Lago Enriquillo
The Dominican Republic has the following mineral resources: Gold, silver, nickel and bauxite.
Around one third of the land area of the Dominican Republic is used for crops and arable land.
The Dominican Republic total population is around 9 million people
Life expectancy in the Dominican Republic is 65 years for men and 69 years for women
Each Dominican Republic woman gives birth to just under 3 children in her lifetime
The island's nationality is Dominican
The official language of the Dominican Republic is Spanish
In the Dominican Republic, whites make up approximately 16% of the population, blacks 11% and the remainder is of mixed race
The vast majority of the people in the Dominican Republic (approx 95%) are Roman Catholic
The official name is the Dominican Republic. Locally it is known as Republica Dominicana or La Dominicana
The Dominican Republic is a representative democracy.
The capital of the Dominican Republic is Santo Domingo
The Dominican Republic gained its independence from its neighbor Haiti on the 27th February 1844
The national holiday of the Dominican Republic is Independence Day, 27th February
The constitution of the Dominican Republic was originally adopted on the 28th November 1966 and amended on 25th July 2002
The legal system is based on the civil codes of France with a slight change towards an accusatory system in 2004
In the Dominican Republic, citizens over 18 and all married persons regardless of their age must vote. Police and military are not allowed to vote.
The President of the Dominican Republic is Leonel Fernandez Reyna from 16th August 2004
In the Dominican Republic, there is a Senate with 32 seats with Senators being popularly elected for four year terms and a Chamber of Deputies with 150 seats with Deputies being popularly elected for four year terms
The Judicial Branch of the Dominican Republic is overseen by the Supreme Court
The Dominican Republic is now equally dependent on tourism and its free trade zones as it is on its agriculture.
The labor force of the Dominican Republic is around 2.5 million.
The agricultural products of the Dominican Republic are sugar, coffee, cotton as well as cattle, eggs and dairy products.
The major export partner of the Dominican Republic is the United States with just under 80%.
Dominican import partners are the US with approx 50%.
The Dominican Republic's currency is the Dominican Peso 32.53 to the US Dollar (Oct 2005)
The Dominican Republic has 180 radio stations and 25 television stations
There are approximately 500, 000 internet users in the Dominican Republic
There are four ports in the Dominican Republic at Boca Chica, Puerto Plata, Haina and Santo Domingo
There are 4 major tourist and business International airports in the Dominican Republic � Las Americas, Puerto Plata, Punta Cana and La Romana/Casa de Campo. This is a large island. Please make sure that you plan your trip accordingly
Dominican Republic Internet
Dominican Republic Television http://www.colorvision.com.do/
Dominican Republic Website of the President http://www.presidencia.gov.do/frontend/home.php
US Embassy of the Dominican Republic http://www.domrep.org/home.htm
Central Bank of the Dominican Republic http://www.bancentral.gov.do/
Internet Registration of the Dominican Republic http://www.nic.do/
Office of Statistics of the Dominican Republic http://www.one.gov.do/
Diving http://www.northerncoastdiving.com/
Puerto Plata http://www.puertoplataguide.com/
Cabarete http://www.cabareteguide.com/Guide/sp/bienvenido%20-%20costa%20norte.html
Tourist Board http://www.dominicana.com.do/
Hoy Digital http://www.hoy.com.do/app/frontpage.aspx
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