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Dominican Republic Travel Guide |
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Welcome to the
Dominican Republic on the Paradise
Islands website. The
Dominican Republic
shares two thirds of the
island of Hispaniola
with the other third
belonging to
Haiti.
The island of Hispaniola is one of
only two in the
Caribbean which share
nations (Sint
Maarten and St Martin
being the other).
The Dominican Republic
is located in the
Greater Antilles
archipelago and is the
second largest Caribbean
island nation after the
Republic of Cuba.
The Dominican Republic
lies south east of the
tip of Florida and just
west of Puerto Rico. |
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The
Dominican Republic was
discovered by
Christopher Columbus in
1492 on his first of
four voyages to the
Americas. The capital
Santo Domingo was the
site of the very first
European settlement in
the Caribbean
constructed from 1496
onwards. Columbus named
the island "La Espanola"
and claimed it for
Spain. Columbus was
actually buried in Santo
Domingo when he died in
1506. |
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Cathedral
of Santa Maria La Menor |
National
Palace Santo Domingo |
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After 300 years of
mostly Spanish rule, the
Dominican Republic
gained it's independence
in 1821. The following
century was no less
turbulent with a civil
war, Spanish rule again
for a while and the US
occupation between 1916
and 1924. A final civil
war took place in 1965
followed by
authoritarian rule and
since 1978 the island
nation has slowly been
moving towards stability
and democratic rule. |
The economy today is
driven by mining,
agriculture and tourism
and the Dominican
Republic is now the
Caribbean's largest
tourist destination. A
fast growing country and
the second largest
economy in the Caribbean
after Trinidad and
Tobago.
The best known and major
tourist area is Punta
Cana in the far eastern
tip of the Dominican
Republic. There is a
dedicated airport, Punta
Cana International,
which is the largest on
the island catering for
almost 4 million
passengers annually. |
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Travel, holiday, vacation and cruise
guide to the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean. All text and images are
Copyright
Paradise Islands
org. All photographs on this travel guide website are obtained with
the permission of the owners and come from various sources
including the islands tourist boards. |
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Quick Facts
Capital
Santo Domingo
Main Airport
Las Americas
International
Main Port
Santo Domingo
Language
Spanish
Currency
Peso
Government
Independent
Republic
Island Size
19,000
Square Miles
Population
9 Million
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Cruise Port Guide |
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