Category: Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a country in the Antilles. It shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. There are 10.6 million residents (2016). The capital is Santo Domingo, the oldest American city. Christopher Columbus explored the Island on his first voyage in 1492. This was the first American territory to receive Spanish colonization. On his second trip, Colombo founded La Isabela. In 1538, the first American university was founded in Santo Domingo. In 1697, Spain recognized French dominance over the western part of the island, present-day Haiti. In 1821, Haitians came to control the entire island of Hispaniola. Independence was achieved in 1844, when the territory of Santo Domingo became the Dominican Republic.