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Dominican Republic. República Dominicana. Languages . Spanish is the national language. Spanish and English are the two most commonly spoken languages.
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Dominican Republic República Dominicana
Languages • Spanish is the national language. • Spanish and English are the two most commonly spoken languages. • Other languages spoken in the Dominican Republic are Haitian Creole, Chinese Mandarin, Italian, East Caribbean English Creole, and Arabic. Though these are spoken by very small groups of people.
Why Spanish? • The root, for all Spanish dialect in the Dominican Republic is from the 15th century conquistadors, which was enhanced by settlers from Spain, and topped with the influence of the indigenous Taino population and t he African slaves who were later brought over by the Spanish.
Capital and Major Cities • The Dominican Republic is divided into twenty-nine provinces or regions. • Santo Domingo de Guzman is the nation's capital and most heavily populated city. • Santiago de Los Caballeros is the second largest city located in the northwest portion of the country, it is known as the "tobacco region".
Currency • Currency in Dominican Republic is the Dominican peso. • 1 US Dollar = 36.69000 Dominican Republic Peso • 1 Dominican Republic Peso = 0.02726 US Dollar
Religion • The majority of the people of the Dominican Republic claim to be Christian, with over 90% of those claiming Roman Catholicism as their religion. • Dominican Catholicism is a mix of Roman Catholic traditions and African-rooted religions/ceremonies, or Santeria, and is widespread in the Dominican Republic. • There are some small Protestant, Seventh Day Adventist, Baptist, Mormon and Jewish communities throughout the Dominican Republic as well.
Government • The Dominican Republic is said to have a Representative democracy. • Gained independence on February 27, 1844. Restoration of independence, August 16, 1863. • The main political parties consist of the Dominican Liberation Party , Dominican Revolutionary Party, and Social Christian Reformist Party. President Leonel Fernandez
Climate and Landscape • The average annual temperature is 77°F. • The Dominican Republic is a breathtaking island filled with fertile river valleys, forested mountains and soft, unspoiled beaches. • The rainy season is between May and November, but consists of heavy showers for short time after which the sun shines brightly once again.
People • Population (2009): 9.65 million. • Ethnic groups: Mixed 73%, European 16%, African origin 11%. • Two thirds of the population live in the cities. The other third live in rural areas. • A third of the population is under fourteen years of age and five percent are over 65 years of age. • The complex heritage of Arawak, Spanish, African, and French traditions, plus they had an early independence, which set them apart from other Caribbean islands.
Industry • Work force: 60.2% services including tourism, transportation, communications, and finances -15.5% industry (manufacturing) -11.5% construction -11.3% agriculture - 1.5% mining. • About 500 companies in the Dominican Republic manufacture goods primarily for the North American market. • They mostly produce clothing, electronic components, footwear, and leather goods, which are assembled rather than manufactured by a mainly female workforce.
Did you know? • Christopher Columbus visited the island in 1492, and named it Hispaniola Translated this means “Little Spain.”