Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic República Dominicana  (Spanish)
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Dios, Patria, Libertad" (Spanish) "God, Homeland, Freedom"
Anthem: ¡Quisqueyanos Valientes! ¡Valiant Quisqueyans!
Capital and largest city	Santo Domingo 19°00′N 70°40′W / 19.000°N 70.667°W / 19.000; -70.667
Official languages	Spanish
Ethnic groups	50% Mulatto 40% Black 10% White
Demonym(s)	Dominican Quisqueyan (colloquial)[1]
Government	Unitary presidential republic[2]
• President	Luis Abinader
• Vice President	Raquel Peña
Legislature	Congress
• Upper house	Senate
• Lower house	Chamber of Deputies
Independence
• from Haiti	January 24, 1856[3]
• from United States	July 12, 1924b
• from United States	November 28, 1966[4]
• Current constitution	November 28, 1966
Area
• Total	48,315 km2 (18,655 sq mi) (128th)
• Water (%)	0.7[2]
Population
• Estimate	7,293,390 hab
• Density	228/km2 (590.5/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	2018 estimate
• Total	$186.983 billion[5]
• Per capita	$18,164[5]
GDP (nominal)	2018 estimate
• Total	$81.653 billion[5]
• Per capita	$7,932[5]
Gini (2015)	44.9[6] medium
HDI (2015)	0.691[7] medium · 99th
Currency	Peso[3] (DOP)
Time zone	UTC  – 4:00[2] (Standard Time Caribbean)
Driving side	right
Calling code	+1-809, +1-829, +1-849
ISO 3166 code	DO
Internet TLD	.do[2]
Race was dropped from the census after 1960. Haiti did not recognize the Dominican Republic until 1874.[8][9]
Sources for area, capital, coat of arms, coordinates, flag, language, motto and names: [3] For an alternate area figure of 48,730 km2, calling code 809 and Internet TLD: [2]

The Dominican Republic (Spanish: República Dominicana) is a Latin American country on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola; the other country on the island is Haiti. Its capital, and largest city, is Santo Domingo. The national language is Spanish.

The country was part of the Spanish empire until the late 18th century. In the 19th century France, Spain and Haiti controlled it at various times, and later it was independent. It was occupied by the United States from 1916 to 1924. The Dominican Republic is a presidential democratic republic. The country has a tropical climate but modified by elevation and the trade winds (winds that come from the northeast, from the Atlantic Ocean).

The Spanish brought African slaves to the country.

Dominican Republic is one of the biggest producers of cacao.

1. ↑ Roorda, Eric Paul (April 28, 2016). Historical Dictionary of the Dominican Republic. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9780810879065 – via Google Books.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4} "CIA – The World Factbook – Dominican Republic". Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Archived from the original on February 13, 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2007.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} "Embassy of the Dominican Republic, in the United States". Archived from the original on 2015-06-26. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
4. ↑ Historia de la República Dominicana. Ediciones Doce Calles, S.L. 2010. p. 409. ISBN 978-84-00-09240-5. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3} International Monetary Fund. "Gross domestic product based on purchasing-power-parity (PPP) valuation of country GDP". Retrieved 12 July 2018.
6. ↑ "GINI index (World Bank estimate)". World Bank. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
7. ↑ "Human Development Report 2016" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
8. ↑ Convenios bilaterales entre la República Dominicana y Haití [Bilateral arrangements between the Dominican Republic and Haiti] (PDF) (in Spanish). Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de la República Dominicana. August 2000. pp. 15–17. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 22, 2014. Retrieved October 22, 2014.
9. ↑ Varios autores (2012). Ruptura y reconciliación. España y el reconocimiento de las independencias latinoamericanas [Rupture and reconciliation. Spain and the recognition of Latin American independence] (in Spanish). Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial España. pp. 30, 206. ISBN 978-84-306-0257-5.