According to dentistrymyth, the Dominican Republic is a state that makes up two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea. The country borders Haiti.
After many years of dictatorship or corrupt democracy, the regime is believed to have shown some legitimacy after the 1996 election, in which longtime leader Balaguer lost power to Leonel Fernández.
The area was first included in world trade in 1492, when Columbus landed on the island. The Spaniards brought disease and slavery to the natives, and this led to the annihilation of the Arawak people.
The Dominican Republic is the most visited travel destination in the Caribbean. The golf courses, which are open all year round, are among the best attractions on the island. Santo Domingo’s Ciudad Colonial is the oldest permanent colony in the New World, and has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
TIMELINE:
200-1300s – Most of the Caribbean is inhabited by Carib, Taino and Arawak Indians.
1492 – Christopher Columbus makes his first voyage to the New World, and discovers the island on December 5, which he called Hispaniola, or “Little Spain”.
1496 – When the Spaniards return, Bartolomeo Columbus (brother of Christoffer) founded the present capital, Santo Domingo, as the first European city in America. The country came under Spanish rule. France took over the part of Hispaniola that is today Haiti.
16th Century – The Spanish Empire occupied the entire Caribbean and most of Latin America. Hispanola, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Jamaica, and Trinidad were colonized.
1522 – A Taino Indian leader, Enriquillo, leads a successful revolt against the Spaniards, securing the freedom and rights of his people. He is considered a hero to the Dominican people.
1586-1590s – English hijacker Sir Francis Drake declares war on Spanish ships and ports. Among other things, he attacked in 1586 the heavily armed Santo Domingo in Hispaniola, forcing the governor to pay a large portion of ransom.
1793 – The first British soldiers arrive in St. Petersburg. Dominigue ‘s coast.
1795 – Spain cedes part of Hispaniola Island to France.
1808 – After a Spanish revolt led by the Creoles, Spain regained Santo Domingo.
1810 – Napoleon dethrones the Spanish king, Ferdinand VII.
1821 – The eastern part of the Spanish colony of Haiti secedes from the mother country in 1821 and unites with the rest of the island into an independent republic. Santo Domingo declared independence the same year, which led to Haiti occupying the city.
1822 – The country is invaded by Haiti, which had seceded from France in 1804, becoming the first black republic. The difference between the two countries was great, leading to many years of hostile neighborhood.
1844 – The country gains independence from Haiti, Santo Domingo declares independence and becomes the Dominican Republic.
1861 – Spain recaptures the country for a short period, until DR becomes an independent republic in 1865.
1906 – A 50-year contract is signed by the United States and DR. The Americans took over the Republic’s customs department in return for having bought their debts.
1906-1911 – The 31st president of DR Ramón Cáceres, was attacked by rebels and assassinated in his car on 19 November. It was the start of a civil war that ended with American occupation in 1916. The U.S. Marines landed on May 16, 1916 and gained control of the country within two months. The occupation lasted until October 1922.
1930 – Rafael Trujillo begins his military career during the American occupation. He was elected with 95% of the vote, but he was officially only president in 1930-38 and 1942-52. In fact, he ruled the country as a dictator until his death. He and his close successors also helped several dictators in other countries, including Haiti’s dictator and Cuba’s dictator Fidel Castro. Trujillo suffered from greatness madness. The capital Santo Domingo was renamed “Ciudad Trujillo” in 1936, and the country’s highest mountain Pico Duarte became “Pico Trujillo”.
1961 – Rafael Trujill o was assassinated on May 30, while driving his 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air and was attacked and shot on a road outside the capital.
1966 – Joaquin Balaguer, one of Trujillo’s henchmen, becomes president and rules the country for 30 years. It was 30 years with less violence than Trujillo. He became a powerful force in the country’s politics, and at the age of 94 wanted to run for president, but died before that, on July 14, 2002.
1978 – After the country has been ruled by a number of dictators for the last 134 years, democracy was finally introduced this year.
