Dominican Republic

1. Dominican Republic BY Gero Bergk Santo Domingo

2. People of the D.R. • Population: 9,956,648 • Even though close to all of the indigenous inhabitants were killed, and the population is now 73% mulatto (afro /white mix), 11% black and 16% white the main language of the Dominican Republic is Spanish. • The Dominican Republic’s population is made up of many younger people; 29.5% of the population is 14 and under, 64% of the population is 15-64, and 6.5% of the population is 65 and older. People in the streets of the Dominican Republic

3. Economics and Demographics • The unemployment rate of the Dominican Republic is 13.3% • The unemployment rate of the U.S. is about 9.6% in the recession. • The income per household for the poorest 10% is 1.5% of the country’s total income, the richest 10% receive 38.7% of the total income. • The economic growth for 2008 was 5.3%, for 2009 was 3.5%, and in 2010 was 7.8%, so there was a large jump in the economic growth between 2009 and 2010. • GINI index 49.9

4. Important Industries • Tourism • Sugar • Gold mining • Textiles • Tobacco • Cement

5. Government/Independence • The Dominican Republic is a Democratic Republic • The D.R. gained its independence from Haiti in 1844, in 1861, the D.R. joined the Spanish empire voluntarily. The Dominican soon got tired of the Spanish and re-gained their independence in 1865. • The Dominican Republic’s independence day is February 27thfor the independence from Haiti in 1844. Government Fireworks/Independence

6. Three Important Events • Independence from Haiti in 1844. • The dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo (el Jefe) • The civil war in 1965 with intervention from the U.S. El Jefe

7. Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina Rafael Trujillo was born on Oct. 24, 1891. He rose through the ranks of the military, and slowly worked his way into office in 1930 after Vázquez resigned. He further strengthened his presidency and trust, by rebuilding Santo Domingo after a severe hurricane which destroyed the city. Trujillo started taking full control of the country, and naming things after him. After his 8 years of presidency, he chose a successor who he would replace again in 1942. During his presidency/dictatorship, Rafael earned quite a sum of money. Also while in office, Trujillo killed 20,000 to 30,000 Haitians living close to the border. He then gave the families of the deceased, and survivors “reparation” money, the survivors got a grand total of 2 cents. Many Dominicans started to oppose Rafael’s dictatorship, as a result, he was assassinated on May 30, 1961. El Jefe

8. Current Issues • One of the main issues in the Dominican Republic is the trafficking of people for sexual purposes, and for forced labor. • Another large problem is the illegal immigration from Haiti. Many Haitians who are jobless in Haiti illegally cross the Dominican border to find a better job opportunity. • Illegal drugs are a major issue in the Dominican Republic because it is a main port for ecstasy from Europe which then gets smuggled into the U.S. or Canada.

9. Important Cultural Features • The main type of dance for the Dominican Republic is Merengue. • The main sport of the Dominican Republic is Baseball. • The D.R.’s culture is a mix of African and Spanish culture. Merengue on the street

10. U.S. Relations • “The U.S. has a strong interest in a democratic, stable, and economically healthy Dominican Republic. The country's standing as the largest Caribbean economy, second-largest country in terms of population and land mass, with large bilateral trade with the United States, and its proximity to the United States and other smaller Caribbean nations make the Dominican Republic an important partner in hemispheric affairs.” (department of state) • “U.S. relations with the Dominican Republic are excellent, and the U.S. has been an outspoken supporter of that country's democratic and economic development. The Dominican Government has been supportive of many U.S. initiatives in the United Nations and related agencies. The two governments cooperate in the fight against the traffic in illegal substances.” (department of state)

11. Bibliography • Pictures • Flag: http://www.mapmonde.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/dominican_republic_flag.jpg.gif • People in the street: http://www.fhi.org/NR/rdonlyres/e4d3dziw7tf7ikvpok5raect3rbyl7zseaag3yjsuk2sfe4qri4cqrnt5y3mxelyyfeapb3cqld3wk/DR2006Pblico375web.jpg • Woman with headband: http://www.riubambu.com/RIU_WEB_PAGES/MENU/DOMINICAN_REPUBLIC/DOMINICAN_PEOPLE/dominican_photo9.jpg • Economy: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9fPmtoFF3UI/TewD0V1lSmI/AAAAAAAAA8Y/jJ3G5KBDZ_w/s1600/haiti%2Bdominican%2Brepublic.jpg • Tourist: http://theclassicgentleman.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/tourist-192_449580a.jpg • Orange house: http://www.tuscolatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Government-Building_11.jpg • Fireworks: http://bloghomedenver.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/fireworks.jpg • Trujillo + wife: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Rafel_Trujillo_1934.jpg • Trujillo portrait: http://www.thehonestmen.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Rafael-Trujillo.jpg • Map: http://americas.rcrwireless.com/files/2011/03/caribbean-islands-map.png • Merengue: http://suntours.wikispaces.com/file/view/2_merengue.jpg/209562478/2_merengue.jpg • Websites • Department of state: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35639.htm#foreign • CIA Factbook: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/dr.html