Dominican Republic Independence Day

People all across the DOMINICAN REPUBLIC are celebrating their country's Independence Day on Saturday, February 27th. The Dominican Republic achieved independence from Haiti in 1844. Have a happy Independence Day!

Dominican Republic Independence Day

People all across the DOMINICAN REPUBLIC recently celebrated their country's Independence Day on Tuesday, December 1st. The Dominican Republic achieved temporary independence from Spain in 1821. Happy belated Independence Day!

Dominican Republic Exports

The following items are major exports of the DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: bananas, bauxite, beans, cement, cocoa, coffee, corn (maize), cotton, clothing and other consumer goods, ferronickel, gold, meat, silver, sugar, textiles, and tobacco. According to the International Monetary Fund (data.imf.org), countries and territories buying and importing most of those exports (February 2017 statistics) include the United States (top importer), Haiti, the united Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, China, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Colombia, Spain, Venezuela, Italy, India, Jamaica, Hong Kong, Cuba, Panama, Honduras, and Mexico.

Dominican Republic Provinces

Click on the map image above to enlarge it in a pop-up window.

Sharing the eastern half of Hispaniola island with Haiti to the west, the DOMINICAN REPUBLIC is administratively divided into 31 Provinces (Spanish: Províncias) and a National District (Distrito Nacional*). In alphabetical order, the Dominican Republic's provinces are Azua, Bahoruco (also known as Baoruco), Barahona, Dajabón, Duarte, El Seybo (also known as El Seibo), Elías Piña (also known as La Estrelleta), Espaillat, Hato Mayor, Hermanas Mirabal (formerly known as Salcedo), Independencia, La Altagracia, La Romana, La Vega, María Trinidad Sánchez, Monseñor Nouel, Monte Cristi, Monte Plata, Pedernales, Peravia, Puerto Plata, Samaná, San Cristóbal, San José de Ocoa, San Juan, San Pedro de Macorís, Sánchez Ramírez, Santiago, Santiago Rodríguez, Santo Domingo, and Valverde. Since November 2007, the province of Salcedo (named after Francisco Antonio Salcedo, an 1800s war hero) became renamed to Hermanas Mirabal — in honor of four sisters (Dedé, María Teresa, Minerva, and Patria) who led an inspirational opposition movement against dictator Rafael Trujillo. The capital and most-populated city of Hermanas Mirabal Province is still named Salcedo.

* This is where Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic's capital, is located.

Matching Game - Presidents of Latin America

Below, simply match the past president with the correct country. Argentina and Mexico both have two answer choices. Answers are found multiple spaces down below. Of course, try not to consult the Internet or any other sources to see if you have great knowledge or guessing skills about these questions!

1. Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira was the 21st president (1956-1961) of __________.

2. Bernardino Rivadavia was the 1st president (1826-1827) of __________.

3. José de San Martin was the 1st president (1821-1822) of __________ and encouraged the independence of Argentina from Spain.

4. Jean-Pierre Boyer was the 2nd president (1818-1843) of __________, one of two countries on the island of Hispaniola.

5. Raúl Alfonsín was the 46th president (1983-1989) of __________ and was the country's first democratically elected president after a previous military government.

6. Miguel Alemán was the 46th president (1946-1952) of __________.

7. Fulgencio Batista was the 9th president (1940-1944) and the 12th "president" (basically a dictator from 1952-1959) of __________.

8. Pedro Santana was the 1st (1844-1848), 4th (1853-1856), and 8th (1858-1861) president of the __________, the other country on the island of Hispaniola.

9. Lázaro Cárdenas was the 44th president (1934-1940) of __________.


















Answers
1. Brazil
2. Argentina
3. Peru
4. Haiti
5. Argentina
6. Mexico
7. Cuba
8. Dominican Republic
9. Mexico

Dominican Republic Extinct and Endangered Species

As of June 11th, 2015, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ for the DOMINICAN REPUBLIC in the Caribbean Sea lists 9 extinct species since the IUCN began record-keeping, 23 critically endangered species, and 49 endangered species. Dominican Republic's number of extinct species is in the ballpark of nearby Cuba's eleven extinct species. The Atalaye Nesophontes mammal, Caribbean Monk Seal, Cuban Macaw, Hispaniolan Edible Rat, Imposter Hutia rodent, Marcano's Solenodon rodent, Montane Hutia, Puerto Rican Hutia, and Samana Hutia are extinct in the Dominican Republic. Some critically endangered species include Fowler's Robber Frog, Hawksbill Turtle, Jamaican Petrel, Ricord's Rock Iguana, Ridgway's Hawk, Southern Pastel Frog, Spiny Giant Frog, and Staghorn Coral.

Dominican Republic post (links opens in new tab/window)

Greater Antilles

The Greater Antilles is an island group containing the largest islands in the Caribbean Sea. The major islands that are part of this group are the Cayman Islands, CUBA, JAMAICA, Hispaniola (DOMINICAN REPUBLIC and HAITI), and Puerto Rico.

Dominican Republic

The DOMINICAN REPUBLIC is a country located on the eastern portion of the island Hispaniola. The Dominican Republic borders Haiti to the west and is located west of Puerto Rico. The capital is Santo Domingo, which has over 2 million inhabitants like Havana, Cuba. The currency is the Dominican Peso, and its ISO 4217 currency code is DOP. Lake Enriquillo (Lago Enriquillo) is the largest lake on any island in the Caribbean Sea. The saltwater lake is inhabited by crocodiles.