Dominican Republic The blue and red fields come from the bicolor flag of Haiti, which once ruled the Dominican Republic, while the white cross symbolizes purity and faith. The flag was created by the leader of the Trinitarian movement, a religious group formed to liberate what was then known as Santo Domingo from Haitian rule. (Independence from Haiti was achieved in 1844.) The arms embody the values of the Trinitarians: the banner depicts the rallying cry of the movement, Dios, Patria, Libertad (God, Country, Freedom), and the book emblem in the center represents the Gospel of St. John. Location: The Dominican Republic is located in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and west of Puerto Rico, on the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola. Capital: Santo Domingo History: Explored and claimed by Columbus on his first voyage in 1492, the island of Hispaniola became a springboard for Spanish conquest of the Caribbean and the American mainland. In 1697, Spain recognized French dominion over the western third of the island, which in 1804 became Haiti. The remainder of the island, by then known as Santo Domingo, sought to gain its own independence in 1821, but was conquered and ruled by the Haitians for 22 years; it finally attained independence as the Dominican Republic in In 1861, the Dominicans voluntarily returned to the Spanish Empire, but two years later they launched a war that restored independence in Prior political unrest left a legacy of unsettled, mostly non-representative, rule for much of its subsequent history. In 1930 Rafael Trujillo, a Dominican Army sergeant, overthrew the elected administration and made himself dictator. Trujillo's 31-year reign of power was known as one of the most extreme dictatorships ever. Trujillo and his family controlled every aspect of the nation, suppressing even the slightest hint of opposition. However, during his dictatorship, material progress was made. Improvements were made in education, roads, agriculture, and sanitation; a pension plan was developed; and new hospitals and housing projects were completed. In 1948 the Dominican Republic joined the Organization of American States (OAS), which gradually began to criticize the Trujillo regime for interfering in the domestic affairs of surrounding countries and oppressing democracy. Trujillo was assassinated on May 30, After some unrest, Joaquin Balaguer who had served as a figurehead president under Trujillo became president in Under Balaguer, the country established a Constitution (1966) and gained some degree of stability and economic well-being, in spite of the fact that elements of Trujillo's authoritarian regime continued. He maintained a tight grip on power for most of the next 30 years when international reaction to flawed elections forced him to curtail his term in Since then, regular competitive elections have been held in which opposition candidates have won the presidency. The current president, Leonel Fernandez Reyna, was elected in 2004 and reelected in 2008 following a constitutional amendment allowing presidents to serve more than one term.

Government Type: The Dominican Republic is a democratic republic with a president and vice- president elected on the same ticket by popular vote. A bicameral legislature: Senate and House of Representatives are also elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms. The president is assisted by his cabinet, which he nominates. The Supreme Court is appointed by the National Judicial Council compromised of the president, the leaders of both chambers of congress, the president of the Supreme Court, and an additional non-governing party congressional representative. The president and vice president must be over 30 years of age and Dominican citizens. Suffrage: 18 years of age, universal and compulsory; married persons regardless of age. Members of the armed forces and national police cannot vote. Economy: Although the country has long been viewed primarily as an exporter of sugar, coffee, and tobacco, in recent years the service sector has overtaken agriculture as the economy's largest employer, due to growth in tourism and free trade zones. Inflation rates in 2008 grew to over 11% on average for the first three quarters. High food prices, driven by the effects of consecutive tropical storms on agricultural products, and education prices were significant contributors to the jump. The effects of the global financial crisis and the US recession are projected to negatively affect GDP growth in 2009, with a rebound expected in Although the economy is growing at a respectable rate, high unemployment and underemployment remains an important challenge. The country suffers from marked income inequality; the poorest half of the population receives less than one-fifth of GNP, while the richest 10% enjoys nearly 40% of national income. The Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) came into force in March 2007, which should boost investment and exports and reduce losses to the Asian garment industry. Climate: Although the Dominican Republic is located in the tropics, cool trade winds keep temperatures near 80°F year round. The southern part of the country receives two-thirds of the average annual 57 inches of rainfall during the May-to-November rainy season. The climate tends to be more humid in the north and northeast. Land Use:arable land: 22.49% permanent crops: 10.26% other: 67.25% (2005) Population: 9,507,133 (2008 estimate) Ethnic Groups: Mixed 73%, white 16%, black 11% Religions: No official religion. Roman Catholic - 95%; other - 5%. Languages: Spanish is the official language. Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 87% male: 86.8% female: 87.2% (2002 census) Currency: 100 centavos = 1 Dominican Republic peso Sources: CIA Sourcebook dr.html Encyclopedia Britannica, World Data World Geography