2. LOCATION

3. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND  The island of Hispaniola, of which the Dominican Republic forms the eastern two- thirds and Haiti the remainder, was originally occupied by Tainos, an Arawak- speaking people. The Tainos welcomed Columbus in his first voyage in 1492, but subsequent colonizers were brutal, reducing the Taino population from about 1 million to about 500 in 50 years. To ensure adequate labor for plantations, the Spanish brought African slaves to the island beginning in 1503.

4. POLITICAL  Type: Representative democracy. Independence: February 27, 1844. Restoration of independence, August 16, 1863. Constitution: November 28, 1966; amended July 25, 2002.  Branches: Executive--president (chief of state and head of government), vice president, cabinet. Legislative--bicameral Congress (Senate and House of Representatives). Judicial--Supreme Court of Justice. Political parties: Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD), Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC), and several others.

5. ECONOMIC  GDP: $45.6 billion. Growth rate (est.): 4.9%. Per capita GDP (est.): $5,122. Non-fuel minerals (1.4% of GDP): Nickel, gold, silver. Agriculture (6.5% of GDP): Products--sugarcane, coffee, cocoa, bananas, tobacco, rice, plantains, beef. Industry (27.4% of GDP): Types--sugar refining, pharmaceuticals, cement, light manufacturing, construction. Services, including tourism and transportation: 58.6% of GDP. Trade: Exports--$6.484 billion (FOB), including processing zones: textiles, sugar, coffee, ferronickel, cacao, tobacco, meats, and medical supplies. Markets- -U.S. (75%), Canada, Western Europe, South Korea. Imports--$8.797 billion: foodstuffs, petroleum, industrial raw materials, capital goods. Suppliers--U.S. (48%), Japan, Germany, Venezuela, Mexico, Colombia.

6. BARRIERS TO DEVELOPMENT  Resource extraction The country exports free-trade-zone manufactured products garments, medical devices, nickel, sugar, coffee, cacao, and tobacco.

7. EL PARAISO

8. WORK CITED  http://www.caribbeanmag.com/images/a rticles/Dominican_Republic/SandwichBa y-DominicanRepublic.jpg http://www.caribbeanmag.com/images/a rticles/Dominican_Republic/SandwichBa y-DominicanRepublic.jpg  http://www.politicsonline.com/blog/image s/2006/Dominican%20Republic%20Flag.gif http://www.politicsonline.com/blog/image s/2006/Dominican%20Republic%20Flag.gif  http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35639.h tm http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35639.h tm  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ol54tK srKxc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ol54tK srKxc