--- title: Dominican Republic — English Wikipedia · full text with trees description: Wikipedia's «Dominican Republic», whole, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics, CC BY-SA 4.0. It begins: The Dominican Republic is an island country on the eastern part of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the North Atlantic Ocean. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Dominican_Republic/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [wikipedia](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/) / [en](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/) / Dominican Republic # Dominican Republic From Wikipedia, [«Dominican Republic»](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominican_Republic), revision of the 2026-09-01 dump, [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). The trees and pragmatics of these pages, Mova's parse of that text, are CC BY-SA 4.0 too. The English Wikipedia article «Dominican Republic», whole: 53 sections, 675 sentences and 13867 words, its 314 notes at the end. The marks in brackets «[n]» are Wikipedia's own, each leading to its note and source; the small number after every sentence leads to the sentence's own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Dominican_Republic/page/2/) … [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Dominican_Republic/page/7/) | Facts | | | --- | --- | | | **Dominican Republic · República Dominicana** | | | **Motto:** Dios, Patria, Libertad; "God, Homeland, Freedom" | | | **Anthem:** [Quisqueyanos valientes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Anthem_of_the_Dominican_Republic); "Valiant Quisqueyans" | | Capital and largest city | [Santo Domingo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santo_Domingo) [corpus](../Santo_Domingo/ "in our corpus"); 18°27′N 69°56′W | | Official languages | [Spanish](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominican_Spanish) | | Other languages | See below | | Religion (2020)[\[1\]](page/7/#ref-1 "note 1") | \*74.6% [Christianity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity); 52.5% [Catholicism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_in_the_Dominican_Republic); 21.0% [Protestantism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestantism); 1.1% other [Christian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christians); 22.0% [no religion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irreligion_in_Latin_America); 1.4% [other](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_the_Dominican_Republic); 2.0% unspecified | | [Demonyms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demonym) | [Dominican](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People_of_the_Dominican_Republic); Quisqueyan (colloquial)[\[2\]](page/7/#ref-2 "note 2") | | Government | Unitary [presidential republic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_system)[\[3\]](page/7/#ref-3 "note 3") | | • [President](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_Dominican_Republic) | [Luis Abinader](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_Abinader) | | • [Vice President](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice_President_of_the_Dominican_Republic) | [Raquel Peña](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raquel_Peña_de_Antuña) | | Legislature | [Congress](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congress_of_the_Dominican_Republic) | | • [Upper house](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_house) | [Senate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senate_of_the_Dominican_Republic) | | • [Lower house](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_house) | [Chamber of Deputies](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamber_of_Deputies_of_the_Dominican_Republic) | | **[Formation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Dominican_Republic)** | | | • [Ephemeral Independence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Spanish_Haiti) | 1821–1822 | | • [First Republic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Dominican_Republic) | 1844–1861[\[4\]](page/7/#ref-4 "note 4") | | • [Second Republic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Dominican_Republic) | 1865–1916[\[5\]](page/7/#ref-5 "note 5") | | • [Third Republic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Dominican_Republic) | 1924–1965[\[6\]](page/7/#ref-6 "note 6")[\[7\]](page/7/#ref-7 "note 7") | | • Fourth Republic | 1966–present[\[8\]](page/7/#ref-8 "note 8") | | **Area** | | | • Total | 48,671 km² (18,792 sq mi) ([128th](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_dependencies_by_area)) | | • Water (%) | 0.7[\[3\]](page/7/#ref-3 "note 3") | | **Population** | | | • 2025 estimate | 11,532,151[\[9\]](page/7/#ref-9 "note 9") ([88th](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_dependencies_by_population)) | | • Density | 220/km² (501.5/sq mi) ([64th](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_dependencies_by_population_density)) | | [GDP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_product) ([PPP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purchasing_power_parity)) | 2026 estimate | | • Total | $353.732 billion[\[10\]](page/7/#ref-10 "note 10") ([64th](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28PPP%29)) | | • Per capita | $32,232[\[10\]](page/7/#ref-10 "note 10") ([67th](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28PPP%29_per_capita)) | | [GDP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_product) (nominal) | 2026 estimate | | • Total | $138.340 billion[\[10\]](page/7/#ref-10 "note 10") ([64th](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28nominal%29)) | | • Per capita | $12,605[\[10\]](page/7/#ref-10 "note 10") ([74th](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28nominal%29_per_capita)) | | [Gini](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gini_coefficient) (2024) | 39[\[11\]](page/7/#ref-11 "note 11")[\[12\]](page/7/#ref-12 "note 12"); medium inequality | | [HDI](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Development_Index) (2023) | 0.776[\[13\]](page/7/#ref-13 "note 13"); high ([89th](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index)) | | Currency | [Dominican peso](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominican_peso)[\[14\]](page/7/#ref-14 "note 14") ([DOP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_4217)) | | Time zone | [UTC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coordinated_Universal_Time)−04:00 ([AST](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Time_Zone)) | | Date format | dd/mm/yyyy or dd-mm-yyyy | | Calling code | [+1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Area_codes_809,_829,_and_849) | | [Internet TLD](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Country_code_top-level_domain) | [.do](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.do) | The Dominican Republic[\[15\]](page/7/#ref-15 "note 15") is an [island country](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_country) on the eastern part of the [Caribbean island](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Caribbean_islands) of [Hispaniola](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispaniola) in the [Greater Antilles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Antilles) of the [Caribbean Sea](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbean_Sea) in the [North Atlantic Ocean](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Ocean).[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") It shares a [maritime border](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maritime_boundary) with [Puerto Rico](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rico) to the east and [a land border](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominican_Republic–Haiti_border) with [Haiti](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiti) [corpus](../Haiti/ "in our corpus") to the west, occupying the [eastern five-eighths](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_the_Dominican_Republic) of Hispaniola which, along with [Saint Martin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Martin_%28island%29), is one of only two islands in the [Caribbean](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbean) shared by two [sovereign states](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereign_state).[\[16\]](page/7/#ref-16 "note 16")[\[17\]](page/7/#ref-17 "note 17")[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") In the [Antilles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antilles), the country is the [second-largest by area](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Caribbean_islands_by_area) after [Cuba](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba) [corpus](../Cuba/ "in our corpus") at 48,671 km2 and the [second most populous](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Caribbean_countries_by_population) after Haiti with approximately 11.4 million people in 2024, of whom 3.6 million reside in [the metropolitan area](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Santo_Domingo) of [Santo Domingo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santo_Domingo) [corpus](../Santo_Domingo/ "in our corpus"), the capital city.[\[3\]](page/7/#ref-3 "note 3")[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") [Indigenous peoples](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_peoples_of_the_Caribbean) had inhabited Hispaniola prior to [European contact](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_colonization_of_the_Americas), including the [Taíno](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taíno), who divided it into [five chiefdoms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiefdoms_of_Hispaniola).[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") [Christopher Columbus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus) claimed the island for [Castile](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_of_Castile), landing there on his [first voyage in 1492](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyages_of_Christopher_Columbus#First_voyage).[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") The [colony of Santo Domingo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captaincy_General_of_Santo_Domingo) became the site of the first permanent European settlement in the [Americas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americas).[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") In 1697, Spain recognized French dominion over the western third of the island, which became the independent [First Empire of Haiti](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Empire_of_Haiti) in 1804.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") A group of Dominicans deposed the Spanish governor and declared independence from Spain in November 1821, but were annexed by Haiti in February 1822.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") Independence came 22 years later in 1844, after victory in the [Dominican War of Independence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominican_War_of_Independence).[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") The next 72 years saw several civil wars, failed invasions by Haiti, and [a brief return to Spanish colonial status](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_annexation_of_the_Dominican_Republic), before permanently ousting the Spanish during the [Dominican Restoration War](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominican_Restoration_War) of 1863–1865.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") The United States [occupied the Dominican Republic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_Government_of_Santo_Domingo) from 1916 to 1924, followed by the dictatorship of [Rafael Trujillo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafael_Trujillo), ruling from 1930 until his assassination in 1961.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") [Juan Bosch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Bosch_%28politician%29) was elected president in 1962 but was deposed in a [military coup in 1963](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1963_Dominican_coup_d%27état).[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") The [Dominican Civil War of 1965](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominican_Civil_War) preceded a second American occupation and the authoritarian rule of [Joaquín Balaguer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joaquín_Balaguer) (1966–1978 and 1986–1996).[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") Since 1996, the Dominican Republic has moved towards [representative democracy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Representative_democracy).[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") The Dominican Republic has the [largest economy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_the_Dominican_Republic) in the Caribbean and the [seventh-largest](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Latin_American_and_Caribbean_countries_by_GDP_%28PPP%29) in [Latin America](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_America).[\[18\]](page/7/#ref-18 "note 18")[\[19\]](page/7/#ref-19 "note 19")[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") The country has had the fastest-growing economy in the [Western Hemisphere](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Hemisphere) – with an average [real GDP growth rate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_real_GDP_growth_rate) of 5.3% between 1992 and 2018.[\[20\]](page/7/#ref-20 "note 20")[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") GDP growth in 2014 and 2015 reached 7.3 and 7.0%, respectively, the highest in the Western Hemisphere.[\[20\]](page/7/#ref-20 "note 20")[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") Recent growth has been driven by construction, manufacturing, tourism, and mining.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") The country is the site of the world's third largest [gold mine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_mine) in terms of production, the [Pueblo Viejo mine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pueblo_Viejo_mine).[\[21\]](page/7/#ref-21 "note 21")[\[22\]](page/7/#ref-22 "note 22")[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") The gold production of the country was 31 metric tonnes in 2015.[\[23\]](page/7/#ref-23 "note 23")[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") The Dominican Republic is the [most visited destination](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Tourism_rankings) in the Caribbean.[\[24\]](page/7/#ref-24 "note 24")[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") A geographically diverse nation, the country is home to both the Caribbean's tallest mountain peak, [Pico Duarte](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pico_Duarte), and the Caribbean's largest lake and lowest point, [Lake Enriquillo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Enriquillo).[\[25\]](page/7/#ref-25 "note 25")[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") The island has an average temperature of 26 °C and great climatic and biological diversity.[\[26\]](page/7/#ref-26 "note 26")[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") The country is also the site of the first [cathedral](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_Santo_Domingo), [palace](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcázar_de_Colón), [monastery](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monastery_of_San_Francisco,_Santo_Domingo), and [fortress](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortaleza_Ozama) built in the Americas, located in Santo Domingo's [Colonial Zone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciudad_Colonial_%28Santo_Domingo%29), a [World Heritage Site](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Heritage_Site).[\[27\]](page/7/#ref-27 "note 27")[\[28\]](page/7/#ref-28 "note 28")[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") ## Etymology The name Dominican originates from [Saint Dominic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Dominic),[\[29\]](page/7/#ref-29 "note 29") the patron saint of [astronomers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomer), and founder of the [Dominican Order](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominican_Order).[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") The Dominican Order established what is now known as the [Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universidad_Santo_Tomás_de_Aquino), the first university in the New World.[\[30\]](page/7/#ref-30 "note 30")[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") For most of its history, up until independence, the colony was known simply as Santo Domingo[\[31\]](page/7/#ref-31 "note 31") and continued to be commonly known as such in English until the early 20th century.[\[32\]](page/7/#ref-32 "note 32")[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") The residents were called "Dominicans" (Dominicanos), the adjectival form of "Domingo", and as such, the revolutionaries named their newly independent country the "Dominican Republic" (la República Dominicana).[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") In the [national anthem of the Dominican Republic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Anthem_of_the_Dominican_Republic) (himno nacional de la República Dominicana), the poetic term "Quisqueyans" (Quisqueyanos) is used instead of "Dominicans".[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") The word "Quisqueya" derives from the [Ciguayo language](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciguayo_language), and means "mother of the lands".[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") It is often used in songs as another name for the country.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") The name of the country in English is often shortened to "the D.R."[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") (la R.D.), but this is rare in Spanish.[\[33\]](page/7/#ref-33 "note 33")[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") ## History Main article: [History of the Dominican Republic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Dominican_Republic) ### Pre-Columbian era Main article: [Chiefdoms of Hispaniola](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiefdoms_of_Hispaniola) The islands of the Caribbean were first settled around 6,000 years ago by hunter-gatherer peoples originating from Central America or northern South America.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") The [Arawakan-speaking](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arawakan_languages) ancestors of the [Taíno](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taíno) moved into the Caribbean from South America during the 1st millennium BCE, reaching Hispaniola by around 600 CE.[\[34\]](page/7/#ref-34 "note 34")[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") These Arawakan peoples engaged in farming, fishing,[\[35\]](page/7/#ref-35 "note 35") hunting and gathering,[\[36\]](page/7/#ref-36 "note 36") and the widespread production of [ceramic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceramic) goods.[\[34\]](page/7/#ref-34 "note 34")[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") The estimates of Hispaniola's population in 1492 vary widely, ranging from tens of thousands[\[37\]](page/7/#ref-37 "note 37") to 2 million.[\[38\]](page/7/#ref-38 "note 38")[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") By 1492, the island was divided into five Taíno chiefdoms.[\[39\]](page/7/#ref-39 "note 39")[\[40\]](page/7/#ref-40 "note 40")[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") The Taíno name for the entire island was either Ayiti or Quisqueya.[\[41\]](page/7/#ref-41 "note 41")[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") ### European colonization [Christopher Columbus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus) arrived on the island on December 5, 1492, during the first of his [four voyages](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyages_of_Christopher_Columbus) to the Americas.[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") He claimed the land for the [Crown of Castile](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_of_Castile) and named it La Española, due to its diverse climate and terrain, which reminded him of the Spanish landscape.[\[42\]](page/7/#ref-42 "note 42")[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") In 1496, [Bartholomew Columbus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartholomew_Columbus), Christopher's brother, built the city of [Santo Domingo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciudad_Colonial_%28Santo_Domingo%29), Western Europe's first permanent settlement in the "[New World](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_World)".[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") The Spaniards created a [plantation economy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantation_economy).[\[43\]](page/7/#ref-43 "note 43")[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") Initially, after friendly relationships, the Taínos resisted the conquest, led by female Chief [Anacaona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anacaona) of Xaragua and her ex-husband Chief [Caonabo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caonabo) of Maguana, as well as Chiefs [Guacanagaríx](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guacanagaríx), [Guamá](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guamá), [Hatuey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatuey), and [Enriquillo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enriquillo).[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") The latter's successes gained his people an autonomous enclave on the island.[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") Within a few years after 1492, the population of Taínos had declined drastically due to [smallpox](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smallpox),[\[44\]](page/7/#ref-44 "note 44") measles, and other diseases that arrived with the Europeans.[\[45\]](page/7/#ref-45 "note 45")[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics") African slaves were imported to replace the dwindling Taínos.[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") The last record of pure Taínos in the country was from 1864.[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") Still, Taíno biological heritage survived due to intermixing.[49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") Census records from 1514 reveal that 40% of Spanish men in Santo Domingo were married to Taíno women,[\[46\]](page/7/#ref-46 "note 46") and some present-day Dominicans have Taíno ancestry.[\[47\]](page/7/#ref-47 "note 47")[\[48\]](page/7/#ref-48 "note 48")[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") By the time of the [Treaty of Ryswick](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Ryswick) in 1697, which ceded the western one-third of the island to France, the population of Santo Domingo consisted of a few thousand whites, approximately 30,000 black slaves, and a few Taínos.[\[49\]](page/7/#ref-49 "note 49")[51](51/ "tree and pragmatics") By 1789, the population had grown to 125,000, but Santo Domingo remained one of Spain's less wealthy and strategically important colonies in the New World.[\[49\]](page/7/#ref-49 "note 49")[52](52/ "tree and pragmatics") The population composition of Santo Domingo sharply contrasted with that of the neighboring French colony of [Saint-Domingue](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Domingue)—the wealthiest colony in the Caribbean and whose population of half a million was 90% enslaved and four times as numerous as Santo Domingo.[\[50\]](page/7/#ref-50 "note 50")[\[31\]](page/7/#ref-31 "note 31")[53](53/ "tree and pragmatics") In 1795, Spain ceded Santo Domingo to [France](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_First_Republic) by the [Treaty of Basel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_of_Basel) as a result of its defeat in the [War of the Pyrenees](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_the_Pyrenees).[54](54/ "tree and pragmatics") Saint-Domingue achieved [independence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitian_Declaration_of_Independence) as Haiti from France on January 1, 1804.[55](55/ "tree and pragmatics") In 1809, with the outbreak of the [Peninsular War](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peninsular_War), the [French](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_French_Empire) were expelled from the island and Santo Domingo returned to [Spanish rule](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/España_Boba).[\[51\]](page/7/#ref-51 "note 51")[56](56/ "tree and pragmatics") ### Ephemeral independence and Haitian occupation (1821–1844) Main article: [Republic of Spanish Haiti](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Spanish_Haiti), [Haitian occupation of Santo Domingo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitian_occupation_of_Santo_Domingo) After a dozen years of discontent and failed independence plots by various opposing groups, Santo Domingo's former Lieutenant-Governor (top administrator), [José Núñez de Cáceres](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/José_Núñez_de_Cáceres), declared the colony's independence from the [Spanish crown](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Empire) as [Spanish Haiti](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Spanish_Haiti) on November 30, 1821.[57](57/ "tree and pragmatics") This period is also known as the Ephemeral independence.[\[52\]](page/7/#ref-52 "note 52")[58](58/ "tree and pragmatics") The newly independent republic ended two months later, when it was occupied and annexed by Haiti, then under the leadership of [Jean-Pierre Boyer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Pierre_Boyer).[\[53\]](page/7/#ref-53 "note 53")[59](59/ "tree and pragmatics") For twenty-two years, Haiti controlled Santo Domingo, which it called Partie de l'Est, treating it as a colonial territory.[60](60/ "tree and pragmatics") The unpaid Haitian army sustained itself by taking resources from the Dominican people and land without compensation,[\[54\]](page/7/#ref-54 "note 54") and the highest administrative positions were reserved for [Haitian mulattoes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulatto_Haitians).[\[55\]](page/7/#ref-55 "note 55")[61](61/ "tree and pragmatics") ### First Republic (1844–1861) In 1838, [Juan Pablo Duarte](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Pablo_Duarte) founded a secret society called [La Trinitaria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Trinitaria_%28Dominican_Republic%29), which sought the complete independence of Santo Domingo without any foreign intervention.[\[56\]](page/7/#ref-56 "note 56")[62](62/ "tree and pragmatics") Also [Francisco del Rosario Sánchez](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_del_Rosario_Sánchez) and [Ramon Matias Mella](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramon_Matias_Mella), despite not being among the founding members of La Trinitaria, were decisive in the fight for independence.[63](63/ "tree and pragmatics") Duarte, Mella, and Sánchez are considered the Founding Fathers of the Dominican Republic.[\[57\]](page/7/#ref-57 "note 57")[64](64/ "tree and pragmatics") On February 27, 1844, the members of La Trinitaria declared independence from Haiti.[65](65/ "tree and pragmatics") They were backed by [Pedro Santana](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Santana), a wealthy cattle rancher, who became general of the army of the nascent republic.[66](66/ "tree and pragmatics") The decades that followed were filled with tyranny, factionalism, economic difficulties, rapid changes of government, and exile for political opponents.[67](67/ "tree and pragmatics") Archrivals Santana and [Buenaventura Báez](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buenaventura_Báez) held power most of the time, both ruling arbitrarily.[68](68/ "tree and pragmatics") They promoted competing plans to annex the new nation to a major power.[69](69/ "tree and pragmatics") The Dominican Republic's first [constitution](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_the_Dominican_Republic) was adopted on November 6, 1844, and its population in 1845 was approximately 230,000 people (100,000 whites; 40,000 blacks; and 90,000 mulattoes).[\[54\]](page/7/#ref-54 "note 54")[70](70/ "tree and pragmatics") In March 1844, Haiti invaded but the Dominicans put up stiff opposition and inflicted heavy casualties on the Haitians.[\[58\]](page/7/#ref-58 "note 58")[71](71/ "tree and pragmatics") By April 15, Dominican forces had defeated the Haitian forces on both land and sea.[\[59\]](page/7/#ref-59 "note 59")[72](72/ "tree and pragmatics") In early July 1844, Duarte was urged by his followers to take the title of President of the Republic.[73](73/ "tree and pragmatics") Duarte agreed, but only if free elections were arranged.[74](74/ "tree and pragmatics") However, Santana's forces took Santo Domingo on July 12, and they declared Santana ruler of the Dominican Republic.[75](75/ "tree and pragmatics") Santana then put Mella, Duarte, and Sánchez in jail.[76](76/ "tree and pragmatics") On February 27, 1845, Santana executed [María Trinidad Sánchez](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/María_Trinidad_Sánchez), heroine of La Trinitaria, and others for conspiracy.[77](77/ "tree and pragmatics") After defeating a Haitian invasion in April 1849 at the [Battle of Las Carreras](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Las_Carreras), Santana marched on Santo Domingo and deposed President [Manuel Jimenes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manuel_Jimenes) in a [coup d'état](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coup_d%27état).[78](78/ "tree and pragmatics") At his behest, Congress elected Buenaventura Báez as president, but Báez was unwilling to serve as Santana's puppet.[79](79/ "tree and pragmatics") In November–December 1849, Dominican seamen raided the Haitian coasts, plundered seaside villages, as far as [Dame-Marie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dame-Marie,_Haiti) on the [Tiburon Peninsula](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiburon_Peninsula), and butchered crews of captured enemy ships.[\[60\]](page/7/#ref-60 "note 60")[\[61\]](page/7/#ref-61 "note 61")[80](80/ "tree and pragmatics") A fourth and final invasion by Haiti in November 1855 was defeated by Dominican forces by January 27, 1856, resulting in thousands of Haitian casualties.[\[62\]](page/7/#ref-62 "note 62")[81](81/ "tree and pragmatics") Santana and Báez competed for political dominance, with Báez prevailing in 1857 and expelling Santana, and Santana returning to power in 1859 and expelling Báez.[82](82/ "tree and pragmatics") **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Dominican_Republic/page/2/) … [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Dominican_Republic/page/7/) - next →: [page 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Dominican_Republic/page/2/) - ↑ back to [English Wikipedia](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/)