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Dominican Republic
Relevant information about Dominican Republic.
The Dominican Republic is a multicolored tapestry of Spanish, French, Haitian, and African influences woven by a rich and storied history. Christopher Columbus described this abundant land as "a gorgeous island heaven with high forested mountains and large river valleys". This declaration is still as accurate today as it was in 1492. In addition to the comforts of sun, sea, and sand, the Dominican Republic offers a thrilling and only one of its kind cultural experience that will fascinate your senses. This is a destination like no other - a sensual banquet of dazzling landscapes, exotic cuisine, and an extraordinary diversity of arts and entertainment options. The pulse-pounding thrill of the merengue, fascinating relics from centuries past, best cigars, and even first-class baseball await you. The Dominican Republic is an astonishing place that will delight even the most knowledgeable traveler. The Dominican Republic (DR) is a land of contrasts – the physical kind, like the highest peak and the lowest point in the Caribbean, and the more figurative kind, like that between the urban street life of Santo Domingo and the rural villages just a short drive away. Santo Domingo, or ‘La Capital’ as it’s characteristically called, is to Dominicans what New York is to Americans, a collection of cultures; or what Havana is to Cubans, a lively beating heart that fuels the whole nation. It’s also a living museum, offering the sight of New World firsts scattered around the attractive cobblestone streets of the Zona Colonial. The DR is as well well-known for the large all-inclusive resorts that dominate much of the country’s prime beachfront real estate. On the other hand, the result is less like the high-rise overcrowding of Cancun or Miami and more like low-slung retirement communities, albeit ones inhabited by families, couples and singles of all ages looking for a hassle-free holiday. Further than the gated luxury enclaves, the roads lead inland past vast sugar plantations and through little villages. To get away from the get-away, travelers head to the Peninsula de Samaná, where the European vibe is as strong as an espresso, and where escape is the operative word. Cabaret on the North Coast has winds which draw adrenaline junkies from around the planet. And for the anti-Caribbean experience head to the popular mountain retreats of Jarabacoa and Constanza – spots where bathing suits are out and sweaters are in.
The inhabitants of the Dominican Republic in 2007 were projected by the United Nations at 9,760,000, which placed it number 82 in populace amongst the 193 nations of the earth. In that year approximately 5% of the inhabitants were over 65 years of age, while 35% of the inhabitants were under 15 years of age. There were 103 males for every 100 females in the nation in 2007. According to the UN, the annual inhabitants’ enlargement rate for 2006–2007 is 1.5%, with the projected inhabitants for the year 2015 at 10,121,000. It was projected by the Dominican government that the inhabitants concentration in 2007 was 192 per km² (498 per sq mi), and 63% of the inhabitants lived in urban areas. The southern coastal plains and the Cibao Valley are the most densely occupied areas of the nation. The capital city, Santo Domingo, had a populace of 3,014,000 in 2007. Other important cities are Santiago de los Caballeros (pop. 756,098), La Romana (pop. 250,000), San Pedro de Macorís, San Francisco de Macorís, Puerto Plata, and La Vega. Per the United Nations, the urban population increase rate for 2000–2005 was 2.3% The ethnic composition of the Dominican populace is 73% multiracial, 16% white, and 11% black. The multiracial populace is mainly a mixture of European and African, with a distinguished amount of Taíno ancestry as well. The country's populace also includes a large Haitian minority. Other ethnic groups in the nation include West Asians—mostly Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinians. A smaller, yet important presence of East Asians (primarily ethnic Chinese and Japanese) can also be found throughout the populace. Europeans are represented frequently by Spaniards, Germans, Italians, Portuguese, British, and French. There are also tens of thousands of populace from the United States. A system of racial stratification was imposed on Santo Domingo by Spain, as somewhere else in the Spanish Empire. Its effects have persisted, reaching their finale in the Trujillo regime, as the dictator used racial harassment and nationalistic fervor against Haitians. A U.N. envoy in October 2007 found racism against blacks in general, and Haitians in particular, to be rampant in each segment of Dominican society. According to a study by the CUNY Dominican Studies Institute, about 90% of the contemporary Dominican populace has West African ancestry to varying degrees. Though, most Dominicans do not self-identify as black, in contrast to people of West African ancestry in other nations. A diversity of terms are used to represent a range of skin tones, such as moreno/a (brown), canelo/a (red/brown) ["cinnamon"], indio/a (Indian), blanco/a oscuro/a (dark white), and trigueño/a (literally "wheat colored", or olive skin). The Dominican Republic is not only one of its kinds in this respect, either. In a 1976 census survey conducted in Brazil, respondents described their skin color in 136 distinct terms. This is also frequent in the neighboring island of Puerto Rico. The culture and populace of the Dominican Republic, like its Spanish Caribbean neighbors, is a merge of the cultures of the Spanish colonists, African slaves, and Taíno natives. European, African and Taíno cultural basics are most prominent in food, family structure, religion and music. Many Arawak/Taíno names and words are used in every day conversation and for a lot of foods native to the DR. Dominican cuisine is mainly made up of a mixture of Spanish and African influences over the last few centuries. The characteristic cuisine is quite comparable to what can be found in other Latin American countries, but lots of the names of dishes are dissimilar. One breakfast dish consists of eggs and mangú (mashed, boiled plantain), a dish that the Dominican Republic shares with Cuba and Puerto Rico. For heartier versions, mangú is accompanied by deep-fried meat (typically Dominican salami) and/or cheese. Likewise to Spain, lunch is usually the largest and most significant meal of the day. Lunch typically consists of rice, meat (such as chicken, beef, pork, or fish), beans, and a side portion of salad. "La Bandera" (literally "The Flag") is the most popular lunch dish; it consists of meat and red beans on white rice. Sancocho is a stew made with seven varieties of meat.
After a decade of little to no increase in the 1980s, the Dominican Republic's financial system boomed in the 1990s, increasing at an average rate of 7.7% per year from 1996 to 2000. Tourism (the leading foreign exchange earner), telecommunications, and free-trade-zone manufacturing are the most significant sectors, even though agriculture is still a major part of the financial system. The Dominican Republic owed much of its achievement to the adoption of sound macroeconomic policies in the early 1990s and greater opening to foreign investment. Expansion turned negative in 2003 (-0.4%) due to the effects of government handling of major bank frauds and to lower U.S. demand for Dominican manufactures. The Mejía administration negotiated an IMF standby agreement in August 2003 but was not capable to comply with fiscal targets. The Fernandez administration obtained required tax legislation and IMF board approval for the standby in January 2005. The Dominican peso fell to an unparalleled low in exchange markets in 2003-2004 but strengthened dramatically following the election and inauguration of Leonel Fernandez. Since late 2004 it has traded at a rate measured to be overrated on a purchasing power parity basis. Inflation fell sharply in late 2004 and was projected at 9% for that calendar year. The Fernandez administration effectively renegotiated official bilateral debt with Paris Club member governments, commercial bank debt with London Club members, and sovereign debt with a consortium of lenders. It met fiscal and financial targets of the standby agreement but fell short of goals for reforms in the electricity sector and economic markets. The IMF standby agreement ended in January 2008. The global economic crisis, and in particular the U.S. recession, started to impact the Dominican financial system in 2008 with remittances, exports, and tourism revenues falling. Economists consider that the full impact has not yet been felt and will worsen in 2009. The Dominican Republic's most significant trading partner is the United States (75% of export revenues). Other markets include Canada, Western Europe, and Japan. The country exports free-trade-zone manufactured products (garments, medical devices, etc.), nickel, sugar, coffee, cacao, and tobacco. It imports petroleum, industrial raw materials, capital goods, and foodstuffs. On September 5, 2005, the Dominican Congress ratified a free trade agreement with the U.S. and five Central American nations, known as CAFTA-DR. The CAFTA-DR agreement entered into force for the Dominican Republic on March 1, 2007. Most of the U.S. foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Dominican Republic is directed to the energy and tourism sectors, to free trade zones, and to the telecommunications sector. Remittances were close to $3 billion in 2008. A significant facet of the Dominican financial system is the Free Trade Zone industry (FTZ), which made up U.S. $4.55 billion in Dominican exports for 2006 (70% of total exports). Reports show, though, that the FTZs lost about 60,000 between 2005 and 2007 and suffered a 4% reduces in total exports in 2006. The textiles sector experienced an estimated 17% drop in exports due in part to the appreciation of the Dominican peso against the dollar, Asian competition following ending of the quotas of the Multi-Fiber Arrangement, and a government-mandated increase in salaries, which should have occurred in 2005 but was postponed to January 2006. Lost Dominican business was captured by firms in Central America and Asia. The tobacco, jewelry, medical, and pharmaceutical sectors in the FTZs all reported enlargements for 2006, which somewhat offset textile and garment losses. Industry experts from the FTZs suppose that entry into force of the CAFTA-DR agreement will prolong to promote considerable increase in the FTZ sector. An ongoing apprehension in the Dominican Republic is the incapability of participants in the electricity sector to establish monetary viability for the system. Three regional electricity distribution systems were privatized in 1998 via sale of 50% of shares to foreign operators; the Mejia administration repurchased all foreign-owned shares in two of these systems in late 2003. The Fernandez administration announced in June 2009 that it is negotiating the purchase of the third distributor, which serves the eastern provinces. The World Bank records that electricity distribution losses for 2008 totaled about 36%, a rate of losses exceeded in only two other nations. Due to low compilation rates, theft, infrastructure troubles, and corruption, distribution losses stay elevated. Subsidies to the electricity sector exceeded $1 billion in 2008. Congress passed a law in 2007 that criminalizes the act of stealing electricity; it entered into force in February 2009. The electricity segment is highly politicized; the scene of further efficient reforms in the sector is reduced. Debts in the sector, counting government debt, amount to close to U.S. $600 million. A few generating companies are undercapitalized and at times not capable to purchase sufficient fuel supplies.
The Dominican Republic has long been one of the most admired destinations in the Caribbean for North Americans to get away and soak up some rays on sandy beaches. Now this little nation which shares an island with Haiti is becoming recognized for one more kind of holiday; the surgical holiday. As the idea of medical tourism catches on around the globe, the Dominican Republic has imprinted out its niche in the medical tourism racket by offering cut-rate prices on cosmetic surgery. Becoming recognized not just for its cultural legacy and natural attractiveness, but also for its medical amenities that offer cheaper procedures than back home, the Dominican Republic is becoming a practical destination for those seeking elective or cosmetic surgery. Now it’s probable to book a getaway to a private clinic in the Dominican for medical treatment, after which you can doze by the pool and calm down while you get better. Frequently the clinics here offer patients full package deals. Clinics characteristically provide their own set of discounted airfares. Once you've arrived, you’ll feel like you’re in a private resort. There are as well some private hospitals that have a good status for surgical procedures other than plastic surgery, but nearly all visitors come here for treatment of the elective assortment. Medical Tourism in Dominican Republic is quickly becoming the alternative of patients and individuals who deal with hefty plastic surgery cost and medical bills. Plastic surgery in the Dominican Republic and other countries like Costa Rica, India, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina are fast becoming the new face of medicine in which plastic surgery cost and healthcare treatments are totally reasonably priced and safe. In fact, Americans are projected to help turn global medical tourism into a $40 billion-a-year industry by 2010 due to overwhelming plastic surgery cost and healthcare insurance. Medical tourism has become a large and flourishing business that most foreign patients have already accepted the fact that it works. It is no longer the butcher shop surgeries or the quackery medicine of the past. In fact, a number of the countries that offers offshore plastic surgery are being promoted by U.S. surgeons if they know that a patient could not afford his desired medical procedure locally. Foreign countries have stepped up, and are outperforming the healthcare system quality and cost in the U.S. Americans are recognizing these foreign doctors, hospitals, and healthcare centers as an opportunity to their options in the states.
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