Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic, usually called Santo Domingo in the Caribbean after the name of its capital city, is one of the larger islands of the Caribbean. The Republic shares the poverty-stricken island of Hispaniola with Haiti, but has a larger surface area than Haiti. Dictator Trujillo held power there for 31 years between 1930 and 1961. The country subsequently saw 17 years of political instability, and was invaded by the U.S. military in 1965, at which time America took over administration for two years. Since 1978, the country has enjoyed a stable democracy that serves as an example in the region. In Flanders, the Dominican Republic is best known as a holiday island. The country is stable, the sun almost always shines, and foreign tourists are well looked after. Tourism is the largest sector of the economy of the country followed by the agricultural sector (including pineapple and cocoa). The country is also known for its excellent cigars and rum. The most successful merengue artist, Juan Luis Guerra, is also a successful export product that the Dominican Republic has introduced to music venues all over the world.