Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo lies on the southern coast of the Dominican Republic, on the island of Hispaniola. The city was founded in 1498 as La Nueva Isabela, after Queen Isabella of Spain, by Bartolomé Colón, the younger brother of Christopher Columbus. It was initially established as the center of Spanish colonial rule in the New World. It is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the Americas, and the most populous city in the Caribbean, with over 3.5 million residents in the greater metropolitan area.http://www.metrolic.com/the-capitals-of-the-world-santo-domingo-119701/http://www.thedominicanrepublic.net/CitiesandTowns.htm

Santo Domingo is the economic and political center of the country. It houses the National Palace, which is the President's office, and the National Congress. Major banks and large shopping plazas such as the Acropolis Center, are situated along five major thoroughfares that constitute the commercial center: Avenida John F. Kennedy, Avenida 27 de Febrero, Avenida Winston Churchill, and Avenida Máximo Gómez. The poorer sections of the city generally lie at the peripheries. http://www.tripwiser.com/trip_destination-Santo_Domingo_Dominican_Republic?itiNodeId=8a8c80fe1636b0a00116371578a803dd&eType=site

The Colonial Zone features European architecture going back to the 16th century, and was added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites in 1990.http://www.metrolic.com/the-capitals-of-the-world-santo-domingo-119701/

As the first European center in the Americas, Santo Domingo stood at the forefront of Spanish colonization of the New World. The native Tainos, who originally occupied the island, welcomed Columbus on his first voyage in 1492. However, subsequent colonizers led a brutal genocide of the native peoples, reducing the Taino population from approximately one million to under 500 in less than fifty years.http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35639.htm

From 1503 the Spanish introduced African slaves to the island to work the sugarcane plantations. The Republic of Haiti, a French colony occupying the western end of the island, conquered the whole island in 1822. In 1844, Juan Pablo Duarte led forces to drive out the Haitians, leading to the establishment of the Dominican Republic as an independent state.http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35639.htm

The United States occupied the capital and established a military government from 1916 to 1924, after which the government was restored to democratic rule. From 1930 until his death by assassination in 1961, the army commander Rafael L. Trujillo promoted uneven economic development under an oppressive dictatorship. Other prominent presidents who followed Trujillo in the 20th century include Joaquín Balaguer and Antonio Guzman.http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35639.htm

Santo Domingo lies at latitude 18°30'N and longitude 69°59'W.http://www.mapsofworld.com/lat_long/dominican-republic-lat-long.html The city's metropolitan area covers approximately 290 square miles, divided into four municipalities: Santo Domingo de Guzmán National District is at the center, with Villa Mella Municipal District to the north, San Isidro Municipal District to the east, and Santo Domingo Oeste encompassing the newest municipality, separating the western part of Santo Domingo province from the National District.http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Americas/Dominican-Republic.html

As a major port city, Santo Domingo was built around the Ozama river, which flows though the center of town and empties into the Caribbean Sea. The city is close to sea level, with several steep hilly areas.http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/437134/Ozama-River

• Zona Colonial: World Heritage site of forts, churches, and historic buildings dating back to Columbus. http://www.colonialzone-dr.com/
• The Malecón: Coastal park with luxury hotels and casinos as well as historic monuments and statues.http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2770025-el_malecon_santo_domingo-i
• Acuario Nacional: The national aquarium features Tamaury, an orphaned manatee.http://traveldk.com/dominican-republic/dk/acuario-nacional-santo-domingo
• Boca Chica: A sandy beach set in a protective bay with clear water, with bars and restaurants, hotels and guesthouses.http://traveldk.com/dominican-republic/dk/boca-chica-beach
• Dr. Rafael Ma. Moscoso National Botanical Garden: A recreational center for educational and scientific learning.http://www.adoredominican.com/destinations/capital-city-santo-domingo/166.html

• Junot Diaz: Author
• Julia Alvarez: Author
• Pedro Henriquez Urena: Literary critic
• Fabio Fiallo: Poet
• Juan Luis Guerra: Musician
• Mariasela Alvarez: Miss World 1982
• Manny Mota: Baseball player
• Sammy Sosa: Baseball playerhttp://www.visiting-the-dominican-republic.com/famous-people-from-the-dominican-republic.html