Dominican RepublicBy: Kyle Pollitt

(en.18dao.net)

Geography The island of Hispaniola is the second largest island in the

Caribbean with approximately 18,704 square miles. This is about the size of Vermont and New Hampshire together. Hispaniola is the only island in the Caribbean that contains 2 separate countries. The Dominican Republic claims about 2/3 of the eastern part of the island while Haiti occupies the western 1/3. The north coast of the island is flanked by the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Ocean flanks the south coast.

(hispaniola.com,

Dave’s Photos)

Geography The Dominican Republic has

a diverse geography ranging from arid semi-desert plains to valleys of tropical rain forests. There are 3 mountain ranges that run parallel to each other in an east/west direction with the highest mountain peak of over 10,000 feet. There are 870 miles of coastline beaches that boast pristine soft sand and great surf.

(dominicanrepublic.com,

Dave’s photos)

People

• The original natives of the island of Hispaniola were called Tainos. 73% of modern Dominicans are a mixed race; the product of the Spanish and European conquerors mixed with their African slaves. The majority of Dominicans live in urban and city areas. The 2009 population census was 9.65 million people with about 2 million living within the greater Santo Domingo area.

(dominicanrepublic.com,

state.gov, Dave’s photos)

People Most Dominicans work in the

service industry, which includes tourism, transportation, banking, retail, etc. Others work in manufacturing, construction, agriculture, and mining. Those who work in agriculture produce some of the world’s best cocoa and coffee beans as well as their superior tobacco. Although repeatedly destroyed by hurricanes, the Dominican farmers are experts in cultivating and nourishing their crops. The major language spoken is Spanish and almost all Dominicans are Roman Catholics although all religions are welcome in the Dominican Republic. School is required for all children through grade 6 and the literacy rate is 84.7%.

(www.state.gov, www.nationsencyclopedia.com, Dave’s Photos,)

Culture The capitol of the

Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo, was called the first city of the Americas. Modern Dominican’s live very diverse lifestyles. Basic infrastructure of clean water, plumbing, electricity, roads and health care are seriously lacking just outside the luxury tourist resorts. Most live in poverty and appreciate foreign assistance by church missionaries and health professionals.

(dominicanrepublic.com, Dave’s photos)

Culture• Dominican male children

know that American baseball could be their ticket out of poverty. Baseball is a huge spectator sport on the island and the Dominican Republic has several professional teams. Many American Major League Baseball clubs have built sports centers there and have farm teams to tap into the talent rich Dominican players.

(usatoday.com, Dave’s photos)

History

The island of Hispaniola has a checkered history of conquering and ceding from different governments. After discovery by Columbus in 1492, the island was occupied by the French and the Spanish; was eventually split to form the 2 separate countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic; was conquered by Haiti in 1822 until the Dominican Republic forces returned it to an independent state in 1844. Dominicans voluntarily returned to the Spanish Empire in 1861 until independence was once again restored in 1865. Many difficulties led to a U.S. occupation from 1916 – 1924 when a democratically elected government was established.

(www.state.gov)

History

The Dominican Republic has since gone through decades of corrupt government leaders but the political conditions seem to have improved with a new constitution that was ratified in 1994 and changed again during the 2000 – 2004 presidency. The current government is a system almost identical to the U.S. and the newly elected president Leonel Fernandez Reyna has established a strong relationship with the United States

(state.gov, consuladordmiami.org )

Sources

www.hispaniola.com/dominican_republic/info/location

www.dominicanrepublic.com

www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35639.htm

www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/Dominican-Republic-AGRICULTURE.html

www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2008-04-29-2778253130_x.htm

http://www.consuladordmiami.org/images/leonel.jpg

http://en.18dao.net/images/e/ec/Map-Dominican_Republic.jpg

Dr. David Schumacher’s personal photos

Beisbol (Baseball)

By: Kyle Pollitt

Scene.zvents.com

The Beisbol Craze

• The people of the Dominican Republic are crazy about

beisbol. Beisbol is not a national pastime it’s a national

passion. The Dominican Republic has 6 professional

teams in its baseball league dating back to 1907. caribbean-dominican-republic.com & Dave’s photos

Cultural Influence Boys learn very quickly that

baseball could be their ticket out of poverty and off the island. Since most students do not attend school past the 6th

grade, becoming a baseball player is the teenager’s life ambition. Those 16 or 17-year-old prospects that are good enough are picked to enter one of the American training camp programs and paid $800.00 a month. Years later they may show up in the team’s farm system and then in

the big leagues. Many of the club’s academic and community outreach programs will be coordinated with the assistance of students from the San Diego State University sports program.usatoday.com, sandiego. padres.mlb.com,

& newscenter.sdsu.edu

Dominican Parks The Dominican Republic is home to 20 major league

American sponsored baseball training parks. The San Diego Padres opened their park in April of 2008. The $8 million dollar facility is located in the Najayo community in San Cristobal. The all inclusive 15 acre park includes 2 regulation size playing fields, a half field, indoor batting cages, a clubhouse, weight and training rooms, dining hall,housing for 60 players as well as

coaches and managers, offices

and classrooms to further the

players’ education particularly

in learning English.

sandiego.padres.mlb.com,

goodwillambassablog.com, & Dave’s photos

MLB Players Although the Padres don’t have anyone on their 40 man

roster from the Dominican Republic, there have been 494 Dominicans who have played for Major League Baseball teams since 1958.

Among the most famous are Sammy Sosa, Alex Rodriguez, Pedro Martinez, and Manny Ramirez.

baseball-almanac.com & wikimedia.org

Sources

www.caribbean-dominican-republic.com/baseball.htm

www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2008-04-29-2778253130_x.htm

www.sandiego.padres.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20090122&content_id=3764360&vkey=pr_sd&fext=.jsp&c_id=sd

www.baseball-almanac.com/players/birthplace.php?loc=Dominican%20Republic

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/07/Tigres_Del_Licey_Logo.png

http://newscenter.sdsu.edu/sdsu_newscenter/images/stories/res300xy-str-071609-dominican.jpg

http://goodwillambassablog.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/padres-logo.jpg

http://scene.zvents.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/baseball.jpg

Dr. David Schumacher’s personal photos

Agriculture

By: Kyle PollittJhltd.net

Trade Exports

In the Dominican Republic agriculture remains one of the primary occupations and trade exports produce $6.484 billion per year for the island economy. Almost 30% of the total land area is suitable for crop production and 17% of the labor force is involved in farming. Despite being hampered by droughts, hurricanes, slumping world prices, and child/forced labor issues the value of the agricultural output has grown an average of 7.1% annually.

nationsencyclopedia.com & ahm-honduras.com

Coffee and Sugar Two of the leading agriculture

exports are coffee and sugar. In 2001, exports of exceptional Dominican coffee generated $11 million. In 2007, 10,122,000 pounds of coffee was exported. The unique growing conditions combining altitude, latitude, rainfall and soil all add up to a distinctive coffee described as smooth, bright, and with medium body. The Dominican Republic is second only to Cuba in the Caribbean for their sugar cane production and is the largest single supplier of sugar to the U.S. The State Sugar Council operates 12 sugar mills and accounts for more than 1/2 of the total production which reached 248,000 tons in 2006.

dominicancoffee.com, 3.bp.blogspot.com & samsclub.com

Cigars Cigar aficionados around the world seek to smoke cigars from tobacco

grown in the Dominican Republic. 81 companies are listed on the Dominican cigar website including the premium labels of Arturo Fuentes, Ashton, Montecristo, and Hoyo de Monterrey. Dominican tobacco farmers are masters at cultivating the finest crops. Growing tobacco starts with planting a seed under straw. When the seed germinates it is transplanted to a field. The plant grows rapidly and produces a bud that must be removed in order for the plant to use its energy to grow lush leaves. The harvesting process is done in 6 phases and leaves are hung to dry for 6 to 8 weeks before being sorted for quality. Fermentation can take up to 2 years when the tobacco leaves are shipped to a factory for hand rolling.

dominicancigars.com & mikescigars.com

Cocoa Beans

• Cocoa is another Dominican cash crop that is traded worldwide. Cacao trees flourish on the island and produce a very high quality of cocoa beans. Large pods about the size of a football are carefully harvested by hand using a machete. Each pod contains between 20 to 50 beans and it takes about 80 beans to make a typical American chocolate bar. According to Transfair USA the farmers see about 1 cent per candy bar. Another issue with agriculture is the practice of using child and forced labor on the farms. The YACAO Project now grows many cocoa beans, which is a co-op of small-scale farmers who ensure fair and equal salary for work. The 365 Organic Swiss chocolate bar that can be purchased at Whole Foods has a no slave labor guarantee. faircompanies.com, articales.webraydian.com,

wholefoods.com, & nutritiondietshealth.com

Sources http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/Dominican-Republic-

AGRICULTURE.html

http://www.dominicancoffee.com/Ingles/charaters.html

http://www.dominicancigars.com/home.cigar_school.grown_harvest.html

http://www.faircompanies.com/blogs/view/blood-chocolate_production_as_a_crime/

http://www.articales.webraydian.com/articale21583-Dominican_Republic_The_Home_of_the_Best_Cocoa_Beans_in_the_World.html

www.wholefoods.com

http://www.nutritiondietshealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/cocoa-beans-diet-blood-flow-health-nutrition-vitamins-cure.jpg

http://www.mikescigars.com/images/cat_images/68.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vSgKcoOFeJI/RoLnmxP3i9I/AAAAAAAAADg/2kE0Fvp9P0U/s400/A_small_cup_of_coffee.JPG

http://graphics.samsclub.com/images/products/0004920004754_LG.jpg

http://www.jhltd.net/images/sugarcane3.jpg

http://www.ahm-honduras.com/inversion/imagenes/export.jpg