The Dominican Republic is a Caribbean nation located on the island of Hispaniola, sharing a border with Haiti. It's the second-largest country in the Antilles by both area (48,671 sq km) and population (approximately 11.4 million), after Cuba and Haiti respectively. The capital city is Santo Domingo, home to around 3.6 million people. The Dominican Republic shares a maritime border with Puerto Rico.
From 1902, short-lived governments became the norm, with caudillos usurping power and the nation facing debt crisis.
In 1905, United States President Theodore Roosevelt obtained an agreement for U.S. administration of Dominican customs.
In 1906, an agreement provided for the U.S. to use customs proceeds to reduce the Dominican Republic's foreign debt.
From 1896 to 1907, missionaries from the Episcopal, Free Methodist, Seventh-day Adventist and Moravian churches began work in the Dominican Republic.
In 1911, President Ramón Cáceres was assassinated, leading to political instability and civil war.
On April 14, 1913, General José Bordas Valdez became president of the Dominican Republic, sparking a revolt.
On April 13, 1914, when José Bordas Valdez's term expired, a new revolution broke out nationwide.
In August 1914, a political deadlock was broken after an ultimatum by Wilson, leading to the selection of a provisional president.
On May 7, 1916, Juan Isidro Jimenes resigned as president, prompting the U.S. occupation of the Dominican Republic.
On May 16, 1916, U.S. Marines landed in the Dominican Republic, seizing the capital and other ports.
During the U.S. occupation of 1916–24, Dominican peasants attacked U.S. Marines and Arab vendors.
In 1916, volleyball was introduced in Dominican Republic by U.S. Marines.
In 1918, the Dominican education system expanded significantly with grass-roots support during US occupation. Between 1918 and 1920, more than three hundred schools were established nationwide.
On February 25, 1919, Rear Admiral Thomas Snowden relieved Rear Admiral Knapp as military governor of the Dominican Republic.
In 1920, Dominican Republic art scene was influenced by styles of realism and impressionism.
In 1920, the Dominican education system continued to expand with grass-roots support during US occupation. Between 1918 and 1920, more than three hundred schools were established nationwide.
In October 1922, the U.S. government's rule ended in Dominican Republic.
In March 1924, elections were held in the Dominican Republic, with Horacio Vásquez winning.
On July 13, 1924, Horacio Vásquez was inaugurated as president of the Dominican Republic.
In September 1930, Hurricane San Zenón devastated Santo Domingo, killing 8,000 people, and Trujillo consolidated his power afterwards.
In November 1930, General Cipriano Bencosme, who led an uprising against Trujillo, was defeated and killed.
In 1930, General Rafael Trujillo seized power following a military revolt against the government of Vásquez.
In 1930, Rafael Trujillo began his dictatorship after a military revolt against the government of Vásquez.
In 1932, fashion designer Oscar de la Renta was born in the Dominican Republic.
In 1935, Rafael Trujillo negotiated an undisputed border with Haiti.
Starting in 1935, several Dominicans were assassinated in New York City after taking part in anti-Trujillo activities.
In 1936, the Distrito Nacional was created in the Dominican Republic.
In October 1937, Dominican troops killed an estimated 17,000–35,000 Haitian men, women, and children on the Haitian-Dominican border under Trujillo's orders.
From 1937, Merengue music was promoted internationally by Dominican groups.
From the mid-1800s until about 1940, Puerto Rican, and to a lesser extent, Cuban immigrants fled to the Dominican Republic due to poor economy and social unrest, settling in cities like Higüey. Before and during World War II, 800 Jewish refugees moved to the Dominican Republic.
In 1940, Dominican Republic art scene was influenced by styles of realism and impressionism.
In 1941, Trujillo achieved the end of the 50-year customs agreement well before its expiration in 1956.
During the Battle of the Caribbean in 1942, two Dominican-flagged merchant vessels, the San Rafael and the Presidente Trujillo, were sunk by German U-boats, Dominican Republic symbolically sided with the Allies. Although the country didn't contribute militarily, sugar and other agricultural products supported the Allied war effort.
In 1947, the Dominican Republic became debt-free under Trujillo's regime.
In 1950, the Dominican Republic's population was 2,380,000.
Until 1950, Merengue music was promoted internationally by Dominican groups.
On September 23, 1956, Ozzie Virgil Sr. became the first Dominican-born player in Major League Baseball.
In 1956, Trujillo's agents kidnapped Columbia University lecturer Jesús Galíndez in New York and had him flown to the Dominican Republic.
On August 13, 1959, a C-47 transport from the Dominican Republic was seized by Castro at Trinidad airport, leading to a deadly exchange and arrests.
On August 26, 1960, the United States severed diplomatic relations with the Dominican Republic following the confirmation of Trujillo's complicity in an assassination attempt.
On November 25, 1960, Trujillo's henchmen killed three of the Mirabal sisters, known as Las Mariposas, who were conspiring against his regime.
In 1960, the U.S. broke with Trujillo after his intelligence chief orchestrated an attempt to assassinate the Venezuelan president Rómulo Betancourt.
In January 1961, the United States suspended the export of trucks, parts, crude oil, gasoline, and other petroleum products to the Dominican Republic as part of the sanctions.
On May 30, 1961, Rafael Trujillo was assassinated by Dominican dissidents during a car chase.
On May 31, 1961, Venezuelan authorities arrested individuals plotting to overthrow their government, who were armed with weapons traced back to the Dominican Republic.
On November 18, 1961, U.S. Secretary of State Dean Rusk warned that the U.S. would not remain idle if the Trujillos attempted to reassert dictatorial domination.
In 1961, the first of three late-20th century emigration waves from the Dominican Republic began after the assassination of dictator Trujillo, driven by fear of retaliation and political uncertainty.
Rafael Trujillo's dictatorship, which began in 1930, ended with his assassination in 1961.
On January 4, 1962, the Organization of American States (OAS) lifted its sanctions on the Dominican Republic.
In 1962, Juan Bosch was elected president of the Dominican Republic.
In February 1963, a democratically elected government under Juan Bosch took office in the Dominican Republic.
By 1963, Oscar de la Renta had designs bearing his own label.
From 1963, the social democratic Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) was in power.
In 1963, Juan Bosch was deposed in a military coup, after being elected president in 1962.
In 1963, Juan Bosch was ousted in a coup, which led to US intervention in 1965.
On April 24, 1965, a second military coup ousted the military-installed president Donald Reid Cabral in the Dominican Republic.
In 1965, the Dominican Civil War took place, preceding the authoritarian rule of Joaquín Balaguer.
In 1965, the United States began a military occupation of the Dominican Republic to end a civil war, subsequently easing travel restrictions and making it easier for Dominicans to obtain U.S. visas.
From 1966, the conservative Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC) was in power.
From 1966, the exodus continued, fueled by high unemployment and political repression.
In 1966, Joaquín Balaguer began his authoritarian rule, which lasted until 1978 and later from 1986 to 1996.
In 1966, Joaquín Balaguer, Trujillo's last puppet-president, won the elections in the Dominican Republic, beginning a 12-year period of rule.
In 1971, Oscar de la Renta became a US citizen.
In 1973, Bosch founded the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD).
From 1978, the social democratic Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) was in power.
In 1978, Antonio Guzmán Fernández of the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) succeeded Balaguer as president.
In 1978, the first term of Joaquín Balaguer's authoritarian rule came to an end.
Until 1978, the exodus continued, fueled by high unemployment and political repression.
In August 1979, Hurricane David struck the Dominican Republic, resulting in over 2,000 deaths, 200,000 people homeless, and over $1 billion in damage.
In 1982, the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) won again, under Salvador Jorge Blanco.
By 1985, the exchange rate was liberalized.
In August 1986, the exchange rate stood at 2.70 pesos per dollar.
From 1986, the conservative Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC) was in power.
In 1986, Balaguer regained the presidency of the Dominican Republic.
In 1986, Joaquín Balaguer returned to power, continuing his authoritarian rule until 1996.
During the late 1980s and 1990, the Dominican Republic experienced economic turmoil; by 1990, consumer price inflation reached an unprecedented 100%.
In 1990, Balaguer was re-elected as president of the Dominican Republic.
From 1992 to 2018, the Dominican Republic experienced the fastest-growing economy in the Western Hemisphere, with an average real GDP growth rate of 5.3%.
In 1992, during a later tenure, the massive Columbus Lighthouse was completed as part of an ambitious infrastructure program.
In 1993, the exchange rate stood at 14.00 pesos per dollar.
In 1994, Balaguer won the elections in the Dominican Republic, but the elections were flawed, leading to international pressure.
From 1996, the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) was in power.
In 1996, Leonel Fernández achieved the first-ever win for the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) in the Dominican Republic.
In 1996, due to international pressure stemming from the flawed 1994 elections, Balaguer scheduled another presidential contest in the Dominican Republic.
Since 1996, international observers have found presidential and congressional elections in Dominican Republic to be generally free and fair.
Since 1996, the Dominican Republic has moved towards representative democracy.
In 1998, Hurricane Georges was the last major hurricane to strike the Dominican Republic.
From 2000, the social democratic Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) was in power.
In 2000, Hipólito Mejía of the PRD won the election in the Dominican Republic.
In 2000, the Dominican Republic had 1.6 million phone line subscribers.
In 2000, the exchange rate stood at 16.00 pesos per dollar.
Per the United Nations, the urban population growth rate for 2000 in Dominican Republic –2005 was 2.3%.
In 2001, the new Santo Domingo Province was split off from the Distrito Nacional.
Until 2002, the Dominican Republic experienced growth and declining inflation, after which the economy entered a recession.
In 2003, 80% of all Haitians were poor (54% living in abject poverty) and 47.1% were illiterate.
In 2003, the Dominican Republic participated in the US-led coalition during the invasion of Iraq as part of the Multinational Plus Ultra Brigade, suffering no casualties.
In 2003, the Dominican Republic's GDP dropped by 1% and inflation ballooned by over 27% due to the Baninter fraud.
From 2004, the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) was in power.
In 2004, it was estimated that 8% of all cocaine smuggled into the United States had come through the Dominican Republic.
According to the 2005 Annual Report of the United Nations Subcommittee on Human Development, the Dominican Republic ranked No. 71 in the world for resource availability, No. 79 for human development, and No. 14 for resource mismanagement.
In 2005, Dominican President Leonel Fernández criticized collective expulsions of Haitians as abusive and inhuman. Foreign Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso defended the nation's sovereignty and security amid a UN report on racism and discrimination against people of Haitian origin.
Per the United Nations, the urban population growth rate for 2000-2005 in Dominican Republic was 2.3%.
In 2006, Frank Báez won the Santo Domingo Book Fair First Prize.
The annual population growth rate for 2006 in Dominican Republic was 1.5%.
In 2007, the population density in the Dominican Republic was 192 per square kilometer (498 per square mile), with 63% of the population living in urban areas.
In 2008, Fernández was elected for a third term as president of the Dominican Republic.
In 2008, Gabriel Mercedes won an Olympic silver medal in taekwondo.
In 2008, Junot Díaz won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his novel 'The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao'.
In March 2009, there were 2,439,997 Internet users in the Dominican Republic.
In June 2009, the Dominican Republic had over 8 million phone line subscribers, including both landline and cell users, representing 81% of the country's population.
In November 2009, the Dominican Republic pledged to include a 'gender perspective' in all government information and communications technology (ICT) initiatives and policies as part of the regional eLAC2010 plan, utilizing the APC Gender Evaluation Methodology (GEM).
In April 2010, five teenagers murdered two taxi drivers and killed another five by forcing them to drink drain-cleaning acid.
On September 24, 2010, five teenagers were sentenced to prison terms of three to five years for the murder of seven taxi drivers in April, sparking protests from the victims' families.
As of 2010, there was a growing Dominican immigration to Puerto Rico, with nearly 70,000 Dominicans living there.
In 2010, 31.2% of the Dominican Republic's population was under 15 years of age, and 6% was over 65 years of age.
In 2010, the capital city of Santo Domingo had a population of 2,907,100.
In 2012, Danilo Medina of the PLD was elected president of the Dominican Republic.
In 2012, a Dominican government survey found 329,281 Haitian-born; 25,814 U.S.-born (excluding Puerto Rican-born); 7,062 Spanish-born; 6,083 Puerto Rican-born; 5,417 Venezuelan-born; 3,841 Cuban-born; 3,795 Italian-born; 3,606 Colombian-born; 2,043 French-born; 1,661 German-born; 1,484 Chinese-born immigrants, among others.
In 2012, before the opening of the second line, the Santo Domingo Metro had 30,856,515 passengers.
In 2012, the Dominican Republic recorded a murder rate of 22.1 per 100,000 population, totaling 2,268 murders for the year.
In 2012, there were approximately 1.7 million people of Dominican descent in the U.S., including both native- and foreign-born individuals.
In April 2013, the second line of the Santo Domingo Metro opened, designed to alleviate traffic congestion along the Duarte-Kennedy-Centenario Corridor.
As of August 2013, the Santo Domingo Metro's total length, including both lines, was 27.35 kilometers (16.99 miles).
Between 2013 and 2016, the government of the Dominican Republic invested a total of $16 billion pesos in health services offered to foreign patients, including expenses for blood transfusions, clinical analyses, and surgeries.
In 2013, remittances in the Dominican Republic was recorded as US$3333 million.
In 2013, the Dominican Republic team went undefeated en route to winning the World Baseball Classic.
On October 20, 2014, Oscar de la Renta died of complications from cancer.
As of 2014, 57% of the Dominican Republic population (5.7 million) identified as Roman Catholics and 23% (2.3 million) as Protestants.
In 2014, remittances in the Dominican Republic increased to US$4571.30 million from US$3333 million in 2013.
In 2014, the Dominican Republic's GDP growth reached 7.3%, the highest in the Western Hemisphere.
In 2014, with both lines of the Santo Domingo Metro open, ridership increased to 61,270,054 passengers.
In 2015, the Dominican Republic's GDP growth reached 7.0%, the highest in the Western Hemisphere, and gold production was 31 metric tonnes.
The projected population for the Dominican Republic in 2015 was 10,121,000.
According to the 2016 Global Slavery Index, an estimated 104,800 people are enslaved in the modern day Dominican Republic, or 1% of the population.
As of 2016, Dominican immigration trends to Puerto Rico had reversed because of Puerto Rico's economic crisis.
Between 2013 and 2016, the government of the Dominican Republic invested a total of $16 billion pesos in health services offered to foreign patients, including expenses for blood transfusions, clinical analyses, and surgeries.
In 2016, Danilo Medina of the PLD was re-elected president of the Dominican Republic.
Starting in 2016, presidential and congressional elections in the Dominican Republic were held jointly, following a constitutional reform.
According to a 2017 estimate from the Dominican government, the Dominican Republic had a population of 10,189,895, of which 847,979 were immigrants or descendants of recent immigrants and 9,341,916 were ethnic Dominicans.
In the second half of 2017, a survey estimated the total population in the Dominican Republic at 10,189,895, with 9,341,916 being Dominicans with no foreign background. The majority of the foreign-born population was of Haitian origin (751,080 out of 847,979), followed by Venezuelan, United States, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Colombian, Puerto Rican, and Cuban populations.
As of September 2018, the exchange rate was 50.08 pesos per dollar.
From 1992 to 2018, the Dominican Republic experienced the fastest-growing economy in the Western Hemisphere, with an average real GDP growth rate of 5.3%.
In 2018, Dominican Republic signed the UN treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Since that year, the Drone Unit of the Intelligence Directorate of the Joint Staff (J-2) has operated drones for border surveillance against illegal crossings from Haiti.
In 2018, Santo Domingo was named a Culinary Capital of the Caribbean by the Ibero-American Academy of Gastronomy.
In 2019, Santo Domingo was named a Culinary Capital of the Caribbean by the Ibero-American Academy of Gastronomy.
In 2019, the Dominican Republic was ranked 87th in the Global Innovation Index.
In 2020, Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado won the World and European Cyclo-cross championship.
In 2020, Luis Abinader was elected president of the Dominican Republic, marking the end of 16 years in power for the centre-left Dominican Liberation Party (PLD).
In 2020, Luis Abinader, the presidential candidate for the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM), defeated the PLD in the Dominican Republic's election.
In 2020, the Dominican Republic had an estimated birth rate of 18.5 per 1000 and a death rate of 6.3 per 1000.
In 2020, there were an estimated 102.3 males for every 100 females in the Dominican Republic.
In 2021, the Dominican Republic's population was 11,117,873.
In a 2022 population survey, the results were (Indio 34.2%, Moreno 26.1%, Afro-Dominicans, 7.7%, Mulatto 3.8%), 18.7% as White, 7.4% as Black, and 0.3% as "Other".
According to the WHO, in 2023 the Dominican Republic had one of the highest tuberculosis incidence rates in the Caribbean, with 42 cases per 100,000 people.
In 2023, the Dominican Republic deported over 185,000 Haitian men, women, and children.
In May 2024, President Luis Abinader won a second term in the Dominican Republic elections.
As of 2024, five Dominican-born players have been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
In 2024, Luis Abinader was re-elected to a second term as president in the Dominican Republic.
In 2024, the Dominican Republic deported more than 230,000 Haitians, while 5.7 million people in Haiti faced famine.
In 2024, the Dominican Republic ranked 41st out of 127 countries in the Global Hunger Index, with a score of 7.8 indicating a low level of hunger.
In 2024, the Dominican Republic's population is approximately 11.4 million people, with 3.6 million residing in Santo Domingo.
According to the 2025 Global Peace Index, the Dominican Republic ties with Tajikistan as the 79th most peaceful country in the world.
In 2025, the Dominican Republic deported a record 370,000 Haitians.
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