DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

The Dominican Republic (Spanish: República Dominicana) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. Its area equals that of Vermont and New Hampshire combined. Duarte Peak, at 10,417 ft (3,175 m), is the highest point in the West Indies. Part of the Greater Antilles archipelago, Hispaniola lies west of Puerto Rico and east of Cuba and Jamaica. Its western third is the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are occupied by two countries, Saint Martin being the other. The demonym or adjective of the country is "Dominican", which is the exact same as that of Dominica. The Dominican Republic is the site of the first permanent European settlement in South America. Its capital, Santo Domingo, was also the first colonial capital in the Americas. It is the site of the first cathedral, university, European-built road, European-built fortress, and more. For most of its independent history, the nation experienced political turmoil and unrest, suffering through many non-representative and tyrannical governments. Since the death of military dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina in 1961, the Dominican Republic has moved toward a liberal economic model which has made it the largest economy in the region and a representative democracy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominican_Republic