The Dominican Republic
Mission Trips

The Dominican Republic occupies the eastern two thirds of the island of Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. Both by area and population, the Dominican Republic is the second largest Caribbean nation (after Cuba), with 48,442 square kilometers (18,704 sq. mi) and an estimated 10.77 million people. The country boasts one of the most modern cities in the Caribbean (Santo Domingo), with its modern shopping malls, underground subway, and fast food restaurant chains. Although the capital of Santo Domingo is modern, it faces its share of challenges, ranging from extreme poverty to human trafficking. Upon leaving the capital of Santo Domingo, you enter a world of agriculture, rural coffee villages, and areas of booming tourism industry.

Climate

The Dominican Republics climate is typically tropical. Temperatures range from 70-95 degrees Fahrenheit. The hill country is often 10 degrees cooler on average. The Dominican Republic's rainy season runs from May to July. During the rainy season, the country experiences showers in the evenings that last a couple of hours at a time.

Language

The Dominican Republic's official language is Spanish. English is spoken occasionally in the capital, but is less common throughout the rest of the country. Occasionally, teams will serve in Haitian communities, in which Haitian Creole will be the primary language. Your PPM trip consultant will guide you regarding what languages your group should be prepared to hear.

Safety

Crime in the Dominican Republic is often restricted to gang activity. The majority of crime occurs between local Dominicans. Foreigners who take proper precautions greatly reduce the risk of being involved and PPM has safety as a top priority. Your PPM trip leader will be with you the whole time you are in the DR and is prepared to handle any concerns that arise.

The Dominican Republic has long been viewed primarily as an exporter of sugar, coffee, and tobacco, but in recent years the service sector has overtaken agriculture as the economy's largest employer. The economy is highly dependent upon the US, the destination for nearly 60% of its exports. Although unemployment remains a long-term challenge, the growth of the Dominican Republic's economy rebounded in 2010-2011 from the global recession, and remains one of the fastest-growing in the region.

The Dominican Republic uses the Dominican peso as its currency. The current exchange rate is approximately 50 pesos to 1 US dollar.

Dominican Republic cuisine is very similar to other Caribbean nations. They rely heavily on starches such as rice and plantains. Consistent with the Spanish culture, the most important meal of the day is lunch. A typical lunch may consist of rice, red beans, meat (beef, chicken, pork, or fish), and salad.

Dominicans are very competitive in nature. For fun, you may see them listening to their favorite baseball team's game, playing a game of ball themselves, or playing a table game such as dominoes.

The Dominican Republic was discovered by Christopher Columbus on December 5, 1492 on his first voyage. Columbus named the island Hispaniola. Columbus's admiration for Hispaniola with his crew's discovery of gold deposits in the island's rivers led to the establishment of European settlements. The Taino Indians, the original inhabitants of the land, were forced into slavery and years later, they were eventually wiped out. Bartholomew, Christopher Columbus's brother, was appointed governor of the new colony and in 1496, he founded the city of Santo Domingo, the present-day capital city of the DR.

The island of Hispaniola remained under Spanish rule until 1697, when the western part of the island became a French possession. In 1804, it became the Republic of Haiti. In 1809, the eastern side of the island returned to Spanish rule. In 1821, the Spanish settlers declared it an independent state but just weeks later, Haitian forces invaded the eastern portion of the island and incorporated Santo Domingo. For the next 22 years, the entire island came under Haitian control. On February 27, 1844, the eastern side of the island declared independence and gave their land the name "Dominican Republic." The 70 years that followed were characterized by political unrest and civil war, mainly due to leadership disputes.

After the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo in 1930, who was assassinated in 1961, Juan Bosch became the first democratically elected president in four decades. In 1966, Joaquin Balaguer won in free election against Bosch. In 1996, the US backed Leonel Fernandez, but he was criticized for not fighting for poverty remediation that would help the population. In August 2000, Hipolito Mejia was elected president, but in 2004 he was defeated by former president Fernandez and was reelected on May 16, 2008, defeating Miguel Vargas. The current president is Luis Abinader.