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The white-sand beaches, the impressive mountain ranges, the spectacular rivers and waterfalls, the saltwater lakes, the exotic wildlife, the people—all add to Dominican Republic's appeal. In short, Dominican Republic is the ideal place to party, relax, or explore.
The Dominican Republic occupies two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, the second largest of the Greater Antilles islands. The inhabitants of the Dominican Republic or the Dominicans also refer to their country as Quisqueya, a name for Hispaniola used by the native Taínos.
The Taínos were the original inhabitants of the island. A part of the South American Arawaks, the Taínos followed a unique system of rule, topped by cacicazgos (chief) and then subdivided into subchiefdoms (subchiefs). The cultural aptitude of the Tainos is evident from the cave paintings around the country, which now have become tourist attractions and national symbols of the country.
European inhibition started in the island after Christopher Columbus set foot on this island 1492. Since then, Hispaniola became a springboard for Spanish conquest of the Caribbean.
Today Dominican Republic is a middle-income developing country depending on agriculture, trade, and tourism as the primary sources of income. The tourism sector has recently outpaced agriculture as the leading employer accounting for more than $3 billion in annual earnings.
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