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Dominican Republic in Focus

Dominican Republic in Focus

David Howard

(1999)

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Book Details

Abstract

This is a guide to one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic, which has much more to offer than its idyllic beaches. The site of the first European settlement in the Americas, the country has a long and often turbulent history, marked by dictators, foreign invasions and popular uprisings. For almost two centuries the country has shared the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, a proximity which had led to friction and occasional conflict. Despite efforts to abandon dependency on sugar and to modernize the economy, the Dominican Republic still faces considerable poverty and social tensions. Migration, legal and illegal, provides a lifeline to many poor communities. Yet this often difficult past and present have created one of the most distinctive and vibrant cultures in the Caribbean, where 16th-century colonial architecture contrasts with modern office blocks, and where Spanish, African and American influences are apparent in music, food and art.

Table of Contents

Section Title Page Action Price
Title Page 1
Copyright Page 2
Table of Contents 3
Introduction 4
1: Land and People: An Island Divided 6
Santo Domingo 8
The Beach Perimeter 12
Borderlands 15
The Myth of the Indian 16
2: History and Politics: Limits of Democracy 18
Occupation and Independence 20
The Rise of Trujillo 22
Back to Balaguer 28
The End of the Caudillos? 31
3: The Economy: Bitter-Sweet Fortunes 33
Debt and Adjustment 34
Sugar: Going, Going ... 38
The Blue Jean Economy 42
The Best Kept Secret in the Caribbean 45
4: Society and Migration: Between Two Worlds 48
Popularizing Protest 49
Human Rights 52
Corruption 57
A Transnational Society 58
5: Culture and Identity: Black and White Issues 63
The Haitian Problem 63
Sovreignty under Siege 71
Dominican Writing 76
Baseball 78
Where to Go, What to See 81
Tips for Travelers 84
Addresses and Contacts 86
Further Reading and Bookstores 87
Facts and Figures 89