Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic is a country in the Caribbean, on the eastern part of an island that it shares with Haiti, with a population of 8.8 million and capital city of Santo Domingo. Major sources of income are tourism and free-trade zones.

People
The inhabitants are mostly of mixed European and African ancestory. Wealth is very unevenly distributed between the rich and poor with the white descendants of Spanish settlers being the richest.

Media
The BBC says of the country's media:


 * Ownership of TV channels, radio stations and newspapers is concentrated in a few economically or politically-powerful hands. Press freedom is guaranteed by law and media outlets carry diverse political views. Some subjects, such as the Catholic Church and the army, are generally avoided.

Leaders

 * Leonel Fernandez, President

Statistics 1950-1975

 * US trained military personnel: 3705
 * US military aid: $38,200,000
 * US provided US aid or training to police
 * This country practiced torture on an administrative basis during this period

Former US Ambassadors to the Dominican Republic

 * Paul D. Taylor
 * Robert Stephen Pastorino
 * Donna Jean Hrinak
 * Mari Carmen Aponte
 * Charles Taylor Manatt
 * Hans H. Hertell
 * P. Robert Fannin
 * Christopher Lambert
 * Raúl H. Yzaguirre

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Global Foundation for Democracy and Development
 * Linda Watt
 * Everton Resources - mining

External resources

 * Official website, Dominican Republic, accessed March 2008.
 * Timeline: Dominican Republic, BBC, accessed March 2008.