« Esto es la tierra más hermosa que ojos humanos hayan visto jamás”
“This is the most beautiful land that human has ever seen»
Columbus, 1492

From far away, it is not clear where the Dominican Republic is located. It is hot, the beaches are beautiful, and people seem to be smiling. It is in the Caribbean. In Latin America, isn’t it? Or perhaps more precisely in Central America? It is near Cuba, right? We are beginning to make out the map of this corner of the world. It is near Puerto Rico, rather familiar for the North Americans, north-west of Guadeloupe and Martinique, definitely well-known by the French. Let’s finally open an atlas and find the Dominican Republic.

South of Cuba and northwest of Puerto Rico, the island has an imposing size; it is the second in size among the Caribbean island. Hispaniola, its former name, is rounder than her older streched sister, Cuba. The territory is divided into two countries, one third for Haiti, two thirds for the Dominican Republic. It is 48 380 km2 of land to explore, and up there, we can guess that a week won’t be enough.

When the aircraft approaches the island, one can see the earth along the wide blue sea, and then getting closer, undulating surfaces. The landscape can be of an ocher color, or a fiery green. Many water-courses run across plains and mountains. Getting even closer, more shapes can be distinguished. There are mountain areas than valleys, 60% vs. 40%. Three cordilleras separate the country from east to west. In the north, the northern Cordillera stretches along the Atlantic of Monte Cristi, near the Haitian border, to San Francisco de Marcoris. These "Dominican Alps" separate the Cibao Valley, a region rich in culture and minerals, from the coastal northern plain. The Cordillera Central is the highest and most impressive. There, is the highest point of the country and the Caribbean: the peak Duarte at 3 087 meters. You can see snow during the coldest season. Finally, the Eastern Cordillera, the smallest is located in the eastern territory, completed by the Sierra de Barohuco, south-west. Other notable curiosity, the Dominican Republic also holds the lowest point in the Caribbean, about 40 meters below sea level: Lake Enriquillo in the south-west.

The sea takes emerald hue when the plane begins its descent, Caribbean Sea to the south and Atlantic Ocean to the north. The white sand beaches stretch to infinity or form bays and coves. There are 1 576 km of coastline including 106 km for the islands. The shore landscape is very diverse: a succession of rocky and sandy sections alternating with wetlands and marshes. The coast is winding, drawing many creeks. In Punta Salinas, south-west of Santo Domingo, are found the largest dunes of the Caribbean with a range of 15 km and a width of 3 km. Small islands surround the island. Some are merely "cayos”, sandbanks and others are " islotes”, small islands uninhabited. All have kept in memory stories of pirates and corsairs.

Mountains and plains, rivers and seas, the Dominican Republic is a country that keeps surprising the traveler.

As throughout the American continent, there is a “pre” and a “post-colonization”. At the beginning was Quisqueya. As further back we can go, we find traces of settlement 3,000 years ago. From 500 to 900, the island receives several waves of immigration. Upon the arrival of Christopher Columbus, the Taino are the indigenous people. It is a culture of peace, regarded as one of the most developed in the Caribbean. Nowadays, one can still see many rock paintings in various caves (the country concentrates the largest number of pictograms in the Caribbean). They live from natural resources fishing, picking, hunting and slash-and-burn agriculture. Het are not used to work much, their pace is disrupted by the arrival of the conquistadors.

Columbus reaches the island on 6 December 1492, by the north coast. The indigenous welcome is reserved. The conqueror names the island Hispaniola. He establishes a few men in a stronghold and goes back to Europe to share his discoveries. Upon his return in November 1493, his countrymen have died. Begin reprisals against the Indians. The island is soon exploited for its gold, with the contribution of indigenous. The population, estimated at 600 000 at the arrival of the Spaniards, falls by half in 15 years (working conditions too harsh, contact with new diseases ...). African slaves are displaced to Hispaniola.

For several years, Hispaniola is the base for shipments from the New World. But the discovery of countries richer in gold leads to the end of this strategic supremacy. The island is later the headquarters of pirates, corsairs and buccaneers. France takes advantage of this troubled period for snacking Spanish hegemony. The French occupation is formalized in 1697 by the Treaty of Ryswick. The eastern part remains under Spanish possession while the western part becomes French. Borders are fixed by the Treaty of Aranjuez in 1777.

Even remotely, the island suffers the repercussions of the French Revolution. In 1791, slaves rise up under the leadership of Toussaint Louverture. On August 29, 1793, the Convention formalizes their emancipation. After a period of conflict, where international politics play out in the island, the Republic of Haiti is proclaimed on January 1, 1804. The new State invades the eastern part of the Spanish island, and is definitively rejected in 1844 thanks to the fathers of the homeland: Juan Pablo Duarte, Francisco del Rosario and Ramon Matias Mella. On February 27, 1844, the independence of what is now the Dominican Republic is proclaimed.

The years that follow are unstable; fratricidal struggles for power, economic and political chaos reign. In 1904, the country suffers a national bankruptcy. North Americans take the opportunity to take control of national finances in 1907 and, after landing troops, occupy the country from 1916 to 1924.

The Third Republic is proclaimed in 1924, but it will be short-lived because the general and army chief, Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina, takes over after a coup on April 11, 1930. It plunges the country into dictatorship. He is assassinated in August 1961, while Joaquim Balaguer has been president since August 1960.

Cuba is in the spotlight, the hunt for communists is intense and the Dominican Republic is suffering from this deleterious climate. After being elected democratically in 1962, Juan Bosch is overthrown by the army. The country is on the brink of civil war. North Americans send troops; from April to September 1965, there are seven successive governments. Finally in 1966, Joaquim Balaguer is elected and remains in place until 1978. His policy is clearly pro American, anticommunist, -authoritarian and repressive. After an interlude, he returns to power in 1986 until 1996.

In 1996, Leonel Fernandez is elected. He is the young 43-year-old president of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD). The results of his government are positive. GDP grows by 8% during his tenure. However there is a reversal in 2000 and Hipólito Mejía of the PRD (Dominican Revolutionary Party) replaces him. This is four years of turmoil where poverty and corruption are progressing. In 2003, the country faces a serious crisis with the bankruptcy of Baninter, the second bank in the country. The peso collapses, unemployment and inflation rise. On May 16 2004, Leonel Fernández returns to power with 56.7% of votes, and, after four satisfactory years, it is re-elected in May 2008.

The first thing you see is the Dominican smile, or some breathtaking gray eyes, then a festival of colors. Descendants of slaves have mingled with successive waves of colonizers, resulting in a combination of black (11%), white (16%) and mixed (73%) skin color.

The official language is Spanish, tinged with local particularities, including the tendency of not pronouncing some words and the letter “s”. In tourist areas, many Dominicans speak English, and depending on the region, German and French.

Dominicans are a warm and welcoming people living with nonchalance. "Mañana" (tomorrow) is an inescapable word of their vocabulary, postponing until tomorrow (or indefinitely) what cannot be done today. They are always eager to celebrate. The country beats to the rhythm of merengue and bachata, in the bus, the nightclubs and even in the “colmado” (small groceries shop).

More than 9 million people share the territory, the majority living in urban areas (3 million inhabitants in Santo Domingo). It is a young population with an average age of 25. The trend has reversed, however, because the fertility ratio has dropped drastically over the past 30 years. The ratio was 7.5 children per woman in the 1970s, vs. 3 children 20 years later and 2.6 in 2003.

As in many countries, the poor class is more important than the rich class and the gap is widening. When walking in the countryside, you can still see isolated and abandoned villages, suffering from a lack of modern infrastructure.

The family structure is quite colorful. It is common to find children raised by their grandparents when parents have to work and study. Nearly 31% of urban households are held by single women, against 22% in rural areas. Women’s condition has improved in recent years. Their number is also higher in school than men’s, however their empowerment is still faraway. In addition, they are still a lot of domestic violence that the government is trying to fight through various solutions and organizations.

The Dominican diaspora is important, 3 million people live abroad. The largest number can be found in the United States, where Dominicans are one of the largest foreign communities. Others are in Europe, mainly in Spain. It should be noted that the remittances sent by the diaspora to their families constitute a significant income for the Dominican economy (more than 3 billion dollars per year).

In contrast, the country hosts a large number of Haitians. An estimate of their number in 2003 is 115,000. However it is difficult to know the precise current number because of illegal immigration. The actual number is undoubtedly higher than 100,000 mainly because of the bleak economic situation worsening each new day in Haiti. As for other immigrants, coming in particular from Western countries, there were 68,000 in 2003. More flexible immigration laws attract each day more and more foreigners in this small country away from the worries of Western countries.

The colmado is the most inescapable shop of the Dominican Republic. Small or medium, it is everywhere, even in the countryside. Often attached to the house of his owner, it has extensive opening hours. It is a place to meet and chat.

From the verb "Colmar", which means "fill to the brim”, this grocery store is well named. There is everything, household products, and cubes of chicken broth, soap and rice, the basis of the national food. You can buy in any quantity, large or small. You can buy two breads from a package of ten, one or two eggs, shredded white cabbage in a small plastic bag. No waste, you take what you need. The children come to buy sweets for a few pesos. They are quickly learning the trade.

You can buy fruits and vegetables. Some colmados are very well-stocked, all have a variety to offer and this is one of the country's wealth. With fertile land, including the Cibao valley at the foot of the northern Cordillera, the country has an abundance of agricultural products: potatoes, yuccas, cassava, bananas of any kind, gigantic avocados, rice, carrots, various beans, peppers, onions, garlic ... The list is long. Fruits are abundant too. Although Columbus found only few varieties on his arrival in Hispaniola, introductions made thereafter have adapted perfectly to the climate, such as Indian mango, Asian coconut, South American pineapple, New Guinea sugarcane... It is a paradise of fruits, sweet-juice green oranges, golden yellow papaya on the outside and pastel orange on the inside, green watermelons for large families, green and yellow lemons, spicy passion fruits, guavas, apples and, quite surprisingly, juicy strawberries ... On top of this long list Arabica coffee, cocoa, spices, ginger, nutmeg and pepper.

While colmados provide everything needed for cooking, it is also possible in the streets to feed on oranges, peeled and cut in half in which you bite to extract the juice, milk from coconut that the seller opens with machetes or cane sugar you press for juice or suck like a stick of licorice.

The Dominican food is traditional and rather rustic. The meal is not considered a social time but as a vital act: eat when hungry. The most typical dish is the Bandera: rice mixed with red or black beans with meat (sometimes fish) and a salad made of white cabbage. This is the basic dish that can be found at the Comedor, the local restaurant. Restaurants are numerous in the country, like the “Pica Pollo”, which serves fried chicken and “Tostones” (fried plantains). The « Frituras » as their name suggests offer fried meat and fish. “Paradas” are restaurants-bars along the roads.

Dominicans love their chicken. But there are other meat specialties such as goat raised in sea-salted fields from Monte Cristi in the north-west. Paradoxically, the people living in a maritime territory eat little fish. It is indeed rare to find fisheries that sell fresh fish, most of the fish being frozen. Like agricultural products, the variety of seafood is large: swordfish, sea bream, red mullet, tuna, ..., as well as lobster, shrimps, crab and the delicious lambi cooked with a sauce "a la criola", made of tomato or "al ajo”, with garlic.

The country offers typical dishes such as « Sancocho », ragout of vegetables and meat, “Mangu”, very finely mashed plantains and fried onions, “Chicharrones”, chunks of pork or chicken breaded and fried in oil, “Cangrejo Guisado”, a crab marinated with herbs, cooked in a sauce, or “Monfongo”, tripe “à la mode” Dominican.

If the meal is not a social time, Dominicans like to meet for a drink. The choice is limited enough. It is either one of the “Bay rum” Brugal, Barcelo and Bermudez, which share the market, or beer, the very famous Presidente, Bohemia or Quisqueya. Rum is often mixed with Coca-Cola (Cuba Libre) or Seven-Up (Santo Libre). It is also used in the preparation of cocktails such as the famous piña colada, the tourists’ favorite. The beer is served very cold or even icy-cold.

The Dominican architecture

The architectural landscape is the result of several colonization, occupations, cultures mixing that the country has experienced over centuries. Most cities have been built during the colonial era and have kept the design of a checkerboard. The center of social and economic life is to be found around the central park (Parque Central) where people gather in the evenings, on weekends and holidays. It was formerly the Place of Arms surrounded by administrative buildings and the church. There has often been a kiosk where bands played at a time when they were the only vehicles of music.

The old mansions that can still be seen in some cities are made of wood, often with a porch and an open veranda where one sits on a rocking chair (the mesedora) to enjoy the sweetness of the dusk air. The Creole smaller houses are made of palm wood slats. Much more rustic, with a floor of dirt or cement for the most recent, they have a lot of charm with their flamboyantly colored walls. The roof was traditionally made of palm leaves; it is now common to see them replaced by sheet metal. Gradually, the wooden houses have been replaced by concrete houses with little charm but more resistant to climatic conditions.

Craft

The Dominican craft is predominant in jewelry with two stones: amber, the national stone, and larimar, endemic in the country.

Amber is the only semi-precious stone of plant origin. This lady is almost 48 million years old. She was born from a tree tear, the resin, which protected it from birds and insects. Hardened in air, it was then locked up inside the mountains by movements of the earth, and then painstakingly transformed into stone over time under the sedimentary layers. Amber is the result of the magic of nature.

Dominican amber is considered the most transparent and the most loaded of insects. It has different colors, the most common being the golden yellow. Dominican reserves are important and several million tons are extracted each from the mines in the northern cordillera between Puerto Plata and Santiago and the eastern cordillera in the valley of Hato Mayor and Bayaguana.

The Larimar, a pectolytic is found in only one region, Barahona, south-west. It got the nickname of Dominican turquoise from its blue colors. It is a unique stone in the world with a spectrum of colors from azure to navy blue. It is known for its beneficial effects in the treatment of allergies, respiratory infections, or in stabilizing the nervous system...

These stones are mounted in various forms throughout the country. Beware of fake replicas of amber that have spread. Learn how to distinguish a fake from genuine amber: immerse the stone into the water, if it floats, it is authentic.

The "Limé” dolls were created by the artist Liliana Mera in 1981. They are faceless figurines, painted in colorful shades.

Paintings in souvenir shops are often of Haitian origin. Some motifs evoke colorful and lively scenes of everyday life, others recall the Taino, the Indians living on the island at the arrival of Christopher Columbus.

The Dominican Republic is the largest producer of cigars in the world and it is also the leader of the distribution of "puros" of high quality. The province of Santiago is the first producer in the country and provides 80% of total exports. The Dominican cigar has all the qualities of a good product: combustibility, texture, taste, elasticity, odor, color and balance in the composition of nicotine and oils. Tobacco is grown from seed planted by Cuban experts trained in Cuba. The Dominican cigar won his credentials in recent years. There are big names such as El Coto, one of the largest global brands, Davidoff established since 1990 in the country, Avo, Juan Clemente or Cuesta Rey.

Music and dance

Everywhere notes float in the air, people dance across the country. It is the most developed physical expression in the country. Dominicans have the greatest sense of rhythm.

Merengue is the national musical genre. Coming from binary African rhythms, it combines with merengue "tipico" which is played in trio: accordion, tambora (drum with goatskin) and guira (percussion instruments, cylinder of metal). Merengue is extremely fast and wild. The modern version is slower and the addition of wind instruments sets it apart from its predecessor.

The bachata is more recent, probably born in the 1920s. It has long been limited to popular social classes, its birthplace. Recognition throughout the country took time since rejected by the rich who denigrated the mediocrity of its lyrics (love stories, sex and drink). Traditional group is comprised of two guitars and maracas (sometimes replaced by the guira) and a bongo.

You can hear here and there salsa, but it remains more limited and much less danced than merengue and bachata.

Carnival

Unthinkable to talk about music and dance without mentioning carnival. This is the most important event of Dominican popular culture. This tradition comes from the Hispanic culture; the first was held in 1520. Today it is organized on the national holiday, February 27, and the restoration of the Republic, August 16.

This is a moment of jubilation, good humor and friendliness. If the carnival of La Vega is one of the most famous in the country is also one of the oldest. Every Sunday in February, joy, music, and the cries of passer-bys beaten by horned devils with inflated bladders, invade the streets. It is a festival of colors and an orgy of sounds.

Literature

Dominican literature has developed from the 19th century. There are some big names like Juan Bosch (1909-2001), founder of the PRD (Dominican Revolutionary Party) which has given back high recognition to storytelling tradition of in Latin America, Manuel de Cabral (1907-1999), poet and novelist, champion of Afro-Caribbean poetry, or Jesús Manuel Galvan (1839-1910) whose historical novel Enriquillo is the centerpiece of the “indigenist” movement. In April 2008, a native author, Junot Diaz, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his book "The brief wondrous life of Oscar Wao."

Movies

Dominican film production is quite poor. Movie theaters are only few outside major cities and distribute movies primarily from North America.

There are many airlines serving the Dominican Republic. It is easy to reach your place of residence using one of the 5 international airports spread over the country: Las Americas near Santo Domingo, Cibao Airport near Santiago de los Caballeros, Punta Cana Airport, Gregorio Luperón in Puerto Plata and El Catey in Samaná, the last international airport opened in 2007.

At the descent of the aircraft, the transport of choice to your final destination is the bus (unless you have opted for a package including the bus to your hotel). In each airport, a taxi company offers its services, as in every city in the country. You can also rent a car, but be careful! The driving style of the Dominicans is rather surprising. The driving rules are international, but the Dominicans apply their own logic. In addition, the obsolescence of certain vehicles and the poor roads make driving, especially at night, very difficult.

The Dominican Republic offers many travel alternatives, from the most rudimentary to the most luxurious. No need to walk if not necessary.

If you are on a tight schedule, you can use small planes that serve different parts of the island thanks to additional airports (La Romana, Samana, and Barahona).

To connect many cities, Caribe Tours and Metro are the two most famous bus companies in the country. The buses are comfortable and cool. The love of the Dominicans for air conditioning reaches the level of passion... Do not forget a sweater... The price is moderate: one way from Santo Domingo to Cabrera costs approximately 300 pesos (U.S. $ 8.80 / € 6.81 - October 2008 exchange rates).

For small and medium distances, you can use local transportation. The guagua is the most prevalent in the country. Small van for a dozen people, it can accommodate up to twice that capacity. It is not very comfortable, however very friendly and ideal for encounters. In the same style, there are carritos, taxis or public. This is a car that also exceeds the number of people recommended. In both cases, you have to make a sign to the driver from the roadside; he will stop and take you in. These frequent and rarely announced stops may be dangerous for the following cars. The fare reflects the comfort: it is low.

In each city, there are motoconchos, motorcycle taxis. They are everywhere and drive you everywhere. No helmet provided, so be cautious!

The country is an island; it is possible to take the boat. It includes the ferry that connects the port of Sabana de la Mar to the Samana Peninsula.

Enjoy your trip!

Useful links

Taxi

Apolo Taxi
Avenida 27 de Febrero N° 462 - Santo Domingo
Tel. 809 537 00 00 / Fax 809 537 73 36
Mail: apolotaxi@hotmail.com
Website: www.apolotaxi.com
On request: with a taxi driver

Bus

www.caribetours.com.do
www.metroserviciosturisticos.com

Car rentals

Avis

Abraham Lincoln -  Santo Domingo
Tel 809 535 71 91 / Fax 809 535 17 47
Mail: servicolt@codetel.net.do
Website: www.avis.com

Budget

J. F. Kennedy - Santo Domingo
Tel 809 566 66 66 / Fax 809 567 01 77
Mail: budget@codetel.net.do
Website: www.budget.com

Dollar

Avenida Independencia N° 354 - Santo Domingo
Tel 809 221 73 68 / Fax: 809 221 72 70
Mail: reservaciones@dollar.com.do
Website: www.dollar.com.do

Europcar

Avenida Independencia N° 354 - Santo Domingo
Tel. 809 688 21 21 / Fax 809 688 08 08
Mail: europcar.sdq@codetel.net.do
Website: www.europcar.com

Nacional car

Proceres N° 41 - Santo Domingo
Tel 809 562 14 44 / Fax 809 227 90 15
Website: www.nationalcar.com

Nelly

Avenida Independencia N° 654 - Santo Domingo
Tel 809 687 79 97 / Fax 809 687 72 63
Mail: operaciones@nellyrac.com
Website: www.nellyrac.com

Thrifty

Avenida 27 de Febrero N° 12 - Santo Domingo
Tel 809 689 90 00 / Fax 809 689 90 29
Mail: thrifty@codetel.net.do
Website: www.thrifty.com

The national currency is the Dominican peso represented by the acronym RD or DOP. You can find notes of 2,000, 1,000, 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 pesos, and coins of 25, 10, 5 and 1 pesos. You can pay in dollars but it is always advisable to pay in pesos to pay the right price.

The Dominican peso is used only in the Dominican Republic. It can be exchanged against U.S. dollars and Euros, and also other currencies like the Canadian dollar and the Swiss franc at banks or currency exchange offices, widespread in the country. Check the exchange rate of the day. It will always be less advantageous in airports and hotels.

In July 2009, the exchange rates were as follows:

1 $ US	1 €	1 $ CAD	1 £
35,92 DOP	49.51 DOP	30,36 DOP	57,76 DOP

To check the rate of the day, visit the Dominican Central Bank :
http://www.bancentral.gov.do/tasas

You can travel with a maximum amount of cash of 10,000 U.S. dollars (or equivalent in another currency). Beyond you have to make a written statement.

Television

Whether houses are in wood, metal or brick, television is the central element. Dominican women enjoy "telenovelas" (TV soaps), children are glued to their "muñequitos" (cartoons) and men follow sports, mostly baseball. Several Dominican channels cover the country, some are national, and others are local, such as channel 10 of Cabrera. While many are free, it is often necessary to subscribe for the cable to get a good reception. Anyone can purchase cable services. Each city offers it own cable service making cable package different from one region to another. You can also have a satellite antenna installed to access to international channels. It is more expensive but the coverage is broader and more diverse.

Newspapers

Listin Dario, Nacional, Hoy, El Caribe Dominican are the most common daily newspapers. They can be found in supermarkets, gas stations and are sold in cities by street vendors. Their prices range from 15 to 35 pesos.

There are also online newspapers like « El Nuevo Diario”, www.elnuevodiario.com.do and “Clave Digital”, www.clavedigital.com and el Listín diario, www.listindiario.com.

Radios

There are numerous radios. They broadcast mainly music: bachata, merengue and romantic songs. The few debates on FM radios are often the opportunity for passionate verbal arguments between interlocutors.

The current is 110 volts AC (60 Hz). Plugs and sockets are American. An adapter is required for all European devices. It is possible to install 220 volts plugs in your house.

The Dominican Republic does not change time and remains all year on Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).

Different time zones:

• New York: - 1 hour in winter, no difference in summer
• France, Benelux and Swizerland: + 6 hours in summer, + 5 hours in winter
• Quebec: - 1 hour
• Great Britain : + 5 hours in summer, + 4 hours in winter
• Mexico: - 2 hours
• Los Angeles : – 4 hours

The Dominican measurement system is hybrid, influenced by the Spanish, the French, and by the Americans. A law of May 20, 1867 establishes the decimal metric system as official. However, the lack of law enforcement, including from the government, has allowed the persistence of old weights and measures.

Thus Dominicans speak of kilometers ("kilometro"), but fill their tank in U.S. gallons ("galón"). People are measured in feet ("pie") and inches («pulgadas»). Food weight is in pounds ("Libra") and ounces ("onza"). The "tarea" is the unit of measurement for land but square kilometers (km²) are used for large areas (countries).

Some measures and weights
1 km = 0,62 british/American mile	1 gallon = 3,785 liters
1 foot = 30,48 centimeters	1 pouce = 2,54 centimeters
1 once = 28,75 grams	1 pound = 0,4536 kilo
1 quintal = 46,0092 kilos	1 ton = 920,186 kilos
1 tarea (cuerda) = 628,86 m2

Religious worship and celebrations

Since the conquest of the country by the Spanish, the Catholic religion is the most prevalent among Dominicans. However, Baptist, Evangelical and Protestant religions are practiced in the country. There are also some synagogues including one in Sosua, built during the migration of Jews fleeing Europe during the Second World War. Dominicans are very tolerant as far as are religions are concerned.

There are religious holidays all year long. One of the most important takes place between December 28 and January 1, in San Juan Bautista de Bayaguana (commonly Bayaguana) in the province of Monte Plata. 400 years ago, people made the offering of an ox to God because the region was suffering from a severe drought. The rain came a few days later and since then the town commemorates and thanks God. Each year, therefore, cattle enter Bayaguana on December 28th and on the first day of January, they are sold and the proceeds are offered to the Church's charitable activities. These days are an opportunity of pilgrimage for the Dominicans.

On January 21st, the country celebrates its saint, Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia (or Virgen de la Altagracia). She has been famous since the Spanish colonization when two brothers from Estremadura might have brought a statue of the Saint of their community. After a mysterious disappearance, she was found in an orange tree where the Basilica of Higuey is now located. The Basilica is a famous pilgrimage destination where over 800,000 pilgrims come every year.

Various religious festivities throughout the country are spread during the year. Some celebrations are common to the Hispanic Catholic world as Saint Merced on September 24th. In Cabrera this celebration lasts nine days of concerts and events around the central park.

The other major holyday period is the Easter Week. Most Dominicans have a few vacation days; any activity is adjourned, especially during the extended weekend (Friday to Sunday). The beaches are overcrowded and they are parties with family and friends.

Holiday Schedule

The holiday schedule represents a combination of religious and non-religious celebrations.

January 1st	New Year
January 6th	Epiphany
January 26th	Day dedicated to Juan Pablo Duarte (Birthday of the Father of the Nation)
February 27th	Day of national independence End of the Haitian domination in the Dominican Republic in 1844
Easter	Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Sunday
May 1st	Labor Day
June 7th	Corpus Cristi
August 16th	Restoration Day
September 24th	Saint Merced’s Day
Novembre 6th	Constitution Day The first celebration of the Constitution of the Republic, written in the city of San Cristobal in 1844.
December 25th	Santa klaus