dominicanrepublictravel

This is a deeply Dominican city – an obvious statement but no less true. It’s where the rhythms of the country are on superdrive, where the sounds of life – domino pieces slapped on tables, backfiring mufflers and horns from chaotic traffic, merengue and bachata blasting from corner  colmados – are most intense. Santo Domingo (population 2.9 million), or ‘La Capital’ as it’s typically called, is to Dominicans what New York is to Americans, a collage of cultures and neighborhoods, or what Havana is to Cubans, a vibrant beating heart that fuels the entire country. At the heart of the city is the Zona Colonial. And at the heart of the Zona Colonial isParque Colón. And across from the park is one of the oldest churches in the New World . And a block from the church is one of the oldest streets in the New World. And on this  street is the oldest surviving European fortress. And so on and so on. Amid the cobblestone streets reminiscent of the French Quarter in New Orleans , it would be easy to forget Santo  Domingo is in the Caribbean – if it weren’t for the heat and humidity.But this is an intensely urban city, home not only to colonial-era relics and New World  firsts, but also to hot clubs packed with trendy 20-somethings; museums and cultural institu-tions, the best of their kind in the DR; and businesspeople taking long lunches at elegant restaurants. Santo Domingo somehow manages to embody the contradictions central to the Dominican experience: a living museum, a metropolis crossed with a seaside resort, and a business, political and media center with a laid-back casual spirit.

 

The   Dominican Republic earns more tourism dollars than any other countryin Latin America – except Mexico and Brazil. Unsurprisingly, the service industry, primarily tourism but the newly exploding free-trade zone areas as well, is the largest employer and earner in the DR. Another major revenue source are remittances from Dominicans living abroad – more than one million people, principally in New York and the eastern US, collectively send over US$1 billion to the DR yearly. Mining operations – gold, silver, ferronickel and bauxite – are another big chunk of GDP. In fact, in early 2008 a Canadian mining company made the largest investment in the country’s history, agreeing to a US$2.6 billion fee to reopen Pueblo Viejo, a formerly government-owned gold mine in the central DR. Agriculture, once the largest source of export dollars, is still significant. Sugar, coffee, cocoa, tobacco and tropical fruits are the  primary crops. Despite strong growth in many of these sectors, it would be difficult to call the Dominican economy healthy (for economic statistics, see  opposite ), but President Leonel Fernández’s 2008 reelection can be interpreted as a vote of
confidence on his administration’s ability to steward the economy through a global economic downturn. With 72% of exports sold to the US, the US’s own faltering economy, the devaluation of the dollar, rising oil prices and the impact of Tropical Storm Noel, the challenges ahead  are significant.