Santo Domingo

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Santo Domingo de Guzmán
Downtown Santo Domingo(see inset)
Coordinates: 18°30′N, 69°59′W
Country	Dominican Republic
Municipality	Distrito Nacional (National District)
Founded	August 5, 1498
Government
- Head of government	Roberto Salcedo
Population (2002)
- City	916,478
- Metro	2,253,437
Website: http://www.adn.gov.do/

Colonial City of Santo Domingo^a
UNESCO World Heritage Site

State Party	Dominican Republic
Type	Cultural
Criteria	ii, iv, vi
Identification	#526
Regionb	Latin America and the Caribbean
Inscription History
Formal Inscription:	1990 14th Session
a Name as officially inscribed on the WH List b As classified officially by UNESCO

Santo Domingo de Guzmán population 2,061,200 (Metro) (2003), estimated 2,253,437 (Metro) in 2006, is the capital and the largest city of the Dominican Republic. The city is located at 18°29′N, 69°55′W, on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River. It is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the Americas, and was the first seat of Spanish colonial rule in the New World. It is also considered the second most populated city in the Caribbean Region (after Havana in Cuba). In 1930 The City of Santo Domingo was almost Completely demolished by A Tropical hurricane in that season. Dictator Rafael M Trujillo incumbent at the time reconstructed the City and named it Ciudad Trujillo under his name. After his assassination in 1961 Ciudad Trujillo restored the name Of Santo Domingo as the Capital.

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 2.1 Climate 3 Demographics 4 Economy 5 Education 6 Sports 7 Landmarks 8 Transportation 8.1 Ground transportation 8.2 Airports 8.3 Highways 9 Galleries 10 Notable residents 11 See also 12 References 13 Notes

[edit] History

Main article: History of the Dominican Republic

Before the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492, the Taíno Indians populated the island of Hispaniola, including the part now occupied by Haiti. At that time, a several chieftains or caciques ruled the island through complex, centralized governments, a fact completely lost on the Europeans, who dismissed the natives as "savages."

Bartholomew Columbus, brother of Christopher Columbus, founded Santo Domingo, which is today the oldest European city in the New World. In reality the city dates back to 1496, the period when the first Europeans settled there, although officially it was founded on August 5, 1498. Governor general Nicolás de Ovando arrived in 1502 with a fleet of 20 ships and 2,500 men. Santo Domingo was destroyed by a hurricane shortly after his arrival and he had it rebuilt on a different nearby site (Meinig 1986:9). The original layout of the city and a large portion of its defensive wall can still be appreciated today throughout the Colonial Zone, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1994. The Colonial Zone, bordered by the Río Ozama, has also an impressive collection of 16th century buildings, including palatial houses and majestic churches that reflect the architectural style of the late medieval period.

The city's most important colonial buildings include the Catedral Primada de América, which is the first Catholic Cathedral in America; the Alcázar de Colón, once the residence of Don Diego Colón, the son of Christopher Columbus who became viceroy of the colony; the Monasterio de San Francisco, the ruins of the first monastery in America; the Museo de las Casas Reales, the former Palace of the Governor General and the Palace of Royal Audiences; the Parque Colón, a historic square; the Fortaleza Ozama, the oldest fortress in America; the Panteón Nacional, a former Jesuit now hosting the remains of various renown Dominicans; and the Iglesia del Convento Dominico, the first convent in America.

Throughout its first century, Santo Domingo was the launching pad for much of the exploration and conquest of the New World. The expeditions that led to Ponce de Leon's discovery of Puerto Rico, Hernando Cortes' conquest of Mexico and Balboa's sighting of the Pacific Ocean all started from Santo Domingo.

In 1568, Francis Drake invaded and pillaged the Hispaniola. This so weakened Spanish dominion over the island that for more than 50 years all but the capital was abandoned and left to the mercy of the pirates. In 1655, the French invaded the west end of the island, and after several treaties and forced annexations, the portion of the island controlled by Santo Domingo was reduced to less than half. Later on, in 1822, the Haitians, commanded by Jean-Pierre Boyer, took over the entire island, and the island's Spanish-speaking residents had to fight for their lost independence and survival. Finally, on February 27, 1844, the Spanish part of the island regained its independence after 22 years of Haitian rule thanks to a group of patriots headed by Juan Pablo Duarte, Francisco del Rosario Sánchez and Matías Ramón Mella, being the Puerta del Conde the main scenario of this relevant event. It was then when the Spanish part of the island became the country known today as the Dominican Republic.

After the independence was achieved, various political factions struggled for control of Santo Domingo. In addition to this instability, the country had to fight continuous Haitian incursions, which were in their totality defeated. In 1861, the Spanish returned to Santo Domingo and annexed the country for four years, this period is known as the Anexión a España. After that, Santo Domingo went through many power changes, including the 20th century Trujillo dictatorship (established after the 1916–1924 occupation by U.S. Marines), which lasted from 1930 to 1961 and ended with the execution of the dictator (during this time Santo Domingo was known officially as Ciudad Trujillo); as well as the multiple presidencies of Joaquin Balaguer, who governed the country for 22 years. These civil wars and political struggles marked the first 70 years of the country's independence.

The year 1992 marked the 500th anniversary, El Quinto Centenario, of Christopher Columbus' discovery of America. The Columbus Lighthouse (Faro de Colón), with an approximate cost of 400 million Dominican pesos, was erected, amidst great controversy, in honor of this occasion.

There are some museums dedicated to the history of the Dominican Republic, the Museo de las Casas Reales is dedicated to the colonial period; while the soon-to-be renovated Museo de Historia y Geografía is dedicated to the Dominican history prior the Discovery up to contemporary times. The history of the Independence is summarized in the Museo y Casa de Duarte and the Altar de la Patria.

The cobblestone streets and late medieval architecture of the Western Hemisphere's first European city let visitors glimpse the colonial past, as vibrant nightlife, warm beaches and posh resorts take historic Santo Domingo into its future.

[edit] Geography

Santo Domingo is located on the south central coast of the island of Hispaniola where it meets the Caribbean Sea. This position was of great importance to the city's economic development and the growth of trade during colonial times. The Ozama River, located to the east of the city, is where the country's busiest port is located.

Santo Domingo is the divided into four(debated some say five; Unclear) municipal Sections mostly for Administrative Reasons. This Sections Are Santo Domingo Norte, Santo Domingo Este, Santo Domingo Province, and Santo Domingo D.N(May involve One or more of the sections) all of which have different administrative orders. Santo Domingo to The North has the Section Of Villa Mella Which makes part of Santo Domingo Norte. To the East It Has San Isidro And to the west it borders Province Of San Cristobal And Bajos De Haina. The Ozama River and Isabella End at the Center Of Santo Domingo. Santo Domingo Is relatively Plain in levels of altitude with several High Hills and tops.

[edit] Climate

The average temperature doesn't vary a lot in the country and in the city either due to the fact that the tropical maritime current and winds do not vary a lot. December and January are the coldest-coolest months, as most of the other countries in the Northern Hemisphere, and July and August are the warmest months.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Average Temperature In F	75	75	77	78	80	81	81	81	81	80	78	76
Average Max In F	85	85	86	87	88	89	90	90	89	89	88	86
Average Low In F	68	67	69	70	72	73	73	74	74	73	72	69

[edit] Demographics

Main article: Demographics of the Dominican Republic

The demographics of Santo Domingo mirror those of the rest of the country, except that the illegal Haitian immigrant population is larger in the capital due to the relative ease of finding work there when compared to finding work in the rest of the country. There are also small numbers of people from East Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Extensive growth of the City has been noticed after the Mid-90's and urbanization has been an issue like in all of the other cities around the world.

[edit] Economy

The economy of Santo Domingo is mainly supported by services and low amount of industries. Santo Domingo has the highest quality of living in the nation^{[citation needed]} even though poverty still could be noticeable in the barrios. Santo Domingo as the Capital of the nation has been experiencing since the 1990s great economical growth and development. Urban growth is the most noticeable with vertical growth even as electrical and water outages persist. As the biggest city it has the most availability of services and most of the nation's companies have their national headquarters in the city. The Central Santo Domingo De Guzman part of the D.R. enjoys the highest standard of living in the nation which resembles those of a developed nation.

[edit] Education

There are eighteen universities in Santo Domingo, the highest number of any city in the Dominican Republic. Established in 1538, Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo is the oldest university in the New World and is also the only public university in the city. With no doubt the city of Santo Domingo holds the biggest population percentage in the nation with a higher education degree^{[citation needed]}.

Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo (UASD)

Universidad Adventista Dominicana (UNAD)

Universidad APEC (UNAPEC)

Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD)

Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC)

Universidad del Caribe (UNICARIBE)

Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE) (UNIBE)

Universidad Católica de Santo Domingo (UCSD)

Universidad de la Tercera Edad (UTE)

Universidad Tecnológica de Santiago (UTESA)

Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU)

Instituto de Ciencias Exactas (INCE)

Universidad Organización y Método (O&M)

Universidad Interamericana (UNICA)

Universidad Eugenio María de Hostos (UNIREMOS)

Universidad Francisco Henríquez y Carvajal (UFHEC)

Universidad Instituto Cultural Domínico Americano (UNICDA)

Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM)

Instituto Tecnológico de las Americas (ITLA)

[edit] Sports

Santo Domingo is home to the Tigres Del Licey Baseball team of Their Dominican Winter league. Estadio Quisqueya serves as The Home Stadium for Licey. Baseball is the most common sport in the city but basketball, tennis, golf and other sports are played too. Centro olimpico Juan Pablo Duarte(Or Centro Olimpico Felix Sanchez) is the central Sports Complex of the city located right in the Heart of Santo Domingo.

[edit] Landmarks

Famous landmarks in Santo Domingo include the Calle el Conde, the Puerta de la Misericordia, the Catedral Primada de America, and the Alcázar de Colón, all of which are located within the Zona Colonial district of the city. Outside of the colonial quarters, the area surrounding the Malecón (seawall) is a vibrant commercial and tourist center, having as a centerpiece the large obelisk located at the eastern end of the Avenida George Washington.

Other places of interest are the Plaza de la Cultura, which houses the city's most important cultural venues such as the Teatro Nacional and the Museo de Arte Moderno; the Palacio de Bellas Artes, a neoclassical theatre that is the permanent home of the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional (National Symphony Orchestra); the Parque Mirador Sur, a six-kilometre park in the center of the city; the Faro a Colón, a cross-shaped lighthouse built in honor of Christopher Columbus; and the Boulevard de la 27 de Febrero, a pedestrian promenade located on the busy Avenida 27 de Febrero which displays many works of art from prominent Dominican artists and sculptors.

Some others may include Centro Olimpico Juan Pablo Duarte a sports complex in the center of Santo Domingo. This complex was used during the 2003 Pan-American Games.

[edit] Transportation

[edit] Ground transportation

• OMSA:

The main public transportation system is managed by the Oficina Metropolitana de Servicios de Autobuses (OMSA), which is funded by the government. The OMSA buses run on schedule most of the time and constitute an inexpensive way to get around the city. Buses without air conditioning cost $5DOP (Dominican Peso), roughly $.17USD[1USD-33DOP]; whereas buses with air conditioning cost $10DOP and tend to be more comfortable and less crowded. There are also express buses that only stop at major transportation hubs.

• Independent Bus Companies:

There are many private bus companies that have starting and stopping points all around the city. These smaller buses generally wait at these stopping points until they have a sufficient number of passengers to leave. If passengers know where the bus is going (the destinations are often indicated by a sign in the front windshield), they can flag it down by outstretching an arm and pointing downward.

These buses usually don't have scheduled stops, so if passengers want to get off, they need to inform the "cobrador", a person who stands at the door and collects the "pasaje" (fare), who will ask the driver to stop. This man will also hang out the bus door - even while the bus is in motion - to make room for more passengers.

• Private Bus Companies:

There are several private companies, such as Caribe Tours and Metro Tours, that offer bus coach services from Santo Domingo to various destinations within the country. These services run daily, with some operating several trips a day on the most popular or frequent routes, such as Santo Domingo - Punta Cana, Santo Domingo - Santiago, among others.

• Metro de Santo Domingo: [under construction]

The Santo Domingo Metro is a 15km underground and elevated system consisting of three proposed lines. The first line is currently under construction and crosses the Santo Domingo province from north to south. This line will begin elevated at Villa Mella (Santo Domingo North), located north of the Isabela River and north of the city center, and will terminate at Centro de los Héroes in the southern coast of Santo Domingo, near the seawall district (Malecon). Some of the stops on the first line will be the Teatro Nacional (National Theatre), the main campus of the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD) and Avenida Lincoln.

The second line is proposed to run in an east-west direction beneath Avenida 27 de Febrero, crossing the first line. The third line will also run in an east-west direction, but it will run beneath Avenida John F. Kennedy.

The first line is expected to be completed by 2008/09.

• Carros Públicos (Share a Taxi):

Another method of transportation used by the general public is “carros públicos” (share a taxi) which are informal taxis that run up and down a street. They are more expensive than OMSA buses, but considerably less expensive than regular taxis.

The ride is shared with others in close quarters, which makes this form of transportation dangerous for tourists who become easy targets for pickpockets. The safest form of transportation is by calling a regular taxi or renting a car.

• Motoconchos (Motorcycle Taxis):

Although not as common in the capital as in the country^{[citation needed]}, motoconchos are small motorcycles that offer taxi services.

[edit] Airports

• Las Americas International Airport

Santo Domingo is served by one major international airport, Las Americas International Airport JFPG. The airport has two terminals, the newer one just completed in 2006 added six more gates on the northern end of the facility. The airport is currently the busiest in the country, handling over 2.5 million passengers per year.^[1]

• La Isabela International Airport

The Aeropuerto Internacional La Isabela is a secondary, newly constructed airport located in the northern section of the city, within kilometres of the city center. It is not currently used as a major international airport, servicing mostly domestic and charter flights. It was built to replace the obsolete Herrera Airport, which was considered by many too dangerous due to the proximity to commercial and residential areas. Many pilots also cited the length of the runway as inadequate for most private jets^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] Highways

There are 5 major highways in the Dominican Republic that link the city to different areas in the country. DR-1 is the longest, connecting Santo Domingo to Santiago de los Caballeros and other cities in the north. DR-2 connects the city to the southwestern region of the island. DR-3 connects the city of Santo Domingo with the eastern region of the country, which is where most tourist hotels and resorts are found.

[edit] Galleries

The Coast of The City of Santo Domingo. "El malecon"	Santo Domingo's Modern Architecture.	Construction has become something common in the city.	Barrios in the City of Santo Domingo.
Town Houses in Zona Colonial	John F Kennedy Avenue, Santo Domingo	Santo Domingo by Night

[edit] Notable residents

• David Ortiz, designated hitter for the Boston Red Sox
• Manny Ramirez, outfielder for the Boston Red Sox

[edit] See also

• 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo
• Highways Of The Dominican Republic
• Communications in Santo Domingo
• Dominican Republic
• Metro de Santo Domingo

[edit] References

• Meinig, D.W. (1986). The Shaping of America: a Geographic Perspective on 500 Years of History. Volume I - Atlantic America, 1492-1800. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-03882-8
• Dominicana Online, República Dominicana

[edit] Notes

v • d • e Pan American Games host cities
1951: Buenos Aires • 1955: Mexico City • 1959: Chicago • 1963: São Paulo • 1967: Winnipeg • 1971: Cali • 1975: Mexico City • 1979: San Juan • 1983: Caracas • 1987: Indianapolis • 1991: Havana • 1995: Mar del Plata • 1999: Winnipeg • 2003: Santo Domingo • 2007: Rio de Janeiro • 2011: Guadalajara •