Everything Everywhere Daily: History, Science, Geography & More - The Dominican Republic

Starting point is 00:00:00 Known for its beautiful beaches and unique culture, the Dominican Republic is one of the Caribbean's crown jewels. However, it's had a history totally unlike its neighbors. Even Haiti, which shares an island with the Dominican Republic, went down a totally different path. Today, the Dominican Republic is a relatively stable, prosperous country, yet its past has been marked by violence, political turmoil, and chaos. Learn more about the history of the Dominican Republic and how it became the country it is today on this episode of Everything Everywhere. wear daily. Fear is the virus is trending on TikTok. Vaccines are poison. Then your yoga teacher says that sex traffic children are being sacrificed by satanic liberals, but it's all okay. The great awakening is coming. Every week on Conspirality Podcast, we explore the fever dreams that suck

Starting point is 00:01:05 friends, family, and wellness gurus down the right-wing cult spiral in a search for salvation. Any discussion of the Dominican Republic has to start with its geography. The Dominican Republic is located in the Caribbean on the island of Hispaniola. Hispaniola is divided into two sovereign states, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The Dominican Republic covers two thirds of the island in the east, and Haiti occupies the remaining third in the west. The Mona Passage, a 130-kilometer wide channel, is what separates the Dominican Republic from Puerto Rico. Hispaniola is part of the Greater Antilles, which includes Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and the Cayman Islands. The Dominican Republic is a land area of approximately 48,670 square kilometers, or 18,790 square miles,

Starting point is 00:02:00 making it the second largest nation in the Caribbean-Pai area following Cuba. The nation is also the second most popular country in the region behind Haiti, with a total population of roughly 11.4 million. While the Dominican Republic is often viewed as just a beach destination, its geography is more diverse than people realize. The Dominican Republic is actually home to four small mountain ranges. The Cordiera Sepentrional in the north, the Cordiera Central in the center of the country, and the Sierra Neba and the Sierra Baruco, both located in the south. The Cordiera Central is also known as the Dominican Alps.

Starting point is 00:02:37 The range runs through the center of the island, connecting with the Haitian mountain range, Mastiff Dunord. Pico Duarte stands as the tallest peak in the Cordillera-Central Range, rising to 10,164 feet or 3,098 meters, making it the highest point in the entire Caribbean. Between the north and central mountain ranges is the Cebo Valley. The valley contains most of the nation's farmland due to its rich and fertile soil. Lake Enriqueo, located in the southwestern part of the country, is a saltwater lake. Enroquio is the largest lake in the Caribbean, and actually holds the record for being the lowest point of any island country, reaching 46 meters or 151 feet below sea level.

Starting point is 00:03:20 Ten rivers on the island drain into Lake Enriqueo with no rivers running out, making it an endocrac lake. Rainfall and evaporation determine the lake's water level, not the amount of water running out. The Dominican Republic has also comprised of approximately 50 smaller islands, some of which are relatively uninhabited, while others serve as popular tourist attractions. The climate of the Dominican Republic is predominantly tropical, with some regions transitioning to a savanna-like landscape. Due to the country's mountainous topography, the average temperature

Starting point is 00:03:53 exhibits a wide variation over very short distances. Due to its location in the Caribbean, the country is at risk of hurricanes, most of which will hit the southern coast of the island. Fortunately for the island's residents, the likelihood of a direct hit is rather low, occurring roughly once every 30 years. This is because the country is blocked by Puerto Rico, providing a convenient buffer from the worst of the storm. The island's first inhabitants were from the Arwalk tribes in modern Venezuela, who migrated to and settled Hispaniola around 400 BC, becoming the Taino people. The Taino fostered connections with other Caribbean peoples forming their own communities and eventually settling across Hispaniola. Vanuola, Jamaica, Eastern Cuba, the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. When the Spanish arrived in the region in 1492, they began chronicling the Taino.

Starting point is 00:04:45 They described their towns as well-organized and dispersed, but densely populated. In 1496, Bartholomew Columbus, Christopher Columbus's brother, founded the city of Santo Domingo. This became the first permanent European settlement in the new world. The city in the surrounding region soon developed into a plantation. based economy. The Spanish colonists and the Tahino coexisted briefly before their relationship started to sour. The colonists took Taino men from their villages and forced them to work on plantations or in mines. With so many removed from their homes, the Taino faced starvation, unable to plant their own food. Many Taino fought the Spanish while others fled to more remote regions.

Starting point is 00:05:28 Over time, many of the Spanish settlers married Taino women. Within just two decades of contact, 40% of Spanish men on the island had Taino wives. Their mixed-race children became the basis of the Creole population on the island, who remained the majority of the population today. Slavery was introduced to the colony in the early 16th century, with thousands of Africans being forcibly brought to the colony to work on plantations. European settlers brought deadly diseases like measles and smallpox for which the Taino had no immunity. Within 30 years, these diseases had killed and estimated 70 to 90% of the taeino population. Those who survived lost their language, political structure, and religion. By 1864, it was estimated that no more pure taino people

Starting point is 00:06:13 remained. In 1697, Spain signed a treaty seating one-third of Spanish-Hispanola to France, thereby establishing the division of the island that remains in place today. By 1789, Santo Domingo had become one of the least important, and least wealthy colonies in the Spanish Empire. The population was only 125,000 people, which was minuscule when compared to the French third of the island. The French colony of San Domingue was the wealthiest in the entire Caribbean. In 1795, the Treaty of Basel transferred Santo Domingo from Spain to France. It was returned to Spanish hands just 14 years later in 1809 after the Haitian Revolution. After Spain returned, Santo Domingo saw repeated attempts at independence.

Starting point is 00:07:00 Lieutenant Governor Jose Nunez de Carceres declared independence on November 30th, 1821, starting what would become known as the ephemeral independence period. The new country, called Spanish Haiti, only lasted for two months before it was fully annexed by Haiti. Haiti ruled for 22 years, during which time it was known as Parte de Lest. In 1838, a secret society known as La Trinitaria was founded by Juan Pablo Duarte, with the goal of achieving independence from Haiti without foreign intervention. Other independence movements were being led simultaneously by Francisco Del Rosario Sanchez and Ramon Matias Maya.

Starting point is 00:07:42 These three men became known as the founding fathers of the Dominican Republic. Independence from Haiti was cleared by La Trinettea on February 27, 1844. Over the next many decades, the Dominican Republic faced opposition from Haiti, the rise and fall of various governments, tyranny, economic difficulties, and other problems. During this time, the most important political figure was Pedro Santana. For almost two decades, Santana exiled, imprisoned, or executed many of his political rivals. However, the political and economic struggles of the Dominican Republic during that period led Santana to ask Queen Isabella II of Spain to take the territory back.

Starting point is 00:08:23 Spain annexed the territory once again and sent 30,000 troops to occupy the country. country. During that time, Haiti began to provide refuge and logistical aid to revolutionaries who did not want to return to Spanish rule. This began a civil war known as the War of Restoration. The War of Restoration lasted for two years, from 1863 to 1865, with the rebels of the Dominican Republic ultimately emerging victorious. Following reclaiming their independence, the Dominican Republic again faced a period of political uncertainty. The country finally reached some level of stability in the 1880s under the leadership of General Lillis Harrow. Hero actually put the country in significant debt as leader, as most of the wealth of the country

Starting point is 00:09:08 went to support his police state or towards his own personal use. And not surprisingly, he was assassinated in 1890. Despite this assassination, the stability his rule instilled over the country continued. This allowed the Dominican economy to experience dramatic improvements as sugar plantations modernized and more people began immigrating to the island. During the early 20th century, the Dominican Republic's governments continued to experience instability. Simultaneously, the country was facing pressure from European powers to repay debts, something that the Dominican Republic couldn't afford. To help pay back their debts, the Dominican Republic went to the United States.

Starting point is 00:09:49 The United States was fearful that European involvement in the Caribbean would weaken their influence in the region. The U.S. and the Dominican Republic made a deal in which the United States would help the Dominican Republic pay off its debt in exchange for keeping European powers out. In 2011, the Dominican Republic fell back into a period of political turmoil, including a civil war following the assassination of President Ramon Casares. The United States then stepped in and occupied the country from 1916 to 1924. During the occupation, there was some initial conflict between the United States. and the Native Dominicans, but peace was eventually established with many of the laws and institutions established during the occupation remaining in place afterwards. Additionally, the United States helped create hundreds of schools in the Dominican Republic, which never existed before.

Starting point is 00:10:40 In 1930, the Dominican Republic faced another threat when a military coup led by General Rafael Trajillo took control of the government. Trujillo took power and established himself as a dictator in the classic Latin American sense. Initial resistance to his rule was quickly squashed. The Trujillo era was characterized by iron-fisted authoritarian rule. Nonetheless, some improvements were made under his leadership. Under Trujillo, Transportation, Health Care, and Education underwent significant improvements. Additionally, the administration constructed houses, created pension plans, helped establish

Starting point is 00:11:16 an official border with Haiti, and cleared the country of its debts. But despite the economic improvements, the Dominican Republic saw dramatic reductions and civil rights. Those who opposed Trujillo often suffered imprisonment, torture, and murder. One of the worst cases took place in 1937, when 10 to 15,000 Haitians living on the border were hacked to death with machetes following the assassination of several Dominicans in New York City. The United States and many of the elite members of Dominican society supported Trujillo, despite the horrific acts of violence committed under his rule, because he was an anti-communist in the middle of the Cold War.

Starting point is 00:11:55 However, the United States eventually withdrew support in 1960 following his attempt to assassinate the Venezuelan president. Following the assassination attempt, the Dominican Republic faced embargoes from the United States. This caused the country's economy to plummet, making Trujillo expendable. He was assassinated in 1961. Following the assassination, Trujillo's son took over control of the Dominican Republic

Starting point is 00:12:19 for the next six months. The dictator's brothers then also returned. to the country. The U.S. then threatened the Trujillo stating that if they decided to reestablish a dictatorship, the United States would not sit idly by. The threat, along with a few warships, led to the Trojillo's fleeing the country and the lifting of the embargo. Once again, the country faced a period of political turmoil. Over the following decades, peacekeeping troops would be sent to the Dominican Republic to help maintain peace from 1965 to 1966. In 1966, the country began to stabilize again. followed by the election of Joaquin Balagher.

Starting point is 00:12:56 His period of rule was still marked by repression of civil liberties and human rights, but it didn't attract international intervention. Balagher ruled for 12 years before being dismissed from office, and he would later be re-elected. Jumping forward to 1996, a new political party, the Dominican Liberation Party, or P.W.L, won the presidential election. Following their victory, the party remained the dominant force in the Dominican Republic until 2020 when the modern revolutionary party was elected. Today, the Dominican Republic has the fastest growing

Starting point is 00:13:29 economy in all of Latin America. By size, it's the largest economy in the Caribbean. By income, it's classified as an upper middle income country with a GDP per capita of nearly $10,900 in 2024. The history of the Dominican Republic has been unlike that of any of its neighbors in the region. They were a colony, became independent, and then they were a colony. It became independent. And then they were colonized again, became independent, and were colonized again. They suffered dictators and occupations by the United States. But after decades of ups and downs, with a lot of downs, they have managed to become one of the fastest growing and largest economies in the entire Caribbean. The executive producer of Everything Everywhere Daily is Charles Daniel. The associate producers

Starting point is 00:14:18 are Austin Otkin and Cameron Kiefer. Research and writing for this episode was provided by Olivia Ash. My big thanks go to everyone who's supports the show over on Patreon. Your support helps make this podcast possible. And I also want to remind everyone about the community groups on Facebook and Discord. This is where everything happens that's outside of the show. As always, if you leave a review on any major podcast app or in the above community groups, you too can have it read on the show.

Everything Everywhere Daily: History, Science, Geography & More - The Dominican Republic

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