Culture of the Dominican Republic
Encyclopedia
Taíno people
The Taínos were pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. It is thought that the seafaring Taínos are relatives of the Arawak people of South America...
roots. The Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
was the first Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
colony in the New World. Diseases inadvertently brought by the Spanish previously unknown to the native inhabitants wiped out the vast majority of the Taino Indians on the island; the colonizers thus began importing massive numbers of African slaves to replace the natives. After the Haitian liberation of the entire island, slavery was abolished and free blacks (and those of mixed race) could be found all over the islands.
However, there are differences in class and education that separate different groups. The wealthy privileged status elite are mostly of Spaniard, (others include Italian and French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
) and to a lesser extent, African descent, while the majority of the lower class are Mulattoes of primarily African descent. The metropolitan culture available to the upper class and vanishing (due to economic turbulence as of late) middle class is often comparable to the life of city dwellers in the rich countries of Western Europe and the United States. But this metropolitan culture doesn't reach the poorest people, who may not have the most basic amenities, necessities, running water, electricity, sanitary facilities nor consumer electronics.
See also
- Music of the Dominican RepublicMusic of the Dominican RepublicThe music of the Dominican Republic is known primarily for merengue, though bachata, salsa and other forms are also popular. Dominican music has always been closely intertwined with that of its neighbor, Haiti .-Merengue:...
- Professional baseball in the Dominican RepublicProfessional baseball in the Dominican RepublicThe Dominican Professional Baseball League or LIDOM by its acronym in Spanish, is a winter professional baseball league consisting of six teams spread across the Dominican Republic; it is the top baseball league in that country...
- Latin American cultureLatin American cultureLatin American culture is the formal or informal expression of the peoples of Latin America, and includes both high culture and popular culture as well as religion and other customary practices....
- Literature of the Dominican RepublicLiterature of the Dominican Republic-Authors from the Dominican Republic and Haiti:*Angel Hernádez Acosta*Juan Antonio Alix*Julia Alvarez*Rámon Marrero Aristy*Julio Vega Battle*Francisco Gregorio Bilini*Pedro Francisco Bonó*Freddy Prestol Castillo*Tulío M. Cestero*Manuel de Jesús*Gastón F...
- List of Dominican Republic films
External links
- Island Thresholds, Peabody Essex Museum's interactive feature, showcases the work of contemporary Caribbean artists and their exploration of identity, culture, and social justice. (requires Macromedia Flash)
- Dominican People and Culture