ABSTRACT
Beacon of the Caribbean, La República Dominicana should definitely not be confused with the much smaller, English-speaking island of Dominica, located among the farther eastern Caribbean Leeward group. The Dominican Republic, once called Quisqueya, 1 boasts sixty-seven types and three hundred species of orchids found on the island. The national tree is the caoba, or mahogany. The national bird is the cotica parrot, which is bright green and very talkative, and is a popular pet in many Dominican households. The national dish is sancocho; the national dance and music style is the merengue. The national sport is unquestionably béisbol. More than half of the more than three hundred professional Dominican ballplayers currently active with North American major and minor league ball clubs come from the town of San Pedro de Macorís. This island nation is one of the few countries (if not perhaps the only one) that honors a trio of Padres de la Patria (Fathers of the Nation): Juan Pablo Duarte, the writer; Matías Ramón Mella, the soldier; and Francisco del Rosario Sánchez, the lawyer. A high-ranking Catholic clergyman, Padre Fernando Arturo de Meriño, has served as president. Archbishop Adolfo Alejandro Nouel was a short-term interim president. The region’s history is reflected even today as witnessed in neighboring Haiti, where a radical, former Catholic priest, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, has also served as president.
