Dominican Republic

Can you feel the warm sunshine on your skin and hear the gentle shushing sound of turquoise waves washing over my sandy shores. My tall palm trees sway back and forth in the breeze, like they are dancing to a happy song that you can feel in your heart. The air is always filled with music and the sweet smell of tropical flowers. Deep in my earth, I hide sparkling treasures, like beautiful blue stones that look like the Caribbean Sea. I am a place of sunshine and smiles. I am the Dominican Republic.

For a very long time, my first friends, the Taíno people, lived here. They loved my rivers, my mountains, and my fruit trees. They were artists who made amazing pottery and jewelry. One day, a big change came across the ocean. On December 5th, 1492, three big ships with giant white sails arrived. A man named Christopher Columbus was on one of them. He was an explorer who had never seen a place like me. Soon after, his brother, Bartholomew Columbus, came. Around the year 1498, he started building a brand new city on my coast and called it Santo Domingo. It became the very first European city in all of the Americas. I was very proud because it had the first big stone church and the first university where people could come to learn.

For many years, other countries were in charge of me. It was like someone else was telling me what songs to sing. But the people who lived on my shores had their own music in their hearts. They wanted me to be a free and independent country. Brave heroes, like a man named Juan Pablo Duarte, dreamed of this freedom. He and his friends helped my people believe that they could stand on their own. And they did. On February 27th, 1844, I celebrated my birthday. On that wonderful day, I officially became the Dominican Republic, a country with my own name and my own flag.

Today, my heart beats with joy and energy. If you visit, you will hear the exciting rhythms of merengue and bachata music that make everyone, young and old, want to get up and dance. My people love baseball, which they call ‘beisbol,’ and they play it with so much passion. Many of the best players in the world learned to play on my sunny fields. I also share my unique treasures, like a beautiful blue stone called larimar, which can only be found here. I love sharing my sunshine, my music, and my stories with everyone. I am a happy and proud island, and my arms are always open to welcome new friends.