Some history about the Dominican Republic.

In the heart of Caribbean, bathed by the Waters of the Atlantic on the north coast and by the impetuous Caribbean Sea to the south, there is a peaceful and beautiful country, the Dominican Republic, located between the parallels of 17 40' and 19 56' north latitude and 68 20' and 70 01' west longitude from the Greenwich Meridian ( GTM-4 ). Its natural beauties and rich history delight and provide great enthusiasm to those who get to know this country.

 
On the 5th of December in 1492 it was discovered by Christopher Columbus on his first trip and occupies 48,442 of the island's 77,914 square kilometers. The rest belongs to the neighboring Republic of Haiti.
 
In 1508 it was named Island of Santo Domingo by Royal Privilege of King Ferdinand.
Its aboriginal name Quisqueya in the Taino language means Mother of all lands.
At the times of the discovery, our island was inhabited mostly by natives who called
themselves Tainos, which in their own language means " the good ones ". Thinking
they had reached India, the Spaniards called them " Indians ".
 
The Tainos belonged to the Arawak culture originating in the tropical region of
South America, from where they emigrated on canoes to the Lesser Antilles.
Physically, they were well shaped, strong, with brown skin, straight black hair
and expressive eyes. Overall they were pacific and even though they were going into
a process of general slavery under the dominion of a chieftain, our history consigns
facts in where they tried to defend their family, land and freedom with ability and braveness.
Nevertheless, in less than thirteen years, a population estimated a 600,000
was totally exterminated.
 
They were organized into five chieftainships: Marien, governed by Guacanagarlx;
Magu, dominated by the chieftain Guarionex; in Maguana, Caonabo was the ruler;
in Higuey, Cayacoa and Jaragua was the domain of BohechÌo.
 
Upon the death of BohechÌo, his sister, Anacaona, Caonabo widow who was reputed
to be the most able, beautiful and talented woman on the island, took over.
Despite this, she was forced to powerlessly witness the genocide of her tribe in the first
act of cruelty committed by the governor Frey Nicolas de Ovando in 1503, registered in History as the Jaragua Massacre.
 
Imprisoned, the Queen responded : " Killing is not honorable, neither does violence
redress our honor. Let us build a bridge of love that our enemies may cross, leaving
their footprints for all to see ".