Thinking of visiting the Dominican Republic? It's a country with a great history

The Dominican Republic has an incredibly rich history. The walls and the cobblestoned streets of its Colonial City bear witness to its past as the first city founded in the Americas.

It was more than 500 years ago that the Dominican Republic began to write its history. The peaceful Taino Indians, who spent their days hunting, fishing and farming, first inhabited the island. Then on December 5, 1492, Admiral Christopher Columbus arrived on the island. He named it Hispaniola, setting into motion the meeting of two cultures that would later make Santo Domingo the first city in the Americas.

For years, Hispaniola went through several changes of power.

Toward the end of the 17th century, the French colonized the western part of the island. In 1795, Spain relinquished power of the eastern part of the island to France, leaving the entire island under French power. The colony temporarily returned to Spanish hands, until December 1821 when a group of men led by José Núñez de Cáceres declared temporary Independence.

That rule didn't last long either.

In 1822 the Haitians took over the eastern part of the island by taking advantage of its military and economic weaknesses. This lasted for 22 years. Then on February 27, 1844, Juan Pablo Duarte began the fight for independence. The new Dominican Republic was born.

Despite the cry for independence, on March 18, 1861 the republic was once again annexed by Spain until after the Restoration War. The resulting political unrest culminated in economic chaos. The Dominican government then received loans with the United States and Europe and gave control of its customs to the US in 1907. Nine years later, the first North American invasion of the country took place.

Various unstable governments followed until the dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo was established in 1930. He remained in power for 30 years until he was executed in 1961. This allowed a provisional government to organize the first free elections in 1962. In this election, prominent writer Juan Bosh was elected to the presidency. He was overthrown seven months later, resulting in a civil war led by Francisco Alberto Caamaño. This would lead to the second North American invasion in 1965.

In 1966, Joaquín Balaguer was elected, an led the country through into a 12 year period of political repression. In 1978, the country returned to the polls. Balaguer lost overwhelmingly to Antonio Guzmán of the Dominican Revolutionary Party (the PRD). The country was on its way to becoming a democracy. In 1982, the PRD won again under the leadership of Salvador Jorge Blanco. However, in 1986, Balaguer became president again after winning a majority vote. He remained in office until 1996.

After Balaguer's reign was over, Doctor Leonel Fernández of the Party for Dominican Liberation (PLD) became president in 1996. In 2000, the PRD candidate Hipólito Mejía became president, followed by the PLD candidate Leonel Fernández in 2004. He was reelected again in 2008.

Significant events in Dominican history:

1492 Arrival of Christopher Columbus to the island.

1494 Construction of La Isabela, the first European settlement in the New World.

1498 Bartolomé Columbus, brother of Christopher Columbus, founds the city of Santo Domingo, on the eastern shores of the Ozama River.

1511 Fray Antón de Montesinos denounces the mistreatment of the indigenous population in his Advent Sunday sermon. Subsequently, slaves from Africa are brought over.

1605-1606 Sugar refineries and cattle stock were destroyed in order to prevent smuggling.

1697 Spain gives the west of the island (Haití) to France via the Ryswick Treaty. At the time, it is called Saint Domingue.

1777 The Treaty of Aranjuez is signed, which fixed the boundaries between the Spanish and French colonies.

1795  Spain hands over all of La Hispaniola to France via the Treaty of Basilea. In exchange, France agrees to return all the occupied territory of the Iberian Peninsula to Spain.

1809 Spanish power is restored after the conquest led by Creole Juan Sánchez Ramírez. This begins the time known as the "Era of Foolish Spain".

1821 José Núñez de Cáceres leads the 5 week "Ephemeral Independence".

1822 Haitian troops annex the Spanish part to Haití under the leadership of Jean Pierre Boyer.

1838 The secret La Trinitaria movement is founded, led by Juan Pablo Duarte. They want to overthrow Boyer and create an independent nation.

1844 Juan Pablo Duarte leads a group of patriots from Santo Domingo to declare the birth of the Dominican Republic. It is now independent from Haití.

1844 On November 6, The Constituent Assembly is organized to draft the first Constitution of the Republic. On November 14, Pedro Santana is elected the first Constitutional President of the country.

1861-65 Santana annexes the country to Spain. In 1863, the War for the Restoration of Independence begins with Gregorio Luperón as its leader.

1883-1899 Government and dictatorship of Ulises Heureaux.  The sugar industry is developed, which also brings about the establishment of small manufacturing companies.

1916-24 Financial weakening leads to a military intervention in the country by the United States, in order to recover the international debt.

1930 Rafael Leonidas Trujillo assumes the presidency and becomes a dictator.

1960 Three sisters, Patria, Minerva and María Teresa Mirabal are assassinated because of their opposition to the Trujillo regime.

1961 Trujillo is executed.

1962 Juan Bosch wins the first free elections in the country and takes charge on February 27, 1963.

1963 Juan Bosch's government is overthrown.

1965 The beginning of the Civil Revolution to restore the government. United States troops arrive for the second time.

1966-1978 Joaquín Balaguer of The Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC) is in power.

1978-1986 Antonio Guzmán and Salvador Jorge Blanco of the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) are in power.

1986-1996 Governments of Joaquín Balaguer (PRSC).

1996-2000 Government of Leonel Fernández from the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD).

2000-2004 Government of Hipólito Mejía (PRD).

2004-2012 Governments of Leonel Fernández, re-elected on May 16, 2008.

History - Symbols

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Symbols of the Dominican Republic:

The Flag was designed by Juan Pablo Duarte and created by Concepción Bona and María Trinidad Sánchez. Raised for the first time on February 27, 1944, it is what identifies the Dominican Republic as a free and sovereign country.

The Meaning of The Flag:

Red represents the blood spilled by the liberators.

Blue expresses the ideals of progress, liberty, and God's protection

The Cross is the symbol of the fight of the liberators.

The Shield:

The shield was created during the era of the proclamation of national independence, and has the Bible in the center. Since its inception, the shield has gone through more than 14 changes. However, the current shield has been in place since 1913.

The design of the Dominican flag is actually directly spelled out in their Constitution. Article 96 dictates that the shield have the same colors as the national flag, with a Bible opened to John 8:32 to read "The truth will set you free."  Surrounding the Bible are two spears pointed in the air and 4 Dominican flags without shields. All of this is then crowned by a laurel branch, palm leaf, and banners which read "God, Country and Liberty"; and the words " Dominican Republic".

The Anthem:

The National Anthem is an another important symbol of Dominican History.  Although it was written in 1897, it did not become the official anthem until 1934. The words were written by Emilio Prud'Homme and the music was composed by José Reyes.

I.

Brave men of Quisqueya

Let us sing with strong feeling,

And let us show the world

Our invincible, glorious banner.

Hail! the people who, strong and intrepid,

Launched into war to their death,

Under a warlike menace of death,

You broke your chains of slavery.

No country deserves to be free

If it is an indolent and servile slave;

If the call does not grow within,

Tempered by a virile heroism.

But the brave and indomitable Quisqueya

Will always hold its head up high;

For if it were a thousand times enslaved

It would a thousand times regain freedom.

II.

If it were to be exposed to ruse and deceit

To the contempt of a true imposer,

The fields of Carreras, Beller are

where traces of glory are found.

Where on the summit of the heroic bastion,

The word of the free became flesh,

Where the genius of Sánchez and Duarte

Taught to be free or to die.

And if an unattended leader

the splendor, of these glorious events could ignore,

of the war that was seen in Capotillo,

Wave the flag of fire.

And the fire that lets the proud lion

Of Castilla become stupefied,

Removes him from the glorious beaches

Where the crossed banner waves.

III.

Compatriots, let us proudly

Show our face, from today prouder than ever;

That Quisqueya may be destroyed

but a slave again, never.

It is a sanctuary of love that every heart

in the fatherland feels alive;

And it is its invincible shield, the right;

And it is its motto: be free or die.

Freedom that still arises serenely

Victory in her triumphal chariot.

And the clarion of war still echoes

Proclaiming its immortal glory.

Freedom! That the echoes should shake

Whilst filled with noble anxiety

Our fields of glory repeat

Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!

Emilio Prud'Homme

The Fathers:

Dominican's still remember their the liberators who fought for the country's independence in 1844. Known as the "Fathers of the Fatherland", this includes Juan Pablo Duarte, Francisco del Rosario Sánchez and Ramón Matías Mella.

The Constitution:

The Constitution is also an important symbol of Dominican patriotism. Although it has undergone many changes since November 6, 1844 it is still revered as the highest law of the land.

Choosing an International Marriage Agency (Mail Order Bride Service)

Choosing an International Marriage Agency (Mail Order Bride Service)
It is unfortunate that when you venture outside of the United States for love that you need to be extra careful with the women you court and the dating services you use. The prevalence of dishonesty, fraud, and neglectful service from international marriage agencies is very high. These guidelines will help you select a marriage agency (mail order bride service) with integrity and capability.
Are The Women Profiled Real?
Do not use an international marriage agency strictly based on the number of beautiful women profiled on the website. Any agency that has a high percentage of beautiful women should be suspect. Beautiful women are naturally rare and the most sought out women are beautiful. So it would only make sense that the most attractive women would have the highest turnover in a marriage agency. The best looking women will find a man sooner because they have more suitors and in turn they will be more difficult for a marriage agency to replace because there are fewer beautiful women available. To work around this, it is a common practice for foreign marriage agencies to show beautiful women as unattached regardless if they are married or with boyfriend. Two other common practices to inflate the beauty and number of women in an agency is the theft of photos from other marriage and model agencies websites, and illicit arrangements with local photographers for the purchase of personal photos of women without their consent or knowledge.
Beautiful women profiled in a marriage agency are meaningless if they are not available and unfortunately that is often the case. Many international marriage agencies will do whatever it takes to lure beautiful women to join. This is a translated example of an ad placed by a Colombian marriage agency in the local paper: “[Colombian marriage agency] invites all women interested in meeting American and European gentlemen with the opportunity of participating in a visa raffle enroll and participate in social events, free photographic session.” There is no visa raffle in Colombia this marriage agency like others is trying to entice women to join under a false pretense of getting a travel visa. So instead of attracting women looking for love they attract women trying to leave the country. The fact that you may end up with a woman that is hiding her true intent for marrying you is obviously of no concern to such agencies. By using a trusted marriage agency the beauty you see will be real and available.
Do They Have Good Referrals?
A good marriage agency should be able to provide you with many referrals. Talk to there past clients on their experience with the agency and the experience of other Americans they might of met while using the marriage agency services. If the agency provides introduction events ask them how many guys attended the last event. Ask if they were all successful in finding a likely wife. If the answer is yes then ask for the contact information for all these men. If everyone got what they came for then the agency should be eager to provide all the glowing references. If the answer is no all the men were not successful find out why, ask what the agency could have done differently to have helped those men. Be sure everything they tell you is consistent and reasonable. A good marriage agency will be able to provide ample referrals to back up their services. Your best insurance on the quality of the marriage agency is plenty of positive customer experiences.
Do They Have Real Testimonials
Do not rely on website testimonials that can be fabricated unless they can be traced to a source. Find out who said what about whom and then verify the accuracy of the quote. It is unlikely the agency will tell you, most international marriage agencies follow the precept that the bigger the lie the more likely you will believe it. Use a marriage agency that will show you the source and full context of all their quoted material.
Do They Have A Positive Reputation?
A marriage agency should have a good reputation find out by accessing the dating forums that specializes in the region of the world you are interested in. Ask the marriage agency what are the largest active forums in their industry. Go there and search on a particular agency in the forum’s archives. Post a question asking about the good and the bad agencies. An agency with a good reputation should not fear the spotlight of the open forums. An agency with a good reputation would participate in the forums and have a history of dialogue that can be used to evaluate their services. Don’t make your selection a guessing game when the recorded history is out there for a sound judgment on the best marriage agency to use. A marriage agency that claims not to know any international dating forums is lying.
Is The Owner Trustworthy?
Talk to the owner is he a man you can trust. How long has he been in business and can he verify a record of success. Be cautious of any push to get you to sign-up prior to the next upcoming event, you dictate the deadlines not the marriage agency. Ask the owner what distinguishes their agency from the others and why you will be more successful under their care. Are you going to be treated as an individual or as part of the pack? Ask as many questions as possible to scrutinize all aspects of the service you are interested in. Your trip itinerary needs to be clearly defined. Understand the details and specifics that will make your travels to find a wife successful.
Do They Have an Established Office with Experience Support?
When you use an international marriage agency that does not have a staffed office at your arrival destination you must rely on temporary, free lance labor. Such help will rarely have your long-term best interest in mind. In poor, developing countries survival often brings out the worse in people. We have seen many examples of free lance translators taking advantage of Americans through theft, dishonesty and manipulation. In corrupt third world countries a lot of effort is required to find competent individuals with integrity and reliability that can be trusted, particularly in delicate, private, emotional matters. A qualified intermediary takes training and experience. You will get neither of this with most marriage agencies where the only requirement is that they speak your language. The difference between foreign women and American women requires a cultural navigation best guided by trained professional matchmakers that will help you bridge the cultural differences and build a successful relationship. You are best served by an established local office that supports you with full-time, experienced, trained, dedicated, professional matchmakers who can properly assist you.
Are They A Middleman?
Most international marriage agencies on the Internet are resellers and franchises. They are marketing middlemen that associate with foreign local marriage agencies. They fabricate an alternative website and use the database of girls from the independent foreign agency which has its own separate website that actually provides the services. Anytime an extra layer is added you can expect increased delays, miscommunications and problems. Deal with a trusted source and verify they are not just a commissioned agent with a good tongue for promotion and hype.
Are They An Objective Source Of Information?
Many marriage agencies will create phony dating directory websites or dating forums that will try to mislead you into thinking they are an objective, independent source of information and advice on mail order brides. They will then recommend particular marriage agencies that unbeknown to you they own. Their objective is to sucker you and others as a valid resource on mail order brides when they are nothing more then advertisement that funnels you to a deceptive marriage agency. These false dating directories and forums are not easy to detect without a knowledgeable eye. While legitimate dating directories can be a valuable resource it is best to use a variety of the above check methods for validating a quality marriage agency.
Do They Have a Stated Policy to Prevent You from Being Scammed by Scheming Women?
Find out what steps the marriage agency takes to protect you from insincere women. How often do they remove such women from their website? What is considered unacceptable behavior from the female members? How does the agency protect its female members? Do not trust any agency that promises prevention due to their screening process. You can not screen out scammers you can only remove those that are caught in the act.
What Happens When You Use A Bad Marriage Agency?
Obviously you lose time and money but you also perpetuate the continued theft and disservice for those that will follow in your footsteps. By not scrutinizing the marriage agency track record and referrals you allow the non-honest marriage agencies another day to prey on the unsuspecting. Most but not all of the dishonest agencies will have much lower prices than the legitimate marriage agency because their intention is to do very little so it’s easy to flout discounted prices for services and promises that will never materialize. By following the above precautious in the selection of your agent the international path for finding a quality wife will be well worth the effort.
About The Author
Jamie Morrow is the owner of International Introductions http://international-introductions.com/ a marriage agency specializing in Latin women. His expertise is in the mail order brides industry. He can be reached at: Jamie@Latin-Wife.com.

Tips on meeting a Dominican woman

In the  northern part of the Caribbean lies a country called the Dominican Republic. When Christopher Columbus discovered this country, he immediately named it Little Spain, for it was the most beautiful place of The New World. Such an amazing place only had room for beautiful people and this is why, centuries later, Dominican women still remain some of the most beautiful women on Earth.

Nowadays, when we are free to marry whomever we desire, men do not have to limit themselves to admiring Dominican women’ s beauty; they can actually get to know and marry a Dominican lady. There is one very simple way of meeting Dominican women and that is using a Dominican women agency. The use of such an agency can lead to friendship, true love and even Dominican women marriage.

A dating agency offers matchmaking services to people of all ages and nationalities. If you want to meet a woman, if you need a person to talk to or if you are looking for a bride, you can use a dating agency. If you are looking for a particular lady, for example a Dominican lady, then you can use a Dominican women agency. Nowadays, there are many dating agencies, but only few of them actually have the experience necessary in this type of business. When love or marriage is on the line, only experienced and trustworthy agencies must be used. For example, if you like Latin ladies, then you should probably choose a Dominican women agency or a Latin women agency. By doing so, you can be certain that you will find only the best and most beautiful Latin ladies. Dominican women marriage is more of a certainty when using this type of agency.

Of course, another way of meeting Dominican ladies is visiting their country. However, this method is probably too demanding for most men. They are either caught up with work and do not have the necessary time to make the trip or they do not have the necessary resources for such a trip. Dominican ladies could also be living in the same city as you, but chances of meeting a single Dominican woman in your country or town are very low. Therefore, the most efficient way of meeting Latin ladies still remains a Dominican women agency. These types of agencies are very reliable, they save you a lot of time and your chances of finding your partner or even a bride are very high. Whether you are looking for a pen pall, a friend, a relationship or a wife, a Dominican women agency can offer you that. Dominican women marriage is a certainty if you use a Dominican women agency, because all women who join such agencies are family oriented.

There are several ways of meeting Latin women, but some of them are a little difficult and others are just in the hands of faith. However, there is one way that does not depend on faith and it is not at all difficult. Using a Dominican women agency is simple, less time consuming and has great results. Dominican women marriage is one of the results of using a dating agency. The only catch is to know which agency to choose.

For more resources about Dominican women marriage or even about Dominican women agency please review this webpage http://www.latinromantic.com

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Latin dating sites

There are now hundreds of latin dating sites that you can choose from, however there are a couple of great tips to look for that will save you a lot of time and money.
The main point is that you need to be careful from so called "Free" dating sites. Many of these sites are not legitimate. They are simply there to get you to click on there advertisements and make them money. Do not make this mistake. Look for dating sites that have the following guidelines,

• Free to Join
• Over 8 Million Potential Partners
• Find Personalized Matches in Your Area Today
• Get You Instant Connections
• Fast and Easy to Use
  
  The reason Internet dating is a great place to meet people is because whether you are male or female people have the same problem. Your job may keep you from meeting new people which is why many people are now using the Internet to meet people in the same situation. Thousands of people are now getting connected with partners through the power of online dating. People are now realizing just how quick and simply it is to find dates and life time partners. This is great for people who have the job which stops them from meeting new people on a regular basis. There are many sites that you can choose from and if you take the previous guidelines in to consideration you will get the best results. You want Hispanic dating services that are fast and simple to use that also give you a wide choice of like minded partners. The good news is that you can now find your partner online quickly. Always make sure that you do your own due diligence but If you would like to try out a free trial of a reputable site, then simply follow the link below.

Visit http://www.thelatindatingsites.com/ to see the top latin dating sites now. http://www.thelatindatingsites.com/hispanic-dating-services/latin-dating-sites-top-review Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Nathan_Sloan

Marriage agency scams

Russian brides, often referred as Russian mail order brides, are for real and the vast majority is honest. They will make excellent wives for the men lucky enough to win their hearts. However, agency scams and Russian brides scams are for real as well and can be very costly, both in dollars and feelings, to the men who weren’t able to detect them in time.

For any man who decides to find his future bride in Russia, the first step is to select an honest website which offers a reliable international matchmaking service. Here are a few tips that can help in doing so:

* Does this website display the name of their company? Do they have offices? If not, this should raise serious doubts to begin with.
* Can you tell who the owners are? If not, why are they not providing their identity? Again, this can raise serious doubts.
* Do they provide a telephone number where you can reach them? if so, give them a call to make sure it’s working and take the time to ask them questions about their women and their services.

The next step is to be able to recognize a Russian dating scammer. Here are 3 different types or Russian bride scams:

1. It can be anyone pretending to be a nice looking Russian woman seeking a foreign life partner. These scammers will usually sign-up on “free dating websites?where there is less or no control on whoever signs-up.

2. Another type of Russian Girls scams consists of websites who hire young and nice looking women who sit behind a video-camera and chat with whoever is willing to pay for it.

3. The most difficult type of scam to detect is when the Agency Scams and Russian Brides Scams team up. Here is how it works: the agency owners find women who are willing to put their profiles on their website and will encourage men in corresponding with them per letters. The money from the letters will be split among parties.

Follow these 10 simple guidelines and you will not become a victim of agency scams or Russian brides scams.

1. NEVER GIVE A RUSSIAN WOMAN MONEY UNLESS YOU HAVE MET IN PERSON AND YOU STRONGLY TRUST HER.

2. Take the time to choose an honest and reliable website to work with.

3. Russian women aren’t beggars. They are proud and have learnt to live without the excess. An honest Russian woman would never ask for money.

4. If a woman tells you that she’s in love with you after a few letters, it’s a really bad sign.

5. Make use of every letter to deepen your relationship. Describe yourself more in depth with each letter and ask for the same in return.

6. Once you share a good relationship on paper, make use of telephone or Video services.

7. If a Russian woman proposes you to vacation to some “neutral ground?such as Turkey, Egypt or Dominican Republic before you have met or shortly after you’ve met, it’s a bad sign. You should simply put an end to this relationship and report her.

8. Although, by tradition, Russian women are seeking older men for husband, please don’t overdo it. An age gap of up to 15 years is common but greater than that could lead to problems.

9. Google her. Type in her full name while trying her first name in different ways like Natalia, Nataliya, Natalya. If you find her anywhere on a scam site, please report her.

10. AGAIN: NEVER GIVE A RUSSIAN WOMAN MONEY UNLESS YOU HAVE MET IN PERSON AND YOU STRONGLY TRUST HER.

Russian women become the brides of thousands of men each year. Following these rules is a first step in finding a beautiful Russian bride.


Russian brides, often referred as Russian mail order brides, are for real and the vast majority is honest. They will make excellent wives for the men lucky enough to win their hearts. However, agency scams and Russian brides scams are for real as well and can be very costly, both in dollars and feelings, to the men who weren’t able to detect them in time. For any man who decides to find his future bride in Russia, the first step is to select an honest website which offers a reliable international matchmaking service. Here are a few tips that can help in doing so: * Does this website display the name of their company? Do they have offices? If not, this should raise serious doubts to begin with. * Can you tell who the owners are? If not, why are they not providing their identity? Again, this can raise serious doubts. * Do they provide a telephone number where you can reach them? if so, give them a call to make sure it’s working and take the time to ask them questions about their women and their services. The next step is to be able to recognize a Russian dating

My trip to the Dominican Republic

I just got back from an incredible trip to the capital city Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, I stayed in the colonial zone of the city (zona colonial). It is a very safe area with many historical things to see, nite life and great shopping for touristy stuff. I think I saw every old historic place there, like Christopher Colombus tomb, the oldest cathedral in the americas and the fortress. I also saw some of the most beautiful  and sexy women walking around town and in the malls. I'm talking about women with incredibly sexy shapely bodies and pretty faces and many, in the more well to do areas looking really elegant and femenine. I  love to travel to the caribbean. Click on my links to learn more about travel to the D.R. and meeting beautiful women for love, romance, dating and marriage.