什麼是多明尼加共和國

西印度群島共和國。佔伊斯帕尼奧拉島東部2/3地區，與海地共有。面積48,322平方公里。人口︰約8,693,000（2001）。首都︰聖多明哥。居民大多數為歐洲人和非洲人的混血種後裔。語言︰西班牙語（官方語）。宗教：主要信奉天主教。貨幣︰多明尼加披索（RD$）。該國境內多山，呈西北-東南走向。中部高地的杜阿爾特峰海拔3,175公尺，是西印度群島最高點。北部的錫瓦奧谷地土地肥沃。西部為大片沙漠，較乾旱。是加勒比海各國中最貧窮的國家之一。混合型經濟，大多依賴蔗糖的生產和出口。政府形式是共和國，兩院制。國家元首暨政府首腦是總統。

多明尼加共和國原先是伊斯帕尼奧拉的西班牙殖民地的一部分。1697年該島西部1/3的土地（後來成為海地）割讓給法國。1795年該島其餘部分歸法國所有。1809年該島東部2/3的土地歸還西班牙。1821年該殖民地宣佈獨立。惟數週內，共和國被海地軍隊佔領，直到1844年。此後，除為時短暫的民主政府外，這個國家連續被幾個獨裁者統治。美國時常捲入其事務。1961年終結了特魯希略的獨裁政權，引起1965年內戰和美國軍事幹預。1979和1998年該國遭強烈颶風侵襲。

Dominican Republic

Republic of the West Indies, occupying the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, which it shares with Haiti. Area: 18,657 sq mi (48,322 sq km). Population (1997 est.): 7,802,000. Capital: Santo Domingo. The majority of the people are of mixed European and African ancestry. Language: Spanish (official). Religion: mainly Roman Catholicism. Currency: Dominican peso. The country is generally mountainous, with ranges and hills running from northwest to southeast. The Central Highlands reach a height of 10,417 ft (3,175 m) at Duarte Peak, the highest point in the West Indies. The Cibao Valley in the north is noted for its fertility; the western part of the country is generally dry with large stretches of desert. One of the poorest countries of the Caribbean, it has a mixed economy heavily dependent on the production and export of sugar. It is a republic with two legislative houses; its head of state and government is the president. The Dominican Republic was originally part of the Spanish colony of Hispaniola. In 1697 the western third of the island, which later became Haiti, was ceded to France; the remainder of the island passed to France in 1795. The eastern two-thirds of the island were returned to Spain in 1809, and the colony declared its independence in 1821. Within a matter of weeks it was overrun by Haitian troops and occupied until 1844. Since then the country has been under the rule of a succession of dictators, except for short interludes of democratic government, and the U.S. has frequently been involved in its affairs. The termination of the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo in 1961 led to civil war in 1965, and U.S. military intervention. The country suffered from severe hurricanes in 1979 and 1998.