Hello, ladies and gents, this is the Viking telling you that today we are talking about
Awesome facts about the Dominican Republic
A world of fascination awaits you when you visit the Americas, but these facts about the Dominican Republic will have you gobsmacked. Far from being just another sunny place to don your trunks, the Dom Rep is absolutely dripping with culture and history. But for now, how about we give you a taste for just how incredible ol’ Hispaniola is?
1. The Dominican Republic is the second largest island in the Caribbean behind Cuba and ahead of Jamaica.
2. At 3,098m it’s home to the largest peak in the Caribbean, Pico Duarte – first scaled by Sir Robert H. Schomburgk in 1851
3. Recently recognised as the Capital of Gastronomic Culture in the Caribbean
4. Originally known as Hispaniola – French and Spanish forces fought bloody battles for control of the island before a truce was agreed in 1697. The country was subsequently split into Haiti and the Dominican
5. Christopher Columbus first discovered the Dominican Republic, by accident, in 1492 after sailing in search of a new trade route aboard his ship, the famous Santa Maria. In fact, the capital city Santo Domingo is considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
6. Santo Domingo’s Cathedral of Santa María la Menor is the oldest cathedral in the Americas. It was built in the 1500’s!
7. The national motto of Dominican Republic is Dios, Patria, Libertad meaning “God, Fatherland, Liberty”
8. This motto forms the background of the colours on the national flag too. With the blue symbolising liberty, the white cross represents salvation, and red is symbolic of the blood shed by the fathers of the country’s independence
9. The flag was designed by Juan Pablo Duarte, who’s birthday is still celebrated as Duarte Day in the country to this day.
10. One more flag fact to round off the top 10 – it’s the only flag in the world to feature an image of the Holy Bible
And as always have a chilled day from the Viking
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