HISTORY UNDER THE SUN ALCÁZAR DE COLÓN SANTO DOMINGO On a warm sunny day a family explores the ancient town of Santo Domingo They see 500-year-old Spanish-style buildings Lively music plays in shops as they walk by They visit the Alcázar de Colón or the Palace of Columbus The son of Christopher Columbus built it in 1510 4
OTHER TOP SITES AGUAS BLANCAS WATERFALL CATHEDRAL OF ST MARY OF THE INCARNATION CAVES AT THREE EYES NATIONAL PARK SAMANÁ BAY Their next stop is the Museo de las Casas Reales or Museum of the Royal Houses The tourists marvel at artifacts from the Spanish settlers and the island’s Taíno native peoples Then they enjoy fresh fruit smoothies at an outdoor café History beauty and sunshine are all around This is the Dominican Republic 5
LOCATION ATLANTIC OCEAN HAITI CARIBBEAN SEA The Dominican Republic is on the island of Hispaniola and covers 18,792 square miles 48,670 square kilometers It covers the eastern two-thirds of the island When combined with the area of Haiti the island is the second largest in the West Indies 6
PUERTO PLATA SANTIAGO DE LOS CABALLEROS DOMINICAN REPUBLIC SANTO DOMINGO COLUMBUS LANDS IN AMERICA Hispaniola was one of the first places Christopher Columbus landed in December 1492 He thought it was Japan Santo Domingo is the oldest city Europeans built in the Western Hemisphere that is still lived in LA ROMANA MONA PASSAGE The Dominican Republic’s shores are washed by waves from the Atlantic Ocean to the north and the Caribbean Sea to the south Puerto Rico lies 80 miles 129 kilometers east across the Mona Passage The capital city of Santo Domingo lies on the country’s south-central coast 7
