Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
For many, the Dominican Republic brings to mind silhouettes of coconut trees lining white sand beaches. While this image may be true for luxurious Dominican resorts, most of the island's ten million inhabitants live hours from a beach. Luckily, coconut trees grow abundantly inland as well as on the coast. From a young age, kids learn to climb the trees to knock down enough coconuts to share with all. But watch out below! Coconuts can weight up to five pounds. ¡Cuidado!
– Claire Dal Nogare ©2016
PCV Dominican Republic 2014–2016
Youth, Families, and Community Development
República Dominicana
Caribbean island
Area 19K mi2; 49K mi2
Population 10.6M (558/mi²; 216/mi²)
Gov’t Presidential republic
Capital Santa Domingo (2.9M)
GCP/capita $15,900
Unemployment 14%
In poverty 41%
Life expectancy 78 yrs
Infant Mortality 18/1K live births (92nd)
Literacy 92%
Languages Spanish, Dominican Spanish, Haitian Creole
Religions Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%
Military .61% of GDP (121st)
Education 2.1% of GDP (163rd)
Labor Force Agriculture 15%, industry 21%, services 65%
PCVs 1962–present CURRENT: 155, Community Economic Development, Education, Health, Youth Development; TTD: 4,550
Adult Books
Caitlin McHale Floreal, 2014
Paperback: 92 pages
Publisher: lulu.com (April 20, 2014)/Caitlin McHale Floreal
Language: English
ISBN-13: 978-1312083554
A collection of stories from the no longer existent La Vida Idealist blog on Idealist.org. Author Caitlin McHale Floreal lives in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, where she runs a non-profit organization called Project Esperanza. Topics covered include inconsistent electricity, cultural differences in waiting in line and customer service, gender inequality, and more.
Kids' Books
The Color of My Words
Lynn Joseph
Format: 138 p.
ISBN: 978-1-413-14404-8
Age Range: 8–12 years
Publisher: New York: Harper Trophy, 2000
When life gets difficult for Ana Rosa, a twelve-year-old would-be writer living in a small village in the Dominican Republic, she can depend on her older brother to make her feel better--until the life-changing events on her thirteenth birthday.
Films
Film: Sand Dollars (Dólares de arena)
Directors:
Date of Release: 2014
Language: Spanish, English, French
Run Time: 84 minutes
Summary:
“An older European woman becomes enchanted with a young Dominican woman who must struggle to make ends meet. Love brings a flow of entanglements in a drama which unfolds like palm trees in an irresistible storm.” —IMDb
Music
Rita Indiana y los Misterios, playing a traditional blend of merengue music and rock, is an alternative merengue band based in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, led by the vocalist Rita Indiana.
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