Santo Domingo

There are few places in the Dominican Republic that are more beautiful than Santo Domingo de Guzman; the nation’s capital city. The Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Province surrounds the area, although the city itself technically resides as its own province known as the National District. With a population of well over two million people, Santo Domingo is easily the largest city in the Dominican Republic, and is, in fact, the second-largest city in the entire Caribbean Region. Located at the mouth of the Ozama river, the area is already a popular tourist location because it is the oldest European settlement in the Americas, after being founded by Christopher Columbus in 1492. The city of Santo Domingo has much to offer both locals and tourists in terms of the government, economy, and tourism.

Government in Santo Domingo

As the capital city of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo is the central political region of the national government, much like Washington DC, in the United States. The city holds the office of the President, known as the National Palace, along with the National Congress building. While the city offers many tourist attractions and activities, it is also the forerunner in Dominican politics. It is not unusual for residents of the Dominican Republic to tour the area, especially those residing in the Santo Domingo Dominican Republic province, again, not unlike the tours offered around the nation’s capital in the United States.

Santo Domingo Economy

As it was with politics, Santo Domingo is the center of the nation’s economy. The city holds most of the nation’s business headquarters for both domestic and foreign businesses, and the area continues to attract international businesses because of the city’s location and its economic stability. Residents of the city of Santo Domingo, and the greater surrounding area stretching just into the Santo Domingo Dominican Republic province, have a large discrepancy in incomes, with some of the nation’s most wealthy and some of the nation’s most poor inhabitants living just miles from each other. Poligon, the central region of the city, is home to many of the nation’s most influential and successful businessmen, politicians, etc. and contains many of the areas high-income families. Just to the north of the city, however, in an area known as Santo Domingo Norte, lies the poorest section in the area including families living in drastic poverty. Similar to Washington DC, the central area of the city is home to some of the countries most famous and influential people, yet many of the outer-laying areas have been depressed into poverty and slum-like conditions.

Tourism in Santo Domingo

The city of Santo Domingo and the Santo Domingo Dominican Republic province are home to many of the nation’s most historical landmarks. Perhaps one of the most famous landmarks in the country is the Faro a Colon, a lighthouse designed in a cross-style pattern in honor of Christopher Columbus and his modern discovery of the region. Travel to the Zona Colonial district and you will find an area full of tourist attractions such as the Calle El Conde and the Alcazar de Colon. In fact, the whole area was declared was declared a World Heritage site in 1990 by UNESCO. The metropolitan area surrounding Santo Domingo also includes nine different museums, twelve separate parks and recreational areas, and seven different mall locations for tourists to browse, so anyone can find something that suits their style. Beyond that, the city has almost twenty different universities within its limits, which has led to the area having the highest concentration of higher education degree holders in the nation.

Increasing popularity

Santo Domingo continues to be popular among everyone involved with the Dominican Republic, whether that be people living there, or simply tourists checking out the popular sites and attractions. As the nation’s business capital, it is a safe assumption that Santo Domingo will be a popular area for years to come, and the political presence in the city will assure the area the prestige it has come to hold. When you are planning your trip to the Dominican Republic, make sure to include a stop in Santo Domingo because no trip to the Dominican is complete without checking out the nation’s beautiful and historic capital city.

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