Emocionado!

I am 20 days away from a new adventure. A new experience.

In 20 days I will be co-leading a group blindly, to a part of the island I have never stepped foot on. Hearing a language I know NONE of. Experiencing a culture I am just starting to learn about.

I am excited!

Although many people who read my blog are fellow Haiti lovers- I thought I would share some of the interesting facts I have researched about the Dominican Republic.

The entire island of Hispaniola was found by Christopher Columbus in 1492, originally a Spanish conquest, Spain recognized French domination over the third of the island- Haiti- and maintained control of the other 2/3rds known as Santo Domingo. After Haiti gained independence in 1804 Santo Domingo was conquered and ruled over by Haiti until 1844,formally becoming the Dominican Republic.

• Current population is approximately 9, 800,000 people.
• Life expectancy is avg 77 years.
• Approximately 62,000 are living with HIV/AIDS (2007)
• Official language= Spanish
• 87% of the population is literate
• Main exports- sugar, coffee and tobacco, a market highly dependant on the USA
• Major transnational issues; Human Trafficking and Illicit Drugs

Just the tip of the ice berg. I am looking forward to learning about the country and its complexities first hand and sharing my new found knowledge with all of you.

Stay tuned.