Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo names 2 different subjects across the 6 encyclopedias on this shelf. Each is set out below. 1 of them is described by more than one encyclopedia.
Santo Domingo a republic occupying the E
Described by 2 of the 6 encyclopedias.
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
a republic occupying the E. part of the island of Haiti, one of the Greater Antilles, West Indies. There are several mountain ranges running E. and W., between which are large and fertile plains. The country is well watered, the most important rivers being the Yaqui, Yuna, and Ozama. The coast is irregular, having a number of deep indentations which afford excellent harbors. The climate on the coast is hot and in some sections unhealthful. In the interior it varies, being mild and salubrious in the more elevated districts. Area 19,332 square miles. Pop. (1919) about 1,000,000, mostly negroes, and over 10,000 whites. Spanish is generally spoken in the country, French and English in the towns. Capital, Santo Domingo. Religion and Education. The State religion is Roman Catholic, though other forms of worship with certain restrictions are tolerated. There are in all 54 parishes. Primary education is free and obligatory. The public or statė schools consist of primary, superior, technical, and normal schools, and a professional school similar to a university. In 1920 there were 972 schools, 26 secondary, one normal, one law and one medical school. Government. The Santo Domingo Constitution dates from 1844. Its Congress consists of a Senate of 12 and Chamber of Deputies of 24 members. Each of the 12 provinces is represented by one senator and two deputies. A U. S. Military Governor had supervision after 1916. Commerce. - The imports in 1919 were valued at £4,403,825 and the exports at £7,920,378. The chief articles of import were cotton goods, iron and steel manufactures, rice, vegetable fibers, chemical products and drugs, leather and manufactures, and agricultural implements. The greater part of the sugar and cocoa are shipped directly to the United States and a large part is transshipped to Europe and Canada. The sugar exports in 1919 were valued at £20,697,761. Finances. The estimated revenue in 1919 was $7,973,000. The figures for expenditures indicated a surplus of $33,686. For the year 1920 the estimated entire revenue was $12,000,000. The expenditures were not expected to reach beyond $8,160,- 000. The Dominican Republic's chief source of revenue is the customs collections. A treaty concluded between Santo Domingo and the United States in 1907 authorized the issue of $20,000,000 in 5% bonds, secured by a first lien on the customs revenue of the Republic. By the terms of this treaty the President of the United States appointed a general receiver of Dominican customs, and a sinking fund was established for the service of the 'oan. In 1918 bonds were issued to the amount of $5,000,- 000 for the purpose of settling claims and indebtedness accumulated prior to the establishment of the military government. History. The early history of this portion of the island, which remained Spanish when the W. part was ceded to France in 1697, and which was united with the neighboring state in 1795-1808, and in 1822-1843, properly belongs to that of HAITI (q. v.). In 1843 it assumed a separate standing as the Santo Domingo republic, the anarchy and misrule of which it exchanged in 1861 for the despotism of its former masters. But the harsh Spanish rule brought on a revolt in 1863. The Spaniards were driven out by a force headed by José Maria Cabral in 1865, and the constitution of 1844, with a few changes was reaffirmed. In 1905 the President of the United States undertook to adjust all the heavy financial obligations of the Dominican Government. In 1914 the United States sent a body of Marines to supervise the elections in Santo Domingo, and later American troops were employed to put down a revolt which arose in connection with the elections. Troops were retained in the Republic and it became virtually an American protectorate, and a Military Governor, who in 1920 was Rear-Admiral Thomas Snowden, was virtually the executive head of the island.
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
san-to do-men'go, an independent republic occupying the eastern portion of the island of Haiti. Area, 18,045 square miles. The surface is broken by rough, parallel mountain ranges rising to a height of 10,000 feet. The climate varies greatly. The coast and low valleys are intensely hot, almost unfit for white men. The region above 1,600 feet in height has cool nights and is reckoned temperate and healthful. The amount of rainfall is determined largely by the situation with reference to the winds and mountains. Sandy, scorched, arid regions are succeeded by regions of unsurpassed fertility. The mountain sides that catch the rain are clothed with tropical forests. The opposite slopes may be composed of bare rocks. Gold and silver were found formerly in abundance. Iron, tin, and platinum exist. There is an abundant supply of durable building stone, including marble. The country became independent of Spain in 1821, and separated from Haiti in 1844. Various schemes have been on foot for annexation to the United States . The form of government is republican. The Congress consists of a single house. The president is not eligible for reelection. The republic is a member of the postal union. There were, in 1902, 130 miles of railway. Wagon roads are still few. Communication by cable is maintained with the outside world. The American gold dollar is the basis of coinage. The inhabitants number about 416,000. Aside from a few of pure Spanish descent, the people are a mixed race. Spanish, Indian, and negro elements are blended. Spanish is the national language; Roman Catholic, the national religion. A system of public education embracing elementary, normal, and high schools, as well as a university, has been established and is taking shape slowly. Expensive and devastating wars with the sister republic of Haiti have held civilization back. The principal productions are sugar, coffee, tobacco, cocoa, and bananas. Other articles of export are mahogany, logwood, goatskins, oxhides, honey, deer horns, moss, cedar, tortoise shells, and rum. The total export business amounts to about $8,000,000 a year.
Santo Domingo the capital of the republic
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
the capital of the republic, is a city of about 20,000 inhabitants. It was founded by Columbus on his third voyage, and was for a time the capital of the Spanish West Indies . It still has a decidedly Spanish appearance. At his death, Columbus desired that his body be sent from Spain to be buried in the Cathedral of San Domingo. See Columbus ; Haiti; L'Ouverture
What Has Changed in the Last Century
The U.S. military government that Collier's described in 1921, with Rear-Admiral Snowden as "virtually the executive head," ended in 1924, but the constabulary it built produced Rafael Trujillo, who ruled from 1930 until he was assassinated in 1961 and who renamed the capital Ciudad Trujillo after himself in 1936. American troops returned briefly in 1965 during a civil war; since 1966 the country has held regular elections. The nation is now universally called the Dominican Republic, and the island Collier's and Aiton both call "Haiti" is now generally named Hispaniola. Population has risen from the roughly one million Collier's reported for 1919 to about eleven million, and sugar has been overtaken by tourism, mining and remittances as the mainstay of the economy.
Written for this edition, 2026.