Every year, thousands of people from other countries
come to Canada to start a new life. They come with many different talents
and skills and the hope of contributing to their new society. Your interest
in reading this cultural profile may be due to your involvement with the
HOST Program, where you will have the opportunity to meet people from the
Dominican Republic and introduce them to life in Canada. You may have a
Dominican colleague at work or Dominican students at your school. This
profile will help you understand something about the Dominican Republic
and the lives of the people there. |
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Economic problems in the Dominican Republic have
prompted many Dominicans to leave their country in search of a more stable
life in Canada. Although Canada may seem quite different from the Dominican
Republic, there are also many similarities. Dominicans will have many of
the same questions that you might have if you moved to a new town or city.
For example, they will wonder where to find a job, which schools their
children will attend, where to shop and what their new community is like. |
The
aboriginal name for the Dominican Republic is Quisqueya, which means in
the Taino language, "Mother of all lands." |
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Although this culture profile provides insights
into some customs, it does not cover all facets of life. The customs described
may not apply in equal measure to all newcomers from the Dominican Republic.
Summary Fact Sheet |
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Official
Name: |
Dominican Republic |
Capital: |
Santo Domingo |
Type of Government: |
Representative
Democracy |
Population: |
8 million |
Area: |
48,730 sq. km |
Major Ethnic
Groups: |
Mulatto (mixture
of European, African and indigenous), European, African |
Language: |
Spanish |
Religions: |
Roman Catholicism,
Protestantism, traditional beliefs |
Unit of Currency: |
Dominican Peso |
National
Flag: |
Two white bands
forming a cross, dividing the area into four rectangles (top left and bottom
right blue, top right and bottom left red) |
Date of Independence: |
February 27,
1844 |
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