Dominican Republic
Columbus discovered the island of Hispaniola in 1492 and established it as his main base for the further exploration of the Americas. The Dominican Republic's Spanish influence permeates throughout and can be seen in the numerous colonial buildings in the capital Santo Domingo, which boasts of being the oldest permanent European settlement in the Americas. The country's western heritage combines with that of the original American indian settlers, as well as with elements of African folklore, resulting in a friendly culture full of lively Caribbean music and other artistic expressions. Today, tourists are attracted to the Dominican Republic by the magnificent golden sand beaches along its 1,400km coast line, the state of the art golf courses, and the lush green jungle-like reserves. The demand for upmarket, residential style accommodation in addition to the traditional all-inclusive hotels has given a boost to FDI, in the sector of tourism, accounting to over 22% of the total, and contributing over 5.5% of GDP.
