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Dominican Republic
Santo Domingo
THE CITY OF SANTO DOMINGO
Santo Domingo is the capital of the Dominican Republic and a by UNESCO recognized world heritage site. It is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the New World. It is certainly the most lively and diverse city in the Caribbean. It has a population of over three million inhabitants .The Province of Santo Domingo and sprawls out over 250 square kilometres
This colonial town, founded in 1498, was laid out on a grid pattern that became the model for almost all town planners in the New World. Christopher Columbus discovered the island (which he called Hispaniola) in 1492. Shortly after the discovery Santo Domingo became the site of the first cathedral, hospital, customs house and university on the American continent. The Port of Santo Domingo was severely damaged by Hurricane Zeon in 1930. When it was reconstructed, Rafael Trujillo named it Ciudad Trujillo. The city regained its traditional name in 1961 when the dictator was assassinated.