Dominican Republic

The Island of Hispaniola was explored and claimed by Christopher Columbus in 1492 and became the launching point of Spain's Caribbean conquests. Ruled until 1821 by the Spanish, the Dominican Republic gained its independence from its Haitian rulers in 1844. Since 1996, the country has held regular, competitive elections and has enjoyed steady economic growth since 2005. The global recession did take its toll in 2008, challenging the Dominican Republic's tourism industry and remittances, which are leading contributors to the country's economy. While the economy is growing at a respectable rate, high unemployment and underemployment rates pose serious challenges. Counterpart works with the tourism sector on several levels, striving not only to create sustainable, biodiversity conservation within the tourist industry, but also to extend IT training and support to the youth for long-term careers, building the industry's future workforce.  

Map and country information, The World Factbook 2009. Washington, DC: Central Intelligence Agency, 2009.