in the wetter areas. The country’s wildlife
includes alligators and many birds.
People
Most Dominicans have mixed European
and African roots. Spanish is the main
language. The majority of the population
is Roman Catholic. Most people
live in cities and towns.
Economy
Services—including tourism and
telecommunications—are the main economic
activities. Manufacturers make
cement, sugar, beer, clothing, and cigars.
Farmers grow sugarcane, rice, bananas,
cocoa, and coffee. The country also has
deposits of nickel and gold.
History
Christopher Columbus discovered Hispaniola
in 1492. In 1496 the Spanish
founded Santo Domingo.Within
decades most of the native Carib and
Taino peoples had died. The Spanish
brought in slaves from Africa.
France gained control of Hispaniola in
1795. Haiti won independence from
France in 1804. Spain took back control
of eastern Hispaniola, but the Dominicans
declared independence in 1821.
Soon afterward the Haitians invaded.
The Dominican Republic achieved independence
from Haiti in 1844. It then
alternated between weak democracies
and governments led by dictators.
..More to explore
Haiti • Santo Domingo
Facts About
DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC
Population
(2008 estimate)
9,507,000
Area
18,792 sq mi
(48,671 sq km)
Capital
Santo Domingo
Form of
government
Republic
Major urban
centers
Santo Domingo,
Santiago, La
Romana, San
Francisco de
Macoris, San
Cristobal
66 Dominican Republic BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Donkey
The donkey is a member of the horse
family. The words donkey and ass are
used to identify the same animal. However,
the term donkey is used for domesticated,
or tamed, animals. The term ass
is more often used when the animal is
wild. Donkeys are descendants of the
African wild ass. They were first domesticated
by humans in Africa. They are
now used around the world as working
animals.
The average donkey stands 40 inches
(102 centimeters) at the shoulder, but
different breeds vary greatly in size and
shape. Donkeys range from white to
gray or black in color. They usually have
a dark stripe from the mane to the tail
and a crosswise stripe on the shoulders.
The mane is short and upright, and the
tail has long hair only at the end. The
ears are very long and are dark at the
base and tip. A donkey can carry heavy
loads over rough land. The donkey can
handle the uneven ground of the mountains
better than a horse can.
On average female donkeys give birth 12
months after mating. Donkeys sometimes
breed with horses to produce animals
called mules. Donkeys can live up
to 50 years.
#More to explore
Horse
Douglass,
Frederick
His brilliant speaking and writing made
Frederick Douglass a leader of the movement
to abolish slavery. A former slave
himself, Douglass was also the first African
American citizen to hold an important
position in the U.S. government.
Early Life
Frederick AugustusWashington Bailey
was born sometime in 1817 or 1818 in
Talbot County, Maryland. His mother
was a slave. He never knew his father,
who was a white man.
A farmer leads a donkey and cart across a
plowed field.
Frederick Douglass
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Douglass, Frederick 67
At the age of 8, Frederick was sent to
live in Baltimore as a house servant with
the family of Hugh Auld. Auld’s wife,
Sophia, taught Frederick to read.
In 1838 Frederick escaped to New York
City, where he lived as a free man. He
married Anna Murray of Baltimore, a
free woman. They settled in New Bedford,
Massachusetts, and Frederick
changed his last name to Douglass.
AntislaveryWork
At an antislavery convention in 1841 in
Nantucket, Massachusetts, Douglass was
invited to describe his experiences as a
slave. His moving speech marked the
beginning of his career as an abolitionist.
Douglass was so impressive as a speaker
that some of his critics doubted that he
could ever have been a slave. Douglass
addressed these critics in 1845 by publishing
his autobiography, The Narrative
of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an
American Slave.
In 1847 Douglass founded an antislavery
newspaper in Rochester, New York,
called The North Star. While in Rochester,
Douglass helped to smuggle escaped
slaves to Canada via the Underground
Railroad.
Later Life
During the American CivilWar Douglass
was a consultant to President Abraham
Lincoln. Douglass suggested that
former slaves should be given weapons
to fight for the North.
After the CivilWar, Douglass held several
government offices. He also continued
to fight for human rights until he
died inWashington, D.C., on February
20, 1895.
..More to explore
Abolitionist Movement • Slavery
• Underground Railroad
Dover
Population
(2000 census)
32,135; (2007
estimate)
35,811
Dover is the capital of the U.S. state of
Delaware. The city is located on the
Saint Jones River.
Dover is a farm trade center. Crops are
brought to the city from nearby farms
One of the important state government
buildings in Dover is Legislative Hall.
During the
American Civil
War Douglass
organized two
black Army
units. He also
tried to get
equal pay for
black soldiers.
68 Dover BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
and are shipped out from there. Factories
in the city package foods and make
paints, rubber products, and perfumes.
