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Dominican Republic -
(North America)
(Print)
Information about Dominican Republic
Capital |
Santo Domingo |
Area |
48422 square kilometres |
Population |
8107000 |
Religions |
Roman Catholic 69%, Prot 11%, no religion20% |
Christian (%) |
80.00 |
Protestant (%) |
11.00 |
Reformed (%) |
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The island Hispaniola was the first territory to be conquered by the Spaniards in 1493. Santo Domingo became the capital. After twenty years of Spanish rule the Taino, the original population, had almost entirely disappeared. Initially the whole island was Spanish, in 1659 the French occupied the part which today forms Haiti. In 1804 Haiti became independent, and from 1822 to 1844 the Haitians invaded the eastern part, then still under Spanish domination.
The first Prot came to the country during this period. In 1824, upon the invitation of the Haitian government, several thousand Afro-Americans, among them some freed slaves, settled in several areas of the island; they were accompanied by pastors of the African Episcopal Methodist Church. Prot centers were established in several places, especially in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and Samana, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Methodists started formal missionary work in 1841. They were followed in the 20th century by several denominations, among them the Free Methodists (1908), the Adventists (1908), Assemblies of God (1931), Plymouth Brethren (1921), Church of God (1940), Southern Bapt (1962), and, more recently, by a wide range of evangelical groups.
Alliances
Churches
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