Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/1310

 1258 SANTO DOMINGO.

(Republica Dominicana.)

Constitution and Government.— The Republic of Santo Domingo, founded in 1844, is governed under a Constitution bearing date November 18, 1844, re-proclaimed, with changes, at various dates down to 1908. By the Constitution of 1908 the legislative power of the Republic is vested in a National Congress, consisting of a Senate of 12 senators and a Chamber of Deputies of 24 members. These representatives are remunerated at tbe rate of 4807. per annum each. Each province is represented by- one senator and (in practice) by two deputies. Senators are elected for six years, one-third retiring every two years, and deputies for a period of four years, one-half retiring every two years. But the powers of the National Congress only embrace the general affairs of the Republic.

United States Military Governor. — Rear Admiral Thomas Snowden.

The President is chosen by an electoral college for the term of six years, and receives a salary of 9,600 dollars per annum. There is no Vice- President. In c;i.S'. of death or disability of the President, Congress designates a person to take charge of the executive office.

The executive of the Republic is vested in a Cabinet composed of the President and seven Ministers, who are the heads of the departments of the Interior and Police, Finance and Commerce, Justice and Public Instruction, War and Marine, Agriculture and Immigration, Foreign Affairs, and Public Works and Communications.

The Republic is divided into 12 provinces.

This system of Government has been in abeyance since November 29, 1916, when a Military Government by United States nival office! s was pro- claimed. The Military Governor combines, for the time being, the fractions both of the President and Congress. United States naval officers are administering the different Government depaitmeuts. On January 1, 1920, a new Department of State for Sanitation and Beneficence was created.

Area and Population. — The area of Santo Domingo, which embraces the eastern portion of the island of Quisqueya or Santo Domingo — tho western division forming the Republic of Haiti — is estimated at 19,3l! - 2 square miles, with 1,017 miles of coast line and 193 miles of frontier line with Haiti, and a population estimated (in 1919) at 1,000,000 inhabitants. Births registered in 1919 : 34,223 (17,390 males, 16,833 females) ; deaths, 12,655 ; marriages, 5,184. Immigrants in 1919, 8,374.

The population contains some Creoles of Spanish descent, but is mainly composed of a mixed raceof European, African and Indian blood ; there are, however, ninny Turks and Syrians, especially in Santo Domingo city, where the dry goods trade is mainly in their hands. The language used by the populace is Spanish, but on the Sainana Peninsula ihere are a few hundred farmers, descended from American negro immigrants of 1828, who speak corrupt, English. The Haitian patois is spoken to a considerable extent along the frontier. The capital, Santo Domingo, founded 1496 by Barto- lomeo Colombo, brother of the discoverer, on the left bank of the river Ozama, was destroyed in 1502 by a hurricane, and subsequently rebuilt on the right hank of the same river. According to the census of 1919 the City of Santo Domingo had 26,812 inhabitants and the Oitj of Puerta Plata 7,370; Santiago de Los Caballeros 11,744(1917), San Pedro de Macoris, 10,000, La Vega, about 8,000 ; Saniana, and Sanchez, about 2,000 each, Azua, Monte Cristi, San Francisco de Macoris and Moea have from 4,000 to 0,000 each.