Dominican culture stems from a combination of influences from Spanish, African, and Taino peoples. It features the vibrant energy of many Latin American cultures, but with its own twist that makes it uniquely Dominican. Sports and music are without a doubt the most prominent aspects of the Dominican Republic’s culture, but food is of major importance as well.

Sports: The Dominican Republic enjoys a strong athletic tradition. Along with the United States, the Dominican Republic regards baseball as its national pastime. It is a huge sport in the Dominican Republic, and many top Major League Baseball players have come out of the country. There are six major baseball teams in the Dominican Republic, all with huge fan bases within the country. Basketball also enjoys a great deal of popularity here, with a few National Basketball Association players hailing from the Republic. Soccer is probably the third most popular sport, owing largely to the Spanish heritage of numerous Dominican citizens. Boxing is also big here, and many world-class fighters have come out of gyms in this former Spanish colony.

Music: Music in the Dominican Republic is very lively and upbeat, making it ideal for dancing. The musical style that the country is best known for is the merengue which features a fast-paced rhythm with a tempo of up to 160 beats per minute. Another popular musical style is bachata which originated in the rural regions of the Dominican but spread relatively quickly. It features songs about heartbreak and sadness, with a romantic subject matter. In many ways it is comparable to the blues in America. Dominican Rock is also popular and hip-hop/rap is becoming very popular with the youth of the Dominican Republic.

Cuisine: Many of the traditional foods offered in the Dominican Republic are shared with other Latin American countries. However, some distinctive dishes have arose from the combined influences of Spanish colonists, African slaves, and Taino natives. Like most Latin countries, lunch is the biggest and most important meal of the day. It has huge portions of food that usually consist of rice, beans and a meat of some type, as well as a salad. One of the most popular Dominican dishes is “La Bandera.” La Bandera, named so because of its resemblance to the Dominican flag, is actually quite a simple dish, consisting of just meat and red beans on white rice. In general, vegetables and dairy products are overlooked in favor of foods containing lots of starches and meat. Seafood is also very popular in coastal regions of the Dominican Republic.

Another shared characteristic of the Dominican culture with that of other Latin American countries is the long, two-hour siesta, or nap, taken after lunch. It gives people time to digest food and is a great time of relaxation. Eating out is also very popular in the Dominican Republic, and reasonably priced restaurants are all over the country.

Language: Spanish is the official language of the Dominican Republic, spoken universally by the citizens. The Spanish spoken by Dominicans is considered among the best classical Castilian in all of Latin America. However, there is a distinctive Dominican accent and many Taino and African expressions have made their way into the general vocabulary of Dominicans. Creole and English are spoken here as well, but not nearly to the extent that Spanish is.

Religion: Almost everyone in the Dominican Republic is Roman Catholic, with 95% of the population identifying with the Roman Catholic Church, regardless of whether or not they go to church on a regular basis. Protestant evangelical movements, with their secular feel and less formal attitude have also experienced a surge in popularity in the Dominican Republic. Fortunately there is no conflict between these groups and religion is relatively peaceful in the Dominican Republic. Judaism also has a small, but thriving population, especially in the town of Sosusa, which was founded by European Jews escaping persecution. Although some don’t consider it a religion, voodoo is also quite popular here, especially along the border with Haiti. However, practitioners of voodoo generally practice secretly, disguising many of their spirits as saints in the Roman Catholic Church. Despite the strong Catholic dominance, many other smaller religions thrive in the Dominican Republic.

The Dominican Republic is a vibrant country with a ton of history. Its unique culture gives it a feel all its own that is unmatched anywhere else in the world.