Hispaniola

Hispaniola, island, West Indies, in the Caribbean Sea, lying south-east of Cuba and west of Puerto Rico. The second-largest island of the Caribbean after Cuba, Hispaniola has an area of 76,200 sq km (29,420 sq mi); its greatest length is about 650 km (400 mi), and its greatest width 241 km (150 mi). Politically, Hispaniola is divided into the separate countries of Haiti, which occupies the western third of the island, and the Dominican Republic. It was named La Isla Española by Christopher Columbus, who landed on the island during his first voyage in 1492.

The relief of the island is varied, mostly consisting of alternating parallel mountain ranges and plains. The Cordillera Central rises (in the Dominican Republic) to 10,417 ft (3,175 m) on Pico Duarte, the highest altitude in the Caribbean. By contrast, the surface of Lago Enriquillo (also in the Dominican Republic) is 45 m (150 ft) below sea level. The principal rivers of the island include the Artibonite, the Camú, and the Yaque del Nort (the longest, at 202 km/125 mi). The coastline is deeply indented, yet has few deep-water harbours. The chief crops grown include cacao (on the plains) and coffee (in the highlands). The formerly densely forested highlands have begun to be heavily eroded after deforestation caused by intensive subsistence agriculture. Cotton and sugar cane are also produced, mainly on the southern plains.

The original inhabitants of Hispaniola were Native Americans of the Arawak group. They eventually became extinct as a result of exploitation by the early Spanish colonists. Black African slaves were later imported to take the place of the Native American labourers. In 1697, by the Peace of Ryswick, a portion of Hispaniola was formally ceded to France and became known as Saint-Domingue. The remaining Spanish section was called Santo Domingo. In 1795, Spain relinquished Santo Domingo to France. General Jean Jacques Dessalines expelled the French in 1804 and proclaimed the independence of the island, which was renamed Haiti. In 1822 Santo Domingo, which had come under Spanish rule again in 1808, was reunited with the rest of the island. In 1844 Santo Domingo once more declared its independence, forming the Dominican Republic, and the island, as a geographic unit, assumed its former name, Hispaniola.