Dominican Republic - The Nation That Has It All Quiz

Answer: Greater Antilles

The West Indies is divided into three main regions - Greater Antilles, Lesser Antilles, and Lucayan Archipelago.

As the name suggests, the Greater Antilles comprises larger islands (Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico), in contrast to the Lesser Antilles, which consists of smaller islands (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago).

On the other hand, the Lucayan Archipelago is home to the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. The Malay Archipelago, or Maritime Southeast Asia, is located between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

Answer: They are islands that are politically divided among two countries.

Haiti occupies approximately three-eighths of the Hispaniola island, whereas the Dominican Republic occupies the remaining five-eights of Hispaniola.

The island of Saint Martin is shared between France (Saint Martin in the north) and the Netherlands (Sint Maarten in the south).

New Guinea is shared between Indonesia (Western New Guinea on the west) and Papua New Guinea.

Timor is shared between Indonesia (West Timor) and Timor Leste.

Borneo is divided among three nations - Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Answer: Astronomers

Saint Dominic, also known as Domingo Félix de Guzmán or Santo Domingo de Guzmán, was born in the Kingdom of Castile (present-day Spain) in 1170. He founded the Dominican Order in 1216.

Saint Lawrence is the patron saint of librarians. Saint Hubertus is the patron saint of hunters. Saint Joan of Arc is the patron saint of soldiers.

Answer: Mona Passage

The Mona Passage is approximately 130 kilometers in width. It serves as an important shipping route in the Caribbean. The three notable islands located in the Mona Passage are Mona Island, Monito Island, and Desecheo Island.

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) painted the famous "Mona Lisa" portrait painting in the early 14th century.

The Tongass Passage separates Alaska, USA from British Columbia, Canada. The Windward Passage separates Cuba from Hispaniola. The Anegada Passage separates the British Virgin Islands from Anguilla.

Answer: Pico Duarte

Pico Duarte is located to the northwest of the capital of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo. The mountain is part of the Cordillera Central range.

The piccolo is a woodwind musical instrument. Pinocchio is a fictional character created by Carlo Collodi. Pico Bolivar is the highest point in Venezuela.

Answer: Lake Enriquillo

The lowest point in the Caribbean, Lake Enriquillo, is located just 85 kiometers away from Caribbean's highest point, Pico Duarte.

Lake Victoria is the largest lake (by area) of Africa. Lake Baikal, located in Russia, is the world's deepest lake. Lake Superior, located in Canada and the US, is the world's largest freshwater lake (by area).

Answer: Polo

The municipality of Polo, located in the province of Barahona, is noted for its gravity hill. Other notable gravity hills in the world include the ones located in Orroroo, South Australia, Australia and Bridgetown, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Pelé (birth name Edson Arantes do Nascimento) is a Brazilian footballer. Pala is the name a town located in Kerala, India. Pili is the name of a village located in the northwestern region of Nepal.

Answer: Christopher Columbus

Columbus' four voyages took place between 1492 and 1503. He landed in Hispaniola (present-day Dominican Republic) in 1492 during his first voyage.

During his second voyage in 1493, Columbus landed in La Isabela. He named the place after Isabella I (1451-1504).

Answer: It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Bartholomew Columbus (1461-1515) founded the La Nueva Isabela settlement in Santo Domingo. He was Christopher Columbus' younger brother.

In 1990, Ciudad Colonial was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Some notable landmarks in the area include Alcázar de Colón (Columbus Alcazar), Basilica Cathedral of Santa María la Menor, and Fortaleza Ozama (Ozama Fortress).

Answer: Oscar de la Renta

Oscar de la Renta was born in Santo Domingo in 1932, to a Puerto Rican father and a Dominican mother. He had six older sisters.

De la Renta was known for his work in French fashion houses Lanvin and Balmain. Jacqueline Kennedy (1929-1994) was the wife of the 35th President of the USA, John F. Kennedy.

De la Renta was diagnosed with cancer in 2006. He passed away in Kent, Connecticut, USA, in 2014.