Hispanola
Hispaniola is a Caribbean island in the Greater Antilles, shared by two sovereign states, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Covering about 76,000 square kilometers, it is the second-largest island in the Caribbean. The Dominican Republic occupies the eastern two-thirds, while Haiti lies to the west. The name Hispaniola derives from La Española, the Spanish designation given during early exploration.
Geographically diverse, the island features high mountain ranges such as the Cordillera Central and the Massif
Before European contact, the Taíno people inhabited Hispaniola. Christopher Columbus landed there in 1492, and the
Today the two states have distinct languages and economies: the Dominican Republic is the most populous and
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