People of the Dominican Republic capital and its patron saint, Saint Dominic. Hence the residents were called "Dominicanos" (Dominicans), which is the adjective form of "Domingo", and the revolutionaries named their newly independent country "La República Dominicana". It was often referred to as the "Republic of San Domingo" in English language 19th Century publications. The first recorded use of the word "Dominican" is found in a letter written by King Phillip IV of Spain in 1625 to the inhabitants of the Captaincy General of Santo Domingo. In this letter, which was written before the arrival of French settlers on the Western side of the island,
National Anthem of the Dominican Republic National Anthem of the Dominican Republic The Dominican National Anthem is the national anthem of the Dominican Republic. Its music was composed by José Rufino Reyes Siancas (1835–1905), and its lyrics were authored by Emilio Prud’Homme (1856–1932). The first public performance of the national anthem took place on 17 August 1883. Though the music was an instant success, several objections were made to the lyrics for having various historical inaccuracies. In 1897, Prud’Homme submitted revised lyrics which stand to this day. On 7 June 1897, the Congress of the Dominican Republic passed an act adopting "Himno Nacional" with the original