People of the Dominican Republic People of the Dominican Republic Dominicans () are people who are ethnically associated with the Dominican Republic. "Dominican" was historically the name for the inhabitants of the Captaincy General of Santo Domingo, and was retained after the nation's independence. The majority of Dominicans reside in the Dominican Republic, although there is also a large Dominican diaspora, mainly in the United States and Spain. The population of the Dominican Republic in 2016 was estimated at 10.2 million by the National Bureau of Statistics of the Dominican Republic.. Historically the Dominican Republic was known as Santo Domingo, the name of its present
Culture of the Dominican Republic route to winning the World Baseball Classic. In boxing, the Dominican Republic has produced scores of world-class fighters and several world champions. Basketball also enjoys a relatively high level of popularity. Al Horford, Felipe Lopez, and Francisco Garcia are among the Dominican-born players currently or formerly in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Olympic gold medalist and world champion hurdler Félix Sánchez hails from the Dominican Republic, as does NFL defensive end Luis Castillo. Other important sports include, Volleyball, which was introduced in 1916 by US Marines, is controlled by the Dominican Volleyball Federation. Other sports include taekwondo, in which Gabriel