Culture of the Dominican Republic Festival. During four days each December, independent films, shorts, and documentaries are screened. "Notes": Culture of the Dominican Republic The culture of the Dominican Republic is a diverse mixture of different influences from around the world. The Dominican people and their customs have origins consisting predominately in a European cultural basis, with both African and native Taíno influences. The Dominican Republic was the site of the first European settlement in the Western Hemisphere, namely Santo Domingo founded in 1493. As a result of over five centuries of Spanish presence in the island, the core of Dominican culture is derived from
Health in the Dominican Republic pay for medical supplies. Government expenditure on healthcare is about $180 per person per year, slightly more than half the average for the Latin American and Caribbean region. Health in the Dominican Republic Life expectancy in the Dominican Republic was 71 years for men and 77 years for women in 2016. In 2007 the Dominican Republic had a birth rate of 22.91 per 1000 and a death rate of 5.32 per 1000. Youth in the Dominican Republic is the healthiest age group. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the Dominican Republic in 2011 stood at approximately 0.7%, which is relatively low