Briefly, what is the countrys history?
A. The island was discovered by Christopher Columbus more than 500 years ago. The island quickly became an important base from which Spain expanded its empire into the rest of the Western Hemisphere. At times the island has been dominated by France, Haiti and the United States. The Dominican Republic achieved it independence from Haiti in 1844. Oddly enough, the legal system is based on French civil codes (Napoleonic Codes), which were first introduced to the island by the French and adopted formally in 1884 as part of the nation’s legal system. The Dominican Republic also has been influenced by other legal systems. The Land Registration Law, for instance, is based on legislation enacted in 1920 when United States military forces were in the country. Note: Unlike the United States, there are no juries in the Dominican Republic; therefore, judges render all verdicts. Note: You are allowed to vote when you are age 18; it is universal and compulsory. Married persons can vote regardless of
