A Geography Lesson Needed?

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ju10prd

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One wonders if some expats who have associations with the Dominican Republic, have ever studied a map of the country...or even the DR1 map?

We get posters posting about this or that place in the totally wrong region.

We get some visitors flying into XX airport because it is cheaper and have to travel hundreds of miles to get to their holiday destination.

We get some posters who are oblivious to parts of this country beyond their favorite holiday haunt.

We get old timers in the Caribbean who still call the island Santo Domingo.

We get some who call it Dominican.

What is so difficult with opening up a map and having basic understanding of the geography of the place you are going to, or planning to visit or even asking a question about on this forum?
 
I

IslandDreaming

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ju10prd said:
One wonders if some expats who have associations with the Dominican Republic, have ever studied a map of the country...or even the DR1 map?

We get posters posting about this or that place in the totally wrong region.

We get some visitors flying into XX airport because it is cheaper and have to travel hundreds of miles to get to their holiday destination.

We get some posters who are oblivious to parts of this country beyond their favorite holiday haunt.

We get old timers in the Caribbean who still call the island Santo Domingo.

We get some who call it Dominican.

What is so difficult with opening up a map and having basic understanding of the geography of the place you are going to, or planning to visit or even asking a question about on this forum?
Click to expand...

What's a map?
 
C

Chirimoya

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Some of the people who decide to fly into Punta Cana to save $50 when they're booked in hotels in Samana or Puerto Plata are probably under the impression that the DR - or as they would call it "Duh Duminican" - is one of them tiny islands where everything is within a 20-minute drive.
 
NALs

NALs

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ju10prd said:
We get old timers in the Caribbean who still call the island Santo Domingo.
Click to expand...
The island has many names and that's one of them.

If you want an example, read the Dominican Constitution and notice what island it talks about. Don't worry, the name pops up within the first couple of pages.

The DR itself is also called Santo Domingo. The fact that the capital and a province also has the same name confuses the living daylights out of many foreigners. For one, most don't know there's a province called Santo Domingo. Secondly, they only know the capital is called Santo Domingo. Third, they don't understand why so many people call the DR Santo Domingo. Don't even try to explain to them (or most people in general) that the name Dominicans actually derives from Santo Domingo (Santo Domingo in English is Saint Dominic). You will confuse them even more if you try to explain that the issue lies on the fact that the name given to the country is actually the name of the government, so the DR has the same name on both, country and government. It should had been Santo Domingo for the country and Dominican Republic (another way of saying it is Republic of Santo Domingo) for the government. But, it is what it is. This confusion goes back to the very founding of the country.

As for everything else that you say, yes. Geography illiteracy is at all time high and not just among DR1ers.
 
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AlterEgo

AlterEgo

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Mr. AE always referred to DR as "Santo Domingo", he was born there (in the capital) in 1948, so he's an "old timer". I'm so accustomed to meeting Dominicans in the US who also say they are from Santo Domingo that it's second nature for me to ask "What part?". Then I get the real location...el capital, San Pedro, Santiago, el Cibao, etc.

I've noticed the last year or so that Mr. AE often says "Dominicana" instead. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks.

His youngest brother has always called it "the Dominican" when he's speaking English. Go figure.
 
Fulano2

Fulano2

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ju10prd said:
One wonders if some expats who have associations with the Dominican Republic, have ever studied a map of the country...or even the DR1 map?

We get posters posting about this or that place in the totally wrong region.

We get some visitors flying into XX airport because it is cheaper and have to travel hundreds of miles to get to their holiday destination.

We get some posters who are oblivious to parts of this country beyond their favorite holiday haunt.

We get old timers in the Caribbean who still call the island Santo Domingo.

We get some who call it Dominican.

What is so difficult with opening up a map and having basic understanding of the geography of the place you are going to, or planning to visit or even asking a question about on this forum?
Click to expand...



So whats the name of the island  then?
 
C

Chirimoya

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The names of the whole island have included Hispaniola, La Española, Saint Domingue, Santo Domingo, Ayiti and Quisqueya.
 
Fulano2

Fulano2

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The island is called hispaniola. The countries...you know. So when ju10prd wrote some call tge island Santo Domingo she or he had in mind dominican republic, which is not the island.
 
cobraboy

cobraboy

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Chirimoya said:
Some of the people who decide to fly into Punta Cana to save $50 when they're booked in hotels in Samana or Puerto Plata are probably under the impression that the DR - or as they would call it "Duh Duminican" - is one of them tiny islands where everything is within a 20-minute drive.
Click to expand...
I get this all the time: "I can fly into Punta Cana for $150 less than Santiago. Can you pick me up at 5pm, or should I catch dinner and take a cab to Jarabacoa for the 8pm orientation?"
 
cobraboy

cobraboy

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I know several natives from different Caribbean islands (Curacao, Aruba and Trinidad specifically) who refer to the DR as "Santo Domingo."
 
Fulano2

Fulano2

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I find every country (mostly African) that has republic in their name Ridiculous.
It's not the same saying one is from Cuba, Panama, Guatemala, as I am from the dominican republic, as if it used to be a kingdom.
That's just personal but in our family we say SD refering as the DR too. 
 
U

Uzin

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Fulano2 said:
I find every country (mostly African) that has republic in their name Ridiculous.
It's not the same saying one is from Cuba, Panama, Guatemala, as I am from the dominican republic, as if it used to be a kingdom.
That's just personal but in our family we say SD refering as the DR too. 
Click to expand...

I would accept it and be happier if they prefixed it with "banana" ....
 
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