FRENCH: The northern peninsula of Saman? is essentially a French colony. The Dominicanos up there are bilingual Spanish/French or some are not Dominicanos per se but are originally from Ha?ti and speak Creole and French. In this area, if you have French as a language and NO Spanish, you will have no problem communicating with local business or many locals. DO NOT be fooled by skin colour. At the bus station I automatically addressed a white man in French thinking we was a tourist from France. He apologized saying that he could only speak Spanish. He explained that many people believe him to be French; however, he is one of the those, as many are in the Saman? area, whose forefathers were settlers who the Crown transplanted from the Canary Islands.
Can anyone elaborate on this post, taken from a Lonely Planet board?