Location Selection and Preliminary Research: Haiti and the Dominican Republic

Haiti and the Dominican Republic are two countries located on the island of Hispaniola, the two countries are percieved to be very similar due to their physical geography, similar landscapes, and similar culture. Haiti is on the western side of Hispaniola and has three main mountain ranges which makes the land very mountainous and lush. It also has the second largest Caribbean coastline which makes for a very diverse and exotic environment, and easily accessible when traveling by sea to other nearby nations. The culture of Haiti is made up of African and European culutre due to the French colonization of the area. Along with being a mix of cultures and full of mountainous land, Haiti is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. About 60% of the population lives in small villages and in rural areas. The official language of the nation is Kreyol, a language originated from French. The Dominican Republic is on the Eastern side of the island of Hispaniola, the area is also on the Caribbean so it has a very tropical climate which allows for a very diverse ecosystem and an extensive amount of vegetation. The official language of the Dominican Republic is Spanish, but many people know English as well. Due to its colonial influence, almost all the population in  Dominican Republic is Roman Catholic. Demographically, the upper class of the population are derived from European settlers and the lower class is generalized to be derived from slaves in Africa or native Haitians. Haiti and the Dominican Republic can be percieved as similar because they are in geographically the same location, and they have similar environments, and have a culure based off of colonization. Haiti and the Dominican Republic can be percieved as different mainly due to their difference in language and difference in culture. Most of the population is the Dominican Republic resides in urban areas, whereas much of the population in Haiti lives in rural communities and small villages. Haiti and the Dominican Republic share the same geographic theme of place, in a sense that both countries share a region and have a culture created by the people that live there. 

Sources

Schwartz, Timothy. "Haiti". Everyculture. http://www.everyculture.com/Ge-It/Haiti.html. Accessed 4 October, 2016. 

"Haiti and the Dominican Republic: More Than the Sum of its Parts". Worldbank. 11 June 2012. http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2012/06/11/haiti-and-the-dominican-republic-more-than-the-sum-of-its-parts. Accessed 4 October 2016.

"Dominican Republic Guide". Commisceoglobal. http://www.commisceo-global.com/country-guides/dominican-republic-guide. Accessed 5 October 2016. 

"Haiti Geography". Worldatlas. http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/caribb/haiti/htland.htm. Accessed 4 October 2016.