Dominican Republic:
Taking up two thirds of the island of Hispaniola (Haiti is on the other side), the Dominican Republic is well known in Canada as a package tour destination. Germans and Italians also visit the country frequently. It's the beaches that attract these sun seekers. Away from the coast, the land rises up to the central mountains, and there's a 3,088-metre peak that can be climbed by the adventurous. While 20 per cent of the land is officially protected by laws, the government is often lax in enforcing the law. So the forests are being chopped down.
Politically, the Dominican Republic is iffy, with coups and suicides in its recent history. Most of the land is owned by rich people of Spanish descent. The mixed-race middle class runs most of the businesses, and the black farmers are the poorest; racism is prevalent. For black people, this is not a great country to be born in, as the opportunities to get out of poverty are limited. Most crime on the island is connected with the drug trade.