As one of the old European settlements in the New World, Santo Domingo is no stranger to the waves and tides of history. Recently, it has been renamed in honor of Dominican President Rafael Trujillo, although many people from both within and without the city continue to call it by its former name. For some, this is done as a way to denounce the dictatorial rule of Mr. Trujillo, while others simply find renaming a city with such providence to be rather tacky.

Whatever its moniker, Santo Domingo stands as the cultural, economic, and political center of the Dominican Republic, both in good times and in bad.