Afro-Dominicans

**Afro-Dominicans** or **Dominicans of African ancestry**, are Dominicans whose ancestry ties within the continent of Africa. Most of them came from West Africa during the colonial era, while others descend from Haitian and Afro-Caribbean migrants. Today, Afro-Dominicans represent a minority of the Country's population at approximately 8%, while the remaining and majority of Dominicans are multiracial.

The first Africans in the Dominican came in 1502 from Spain, 8 years later African-born slaves came in large numbers. They were forced to work the Mines, Sugar Plantations, Cattling, Cowboys, Maids, Farming and Others. They can be found in most parts in the Island, but the purest blacks are mostly in the coastal lowlands of the country and in the border regions. While in the Central Cibao region, you can find people of either European, Mixed and African descent.

### Atlantic slave trade

|Region of Embarkment, 1503-1870|Amount %|
| --- | --- |
|Senegambia <small>(Mandinka, Fula, Wolof)</small>|7.9|
|Sierra Leone <small>(Mende, Temne)</small>|4.5|
|Windward Coast <small>(Mandé, Kru)</small>|6.7|
|Gold Coast <small>(Akan, Fon)</small>|5.5|
|Bight of Benin  <small>(Yoruba, Ewe, Fon, Allada and Mahi)</small>|12.4|
|Bight of Biafra <small>(Igbo, Ibibio)</small>|16.1|
|West-central Africa <small>(Kongo, Mbundu)</small>|47.0|
|Southeast Africa <small>(Macua, Malagasy)</small>|0.0|

The Atlantic slave trade began in the very early 1500s. Santo Domingo (present-day Dominican Republic) was the first place to transport African slaves in the Americas. The dying of Indigenous people in the island, caused the Spanish to quickly grant permission from Spain to use slaves to work the plantations. In 1510, the first sizable ship consisted of 250 Black Latinos (Spanish-speaking men ), 8 years later, African born slaves arrived in massive numbers. The first major slave revolt took place in Dominican Republic's hills in 1522. These Maroons were originally from the senegambian region of Africa; of which most were Muslims of the Wolof nation. Many centuries later the Maroon populations became so large that the only way whites could travel would be in large armed groups. Most of the Maroon populations established themselves in mostly in rivers, hills/mountains, coastal and in caves. The Congolese people were known to be very aggressive and naturally strong, they and many of the Mandingas, Wolofs, and Fulanis was the main ethnicity to have been born in Maroon villages.

### Haitian Immigration

From the neighboring country, Haitians have also had an influence in the growing population in Dominican Republic. It's estimated that is around 800,000 Haitians living in the Dominican Republic. Haitians make a large minority in the country anywhere from 4-6%.  Among the Afro-Haitian population, they originated among the Ewe and Fon tribes of present-day Benin and Togo West Africa.

### Ethnicities

Enslaved Africans that lived in the then Santo Domingo colony tended to come from the Bantu/Congolese (majority-wise especially the Bakongo), Akan, Yoruba, Igbo, Ewe, Fon, Mandinga, Wolof-Fulanis and Others. The Congolese-Bakongo tribes has had the most dominant cultural impact in the Dominican  today.

## Culture

As Dominican slaves came from predominately West-Central Africa, many of their customs survived based-on memory and myths, along with religion, names, words, music, language etc. Known survived religions are the Regla de palo, Arara, Dominican Vudu, Santería etc. Many villages among the Dominican Republic have kept their African languages among their descendants. Recognized African languages spoken by Dominicans are the Lucumi language which is practically the Yoruba language with very few Spanish words, the Kikongo language is still spoken, especially in places like Villa Mella, Dajabon, Altagracia, and Monte Plata. Merengue is the typical music of the Dominican Republic. Typical Dominican foods such as Mangu (mashed plantains) is of African origin.