First Inhabitants of the Dominican Republic

The Taíno (Arawakan‑speaking) people settled Hispaniola—including today’s Dominican Republic—around the 6th century BCE. They developed chiefdoms, agriculture (cassava, maize), and complex societies before Columbus arrived in 1492.

Spanish colonization decimated the Taíno through disease, forced labor, and violence; African slaves were later imported, creating the mixed heritage of modern Dominicans.