![]() Mixed-race Dominicans, students with historic 1844 flag. | |
Total population | |
---|---|
7.8 million or 73.9% of population (2022) | |
Languages | |
Dominican Spanish | |
Religion | |
Roman Catholicism, Protestantism | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Other Dominicans |
Mixed Dominicans, also referred to as mulatto, mestizo or historically quadroon, are Dominicans who are of mixed racial ancestry. Representing 73.9% of the Dominican Republic's population, they are by far the single largest racial grouping of the country.[1]
Mixed Dominicans are the descendants from the racial integration between the Europeans, Native Americans, and later the Africans. They have a total population of approximately 8 million.[2][3]
The Dominican Republic was the site of the first European settlement in the Americas, the Captaincy General of Santo Domingo founded in 1493. After the arrival of Europeans and the founding of the colony, African people were imported to the island. The fusion of European, native Taino, and African influences contributed to the development of present-day Dominican culture.