These pictures are about the superb island Dominican Republic. The country  occupies 2/3 of the island of Hispaniola with Haiti occupying the remaining 1/3  on the left side of the island. The island of Hispaniola is situated between the  Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean under Cuba, east of Jamaica  and west of Puerto Rico and is the second-largest of the Greater Antilles  islands. The indigenous inhabitants of the island of Hispaniola were the Taíno   Amerindians. In 1492 on his first voyage Christopher Columbus discovered,  explored and claimed the island. It became a springboard for Spanish  conquest of the Caribbean and the American mainland. In 1697 Spain ceded  the left 1/3  to France which in 1807 became Haiti. The remaining part formed  in 1844, after the independence from Spain, the country Dominican Republic.  The republic has an area of 48'730 sq km and  a population of 9'183'984.The  largest city is Santo Domingo with a population of 2'253'437. The country is a  tropical maritime nation, with a wet season from May to November, and  periodic cyclones between June and November. Most rain falls in the northern  and eastern regions. The average annual temperature varies from 21°C in the mountainous regions to 25°C on the coast and  plains. It's a country with a typical Caribbean flair, you see coasts with white sand and the sea has clear blue water. Lots of the  coasts are free from tourists and one has the feeling of being in paradise.  Click on the picture above or the following link  to see the pictures of the Dominican Republic 2006.  On this page you see pictures from Rhodes, the largest of the Dodecanese  islands, and easternmost of the major islands of Greece in the Aegean Sea.  It lies west of Turkey, has an area of about 1400 sq km and a population of  130'000. It has a long culture which began in the second millennium BC. It  was populated by several Greek cultures like the Minoans and the Dorians.  Later the island was influenced and seized by the Byzantine Empire. At the  end of the Byzantine reign in the beginning of the 14th century AD, the  island was taken by the order of Knights Hospitaller, who had been living  there for 2 centuries and built there several castles. Then it was annexed to  the Turkish Ottoman Empire for nearly four centuries. In 1912 AD, the  Italians took power. Finally, at the end of World War II, the island was united  with Greece.  The main city on the island is the City of Rhodes, where most people live. It  has a beautiful medieval old town which was fortified in the Knights  Hospitaller era and remains mostly preserved until these days. Rhodes is  also well known for the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven World  Wonders, a big statue of 34 m which was finished in 282 BC and apparently stood in the entrance of the city of Rhodes'  harbour. Unfortunately, it was destroyed by an earthquake 56 years later. It was never rebuilt and 800 years later the remaining  bronze scrap was sold to a salesman. Nowadays, the island lives mostly from tourism. It has over 300 sunny days per year. The west coast is windier, and therefore  a paradise for wind surfers and sailors. The best beaches are on the east coast with a mix of sandy and flint beaches, where  there are more moderate winds.  Click on the picture above or the following link  to get to the pictures of Rhodes 2005.  This pictures are about Malta, an island below Sicily in the Mediterranean  Sea. This island state  consists of Malta island with Gozo and Comino as  sister islands and is even smaller than Luxembourg. As you can imagine the  sun is shining the whole year with a rain period in Autumn. In July and August  it gets very hot there. The island is full of history and you can visit places with  historical constructions in good condition. You see temples of very old  civilizations from 4000 before Christ and castles and fortified cities from the  middle age and the baroque period (16th-17th century ). The island was  populated and occupied  with Phoenicians, Turks, Arabs, British colonists. But  Malta is best known as the former  residence of the knights of St John of  Jerusalem which saved Europe from the Turkish invasion. Everywhere you  can find traces from this era, especially in Valetta the capital of Malta. Click on the picture above or the following link  to get to the pictures of  Malta 2004. On this page are shown pictures from Berlin, the biggest city in Germany with a  population of 3,38 million and an area of 889 sq km. Berlin is situated in eastern  Germany, has a status of a federal state and is surrounded by the state Brandenburg. It's  the capital of Germany and was founded in the 13th century. As you will see in the  pictures, it is a very beautiful, green and clean city with a lot to visit. It is a cultural centre  and is worth a trip to. Click on the picture on the right or the following link  to see the pictures of the fantastic  Berlin. Here you will see snapshots about the well known Super-Party Loveparade  which took place every year in Berlin the capital of Germany. This one was in  2003. Unfortunately it will be probably the last one because the organizers  could not anymore afford the money to pay the enormous costs of the event.  Click on the picture on the left or the following link to get to the pictures of the  Loveparade 2003.  Here you will see pictures from Sicily, an island below Italy, with marvellous  places and a great historical background. You see castles, Roman and Greek  temples. The inland of Sicily is very hilly and the beaches mostly consist of  rocks and pebbles. Therefore the water is rather cold. You also find on the  island the famous, notorious and feared volcano called Etna, where the upper  part is a bit like the Mars surface, merely in black. Click on the picture on the right or the following link  to get to the pictures of  Sicily 2002. Here you will see pictures taken on Ibiza, a small island near Spain situated in  the Mediterranean Sea with a lovely and hot climate. In the north and north-  west the coasts are rather rocky with beautiful sand bays. The other sides of  Ibiza you see sandy beaches. Click on the picture on the left or the following link  to get to the pictures of  Ibiza 2001.  Disclaimer This website is copyrighted by Guy Stephany. The appearance of external links on this site does not constitute endorsement by  Holidayspicsandclips.eu of linked web sites or the information, products or services contained therein. Holidayspicsandclips.eu is not responsible  for the privacy practices, activities, or content of aforementioned sites. 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