Dominicans marked the Dominican Republic’s 168th anniversary of its independence from Haitian rule on February 27, 2012 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic, which became independent in 1844, has prospered in recent years due to a robust agricultural sector and a large tourism industry. The Dominican Republic shares the same island, Hispaniola, with its poorer neighbor Haiti.

For a photo gallery of the celebrations go to the original report at http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2012/02/28/dominican29.DTL#ixzz1nk2mO1xM