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Hispaniola (from spanish, La Española) is the second-largest island of the Antilles, lying east of Cuba. Christopher Columbus arrived there in 1492, and in 1493 founded the first Spanish colony in the New World on it.
On March 10, 1496 Columbus left the island for Spain, ending his sixth visit to the Western Hemisphere.
Haiti occupies the western third of the island; the eastern two-thirds are the Dominican Republic.
| country | population (2002-07-01 est.) | area (km²) | density (per km²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haiti | 7,063,722 | 27,750 | 255 |
| Dominican Republic | 8,721,594 | 48,730 | 179 |
| 15,785,316 | 76,480 | 206 |