Hispaniola

American  

[his-puhn-yoh-luh, ees-pahn-yaw-lah] / ˌhɪs pənˈyoʊ lə, ˌis pɑnˈyɔ lɑ /

noun

1. an island in the West Indies, comprising the republic of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. 29,843 sq. mi. (77,293 sq. km).

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Hispaniola British  

/ ˌhɪspənˈjəʊlə, ispaˈɲola /

noun

1. Former name: Santo Domingo.  the second largest island in the Caribbean, in the Greater Antilles: divided politically into Haiti and the Dominican Republic; discovered in 1492 by Christopher Columbus, who named it La Isla Española. Area: 18 703 sq km (29 418 sq miles)

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Example Sentences

This unusual chain of events likely unfolded thousands of years ago on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

Much like in the U.S., immigration is a contentious topic in the Dominican Republic — the country shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, which has seen an exodus of its people over the decade.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

The authorities fear that Melissa, which has already been blamed for the deaths of four people on the island of Hispaniola, could become the strongest hurricane ever to hit Jamaica.

From BBC • Oct. 27, 2025

The Dominican president, Luis Abinader, is going even further, building a border wall between the two countries that share the Caribbean island of Hispaniola.

From New York Times • May 19, 2024

Now growers who knew all about plantations, mills, and refining found sugar waiting for them on islands as beautiful as Hispaniola had been when Columbus arrived.

From "Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science" by Marc Aronson