For centuries, the island of Haiti, called Hispaniola by Columbus (now here are the Republic of Haiti and the Dominican Republic), remained as a producer of tobacco in the shadow of Cuba. In 1994, the Dominican Republic came out on top place in the world in the export of cigars made by hand: this year she put on the world market of 90 million cigars, compared to 55 million Cuban. This figure is still impressive, and because, until the early 60's. xx century. export cigars are generally absent. Politics Fidel Castro, of course, contributed to economic decline in Cuba, but for the Dominican Republic, on the contrary, gave a chance to develop. Of course, the Cuban leader would object that this progress has little to give the average Dominicans.

But be that as it may, Cuba lost its absolute superiority in the manufacture of cigars of the highest quality; The popular claim that 'if it is not' in Havana, this is not a cigar ', now has less reason than ever .Dve Caribbean Republic belong to the same cultural area that has arisen long before the arrival of Columbus on their shores in 1492 By the time the Indians of Hispaniola, as well as their counterparts in Cuba, cultivated tobacco, and smoked it more than one century. Nevertheless, the Spanish metropolis took up the development of the tobacco industry only in Cuba, and as it could turn the history of cigars, if they started from Hispaniola. Embargo in 1962, directed against Cuba contributed to the rapid development of the tobacco industry, though not met all expectations of the Dominicans.