Haiti and the Dominican Republic share a common border, yet the two countries have many differences. Many of their differences are geographical, but these countries also differ in language, religion, culture and to some extent color. Their ideal geographical location caught the interest of the French, Spanish and the US due the idea of gold. Later the interest was due to the islands access to the Caribbean and the Panama Canal. This in turn affected their history and society. Dominican Republic was occupied by the Spaniards until 1821, which influenced their heritage. The Haitians occupied it for twenty-two years, which fueled the hatred for Haitians. The United States also occupied the Dominican Republic for eight years to protect its commercial interests. There were centuries of civil unrest under many dictators and leaders. The Haitians were ruled and occupied by the French until their civil war and independence in 1804, which influenced their heritage. The United States occupied Haiti for 19 years to prevent European intervention, in turn protecting their investment. Haiti also struggled many centuries of civil unrest under emperors, presidents and leaders. The Dominican Republic occupies two-thirds of Hispaniola and is currently a democracy. The predominant language is Spanish due to the colonized Spaniards. Dominican Republic attracted the Spanish because they thought there were deposits of gold on Hispaniola. Their arable grasslands, abundant natural vegetation along with the Northeast trade winds keeping the climate moderate year round, allows them to cultivate most of their own food for consumption as well as export of sugar, rice, and tropical fruit. The primary religion is Roman Catholic which has always played a significant role in government. The music of the Dominican Republic is Merengue and Bachata, which have African and Spanish influence. The Independent Republic of Haiti occupies the other third of Hispaniola and i