L’Isle St. Domingue ou Espagnole

Simple map vaguely defining the island of Santo Domingo.

Though officially claimed by the Spanish since Christopher Columbus first landed in 1492, the island of Hispaniola (or La Española, or Santo Domingo, or Saint-Domingue) had been home largely to French plantations, pirates, and natives throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. While Spain was worried about more lucrative territories throughout the New World, France openly encouraged settlement and expansion.

By 1697, Spain tacitly recognized France’s claim to a vague western portion of the island that was settled as the colony of Saint-Domingue, mirroring the Spanish settlement of Santo Domingo on the southeast coast of the island. These claims are shown in red on this map, issued in 1715 by Nicholas de Fer in his Atlas Curieux. Sparse interior detail and numerous “grand prairies” in the interior give a false impression when compared to the reality of Hispaniola’s harsh and mountainous terrain.