The Order of Christopher Columbus ( es, Orden Heráldica de Cristóbal Colón) is an order of the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...

. It was established on 21 July 1937. The

Head of State A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and l ...

confers the order, by advice of the council of the order, both to civilians and military personnel to recognize services. This order honors the life and works of

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus * lij, Cristoffa C(or)ombo * es, link=no, Cristóbal Colón * pt, Cristóvão Colombo * ca, Cristòfor (or ) * la, Christophorus Columbus. (; born between 25 August and 31 October 1451, died 20 May 1506) was a ...

firstly and secondly recognize services to the Dominican Republic or humanitarian services and distinction in the arts and sciences. There is a council of the order consisting of ten members. The

Minister of Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...

of the Dominican Republic is an ''ex oficio'' member and president of the council. The members of the council are awarded with the fourth grade of the order (Grand Officer).

Division of the Order

The order is divided in seven grades: * Collar is awarded to the President of the Republic * Grand Cross with Gold Breast Star is awarded to foreign heads of state and to former presidents and vice presidents * Grand Cross with Silver Breast Star is awarded to members of legislatures and the supreme court, ministers of state, ambassadors and the metropolitan archbishop * Grand Officer is awarded to service chiefs and high officials of government and church * Commander is awarded to governors of provinces, directors general of instruction, directors of academies, deans of universities, authors and others of similar importance * Officer is awarded to professors and heads of schools, officers of the rank of colonel and above and civilians of equal importance * Knight is award to others

Accoutrements

The collar of the Order will be solid, of 18 carat

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...

, formed in four parts, consisting of a laurel´s

coronet A coronet is a small crown consisting of ornaments fixed on a metal ring. A coronet differs from other kinds of crowns in that a coronet never has arches, and from a tiara in that a coronet completely encircles the head, while a tiara doe ...

and of

´s bust; in the center of the collar will have (of a large size and enameled in natural colors) the Coat of Arms of the Republic, which above will be adorned with fifteen brilliant. Below, will suspended the order’s badge. The laurel’s coronet, the coat of arms and the badge will be adorned with precious stones. The badge of the order has precedence before other orders' badges except the badges of the

Order of Merit of Duarte, Sánchez and Mella The Order of Merit of Duarte, Sánchez and Mella (''Orden al Mérito de Duarte, Sánchez y Mella'') is the principal order of the Dominican Republic. It was established on 24 February 1931 as the ''Juan Pablo Duarte Order of Merit'' (''Orden al M� ...

and the Order of Military Merit.

Recipients

*Rear Admiral

Richard E. Byrd Richard Evelyn Byrd Jr. (October 25, 1888 – March 11, 1957) was an American naval officer and explorer. He was a recipient of the Medal of Honor, the highest honor for valor given by the United States, and was a pioneering American aviator, p ...

, Jr. *

Fredrick Chien Fredrick F. Chien, or Fred Chien, Chien Foo (; born 21 March 1935), is a retired Taiwanese diplomat and politician who served as the President of the Republic of China Control Yuan from 1999 to 2005. After graduating from Yale University, he ass ...

, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs,

Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...

References

External links

Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (Law)

Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (Reglament)

Orden Heráldica de Cristóbal Colón
{{DominicanHonours Christopher Columbus, Order of Awards established in 1937