Together, these two sheets make a topographical and road map of the entire country of the Dominican Republic, which occupies the eastern portion of the island of Hispaniola. The early 1960s was a time of extreme turbulence and violence in the Dominican Republic. The long-term dictator Raphael Trujillo had recently been assassinated, and the nation was in turmoil following a coup d'etat that removed his successor from power. Although this map appears to be completely neutral, offering just geographical facts, its publication by the U.S. Army Map Service most certainly reflected the United States military's interest in maintaining stability in the Caribbean region.