Dominican Republic is a Caribbean country. It occupies 2/3 of the island of Hispaniola, located between the Caribbean Sea to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the north. It borders Haiti, which occupies the western part of the island, and is separated from Puerto Rico in the east by the Strait of Mona. It has a surface of 48 730 km2. The most important cities are Santo Domingo, the capital, with 2 252 400 residents (2003), Santiago (501 800 residents), La Romana (198 000 residents), San Francisco de Macorís (131 300 residents) And San Pedro of Macorís (167 100 residents). The territory is mountainous, with elevations that reach 3175 meters of altitude.
The climate is humid tropical, with a dry season and a very hot and humid season, during which tropical cyclones can occur.
Economy
The Dominican Republic’s economy depends almost exclusively on sugar production and exports. Agriculture also includes the production of rice, coffee, bananas, beans, coconut, cocoa, cassava and tobacco. Although the increase in agriculture implies cutting down forests, there is a relative concern with the country’s reforestation, which reached 8% between 1981-1990. The extractive industry is based on the exploitation of gold and silver. The industry covers the production of refined sugar, fertilizers, beer, rum and cigarettes. National exports are dominated by sugar, tobacco, coffee and cocoa. The imported products are fuels and food products. The Dominican Republic’s main trading partners are the United States of America, the Netherlands, Venezuela and Mexico.
Environmental indicator: the value of carbon dioxide emissions, per capita (metric tons, 1999), is 2.8.
Population
The population was, in 2006, 9 183 984 residents. The birth and death rates are respectively 23.22% and 5.73%. Average life expectancy is 71.73 years. It is estimated that, in 2025, the population will be 12 094 000 residents. The majority ethnic groups are mestizo (73%), white (16%) and black (11%). The religion with the greatest expression is Catholic (91%). The official language is Castilian.
History
After the sinking of one of the ships in Christopher Columbus’s first voyage in 1492, the vessel’s sailors founded the first European colony on the American continent, which they called La Navidad. But most of the settlers left for Mexico, Panama and Peru in search of fortune. Fifty years after Spanish colonization, 300,000 Indians had died, victims of slaughter and diseases brought by European settlers. In 1697, the western part of the island was ceded to France and later became Haiti. After violence, outbreaks of French and Haitian rule, the Dominican Republic gained independence in 1865. In the next fifty years, there were twenty-eight revolutions and thirty-five governments. Between 1916 and 1924, the USA occupied the country with the aim of maintaining stability. The country was ruled by dictators until it became a democracy in 1966, after a second American landing. Currently, the country is governed by a president who is assisted by the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. For Dominican Republic democracy and rights, please check localbusinessexplorer.
Countryaah.com: Offers a full list of airports in the country of Dominican Republic, sorted by city location and acronyms.
Abbreviationfinder.org: Provides most commonly used abbreviations and initials containing the country name of Dominican Republic. Listed by popularity.
1UpTravel.com – Maps of Dominican Republic
Check out the maps of Dominican Republic, lying between the Caribbean Sea, and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti. View the shaded relief map of the country.
