Saona Island
Search results
People also ask
What are some interesting facts about the Dominican Republic?
Where is Dominican Republic located?
How big is the Dominican Republic?
Why is the Dominican Republic a popular destination?
- Before the formation of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, the island was jointly named Hispaniola.
- The Dominican Republic is the only country in the world to have an image of the Holy Bible on its national flag.
- It is also the second-largest island in the Caribbean. Wondering which one is the largest? It is Cuba.
- The country shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, making Hispaniola the one island shared by two countries. The Dominican Republic occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island of Hispaniola while the western three-eighths of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti.
- There’s always an excuse to party in the Dominican Republic. It’s really not that big of a secret that Dominicans are big drinkers, which means many will use literally any excuse to say “I’ll drink to that,” or “Hoy se Bebe!
- The only flag in the world with the Christian Bible on it. A standout among Dominican Republic facts is that the nation's flag uniquely features an open Bible in the center, reflecting the deep Christian beliefs of its colonizers and invaders.
- Gravity defying road. Although it is called the Polo Magnetico or Magnetic Pole in Barahona, where cars seemingly go up the road in reverse by themselves, it is a natural optical illusion caused by a landscape anomaly which makes the road appear to be going up when it’s actually going down.
- Produces more baseball players than any other Latin American Country. If it's the Plantains, or the rice, chicken, and beans diets - we don’t know - but one thing is for sure as of 2022, the U.S. Major League Baseball organization, or MLB, has signed over 171 active players.
- Overview
- Relief, drainage, and soils
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
Dominican Republic, country of the West Indies that occupies the eastern two-thirds of Hispaniola, the second largest island of the Greater Antilles chain in the Caribbean Sea. Haiti, also an independent republic, occupies the western third of the island. The Dominican Republic’s shores are washed by the Caribbean to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the north. Between the eastern tip of the island and Puerto Rico flows the Mona Passage, a channel about 80 miles (130 km) wide. The Turks and Caicos Islands are located some 90 miles (145 km) to the north, and Colombia lies about 300 miles (500 km) to the south. The republic’s area, which includes such adjacent islands as Saona, Beata, and Catalina, is about half the size of Portugal. The national capital is Santo Domingo, on the southern coast.
The Dominican Republic has much in common with the countries of Latin America (with which it is often grouped), and some writers have referred to the country as a microcosm of that region. Dominicans have experienced political and civil disorder, ethnic tensions, export-oriented booms and busts, and long periods of military rule, including a Haitian occupation (1822–44), the oppressive dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo (1930–61), and military interventions by the United States (1916–24 and 1965–66). However, the nation’s troubles have paled in comparison with those of neighbouring Haiti. The two countries have long been strategic because of their proximity to the United States and their positions on major sea routes leading to the Caribbean and the Panama Canal.
The Dominican Republic includes the highest and lowest elevations in the West Indies. Its major mountain ranges and elongated, fertile valleys mainly extend from northwest to southeast.
The Cordillera Septentrional, the northernmost range, looms above a narrow coastal plain drained by such short rivers as the Balabonico and the Yasica. The southern slopes of the mountains give way to the extensive Cibao Valley, which stretches from Manzanillo Bay in the northwest to the Samaná Peninsula and the Bay of Samaná in the east. The valley’s fertile soils are fed by two of the nation’s main river systems: the Yaque del Norte, which flows generally northwestward, and the Camu-Yuna system, which flows eastward.
Britannica Quiz
Which Country Is Larger By Area? Quiz
The Cordillera Central, the island’s most rugged and imposing feature, is known in Haiti as the Massif du Nord (“Northern Massif”). In Dominican territory its crest line averages some 6,000 feet (1,800 metres) in elevation and rises to 10,417 feet (3,175 metres) at Duarte Peak, the highest mountain in the Caribbean. Other prominent peaks are Yaque, La Rucilla, Bandera, and Mijo. Tributaries of the Yaque del Norte drain most of the range’s northern flanks, whereas its southern flanks are drained by the Yaque del Sur system and the Ocoa, Nizao, and other smaller rivers. The San Juan River, one of the Yaque del Sur’s main tributaries, is the centrepiece of the fertile San Juan Valley, which connects with Haiti’s Central Plateau via the upper Artibonite River valley.
Bounding the San Juan Valley to the south is the Sierra de Neiba, which corresponds to the Matheux and Trou d’Eau mountains of Haiti; its high peaks reach approximately 7,200 feet (2,200 metres). Water flowing off the Neiba range drains partly to the Caribbean, via the Yaque del Sur system, and partly inland, to saline Lake Enriquillo. Enriquillo is the country’s largest natural lake, about 23 miles (37 km) long and up to 11 miles (18 km) wide; the lake’s surface is also the lowest point in the West Indies, at 144 feet (44 metres) below sea level. The Dominican Republic’s southernmost range, the Sierra de Baoruco (Bahoruco), is called the Massif de la Selle in Haiti; it overlooks Cape Beata and the arid southwestern plain, including the largely infertile Pedernales region.
The Dominican Republic has a moderate, relatively mild tropical climate, although it lies well within the tropical zone. Conditions are ameliorated in many areas by elevation and by the northeast trade winds, which blow steadily from the Atlantic all year long. The annual mean temperature is 77 °F (25 °C); regional mean temperatures range from 69 °F (21 °C) in the heart of the Cordillera Central to as high as 82 °F (28 °C) on the coastal plains. Temperatures rarely rise above 90 °F (32 °C), and freezing temperatures are unknown.
The heaviest precipitation is in the mountainous northeast (the windward side of the island), where the average annual rainfall is more than 100 inches (2,540 mm). As the trade winds pass over the country, they lose their moisture on various mountain slopes, so that the far western and southwestern valleys, along the Haitian border, remain relatively dry, with less than 30 inches (760 mm) of annual precipitation. The northwestern and southeastern extremes of the country are also arid. The Dominican Republic is occasionally damaged by tropical storms and hurricanes, which originate in the mid-Atlantic and southeastern Caribbean from August until October each year; hurricanes in 1930, 1954, 1979, and 1998 were particularly devastating.
Vegetation varies considerably, but there is generally more ground cover in the Dominican Republic than in neighbouring Haiti. The mountains are still largely forested with pines and tropical hardwoods, although the trees on the lower and more accessible slopes have been severely cut for use as charcoal and commercial lumber. In the drier regions low shrubs and scrub predominate, but grasslands and dense rainforests occur where there is heavier precipitation. Royal palms grow throughout much of the country. Cultivated crops have largely replaced the natural vegetation in many areas, particularly in the more fertile upland valleys and on the lower mountain slopes. Mangrove swamps line some coastal areas, whereas extensive sandy beaches are found elsewhere, notably along the northern shore.
Wild animals are not abundant; for several centuries cattle and goats, introduced by the early Spanish colonists, ran wild on the grasslands and in the desert areas. Alligators are found near the mouths of the Yaque rivers and in the waters of Lake Enriquillo. A great variety of birds, including ducks, are hunted. Fish and shellfish inhabit the surrounding waters, particularly within the coral reefs.
- The national sport of the Dominican Republic is baseball.
- The Dominican Republic is colloquially known as "the DR."
- The Dominican Republic city of Santo Domingo is the oldest continuously inhabited, European-established city in the Americas.
- The indigenous name of the Dominican Republic is Quisqueya.
- Tourism is the Dominican Republic’s largest industry. The Dominican Republic is the Caribbean’s most popular destination, with over 6.1 million visitors each year, accounting for 21% of the overall Caribbean tourism market.
- Size Matters. The Dominican Republic is the second-largest country in the Caribbean, covering an area of 18,704 square miles, and it has a population of 10.65 million.
- One Island, Two Countries. There are just two islands in the Caribbean that belong to two nations. The Dominican Republic and Haiti are one, while Saint Martin is divided between the Dutch and French.
- The ‘Beep’ language. The ‘Beep language’ is real, and one of the most fascinating facts I discovered about the Dominican Republic was that it exists! Dominicans utilize their car horn regularly, and it’s a little shocking to tourists.
May 15, 2024 · What we're famous for. Every country has things that they are better known for. What are ours? Here are five of the Dominican Republic’s main claims to fame: Punta Cana beach. The Dominican Republic is famous for being a top Caribbean tourism destination.
Feb 9, 2024 · Its majestic architecture and historical significance will spellbind you. Nowadays, the cathedral is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Discover Santo Domingo on this Day trip. The Columbus Lighthouse in Santo Domingo is believed to house the remains of Christopher Columbus.
