Dominican Republic - Useful information for your trip

The Dominican Republic is a representative democracy situated in the eastern part of Hispaniola island in the Greater Antilles. The western part of the island is occupied by Haiti. The Dominican Republic is lapped north by the Atlantic Ocean, east by Mona Passage and south by the Caribbean Sea. The capital city is Santo Domingo. 

Its territory is mainly mountainous, dominated by Cordillera Central, whose highest peak is Pico Duarte (3097 m). Other significant mountain ranges are Cordillera Septentrional, Cordillera Oriental, Sierra de Yamasà, Sierra de Samanà, Sierra de Baoruco, Sierra de Neyba and Sierra Martìn Garcìa. Between the northern and central cordilleras lies Cibao valley, vast and fertile. The largest lake is lake Enriquillo.

The climate is tropical Caribbean with abundant rainfalls and differences depending on altitude. The rainy season goes from May to November, even though in the north it continues to rain also in December. Hurricanes can take place from August to October.

Fauna includes iguana, hummingbird and many species of tropical fish, together with shark and whale. As for the flora, aloe, orchids, royal palms, pines and mangoves abound. Despite its small size, the Dominican Republic hosts nine national parks, one of which is submarine. 

As for the economy, agriculture is mainly oriented to the export and produces sugar, coffee, cocoa and tobacco. Cultivations of rice, corn and cassava are oriented to domestic consumption. Forests produce fine timber, while the mining sector specializes in the extraction of nickel, gold and silver. Furthermore, Dominican rum is the typical product of the country.

During your stay in the Dominican Republic, you shouldn't absolutely miss the splendid beaches and natural parks, the picturesque town of Bàvaro, Damajaqua falls, Catalina island, beautiful Macao Beach in Punta Cana and, of course, the faboulous city of Santo Domingo.