Dominican Republic republic of the West Indies, comprising the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola.

Caribbean cruises now include stops to the enchanted island of Dominican Republic with Haiti being the neighbor to the West. 

The country is bounded on the north by the Atlantic Ocean; on the east by the Mona Passage, which separates it from Puerto Rico; on the south by the Caribbean Sea; and on the west by Haiti.

The Dominican Republic has an extreme length in an east to west direction of about 380 km (about 235 mi) and a maximum width, in the west, of about 265 km (about 165 mi).

A number of adjacent islands, among them Beata and Saona, are possessions of the Dominican Republic. Santo Domingo is the capital of the Dominican Republic as well as its largest city.

The Dominican Republic is a fertile, well-watered, mountainous country. About 80 percent of the country is covered with a series of massive mountain ranges, extending in a northwestern to southeastern direction. Pico Duarte (3,175 m/10,417 ft) is the highest mountain in the country and in the West Indies. Between the Cordillera Central and the Cordillera Septentrional, a parallel range to the north, is the Cibao Valley, one of the most fertile and best-watered areas of the country. The coastal plain in the southeast is another fertile region. Among the numerous streams of the Dominican Republic are the Yaque del Norte, Yuna, and Camú rivers in the north and the Yaque del Sur, Ozama, and Soco rivers in the south.

The principal lake is the saltwater Lake Enriquillo, 43 km (27 mi) long, situated in the southwest. The coastline of the Dominican Republic, 1,290 km (800 mi) in length, is irregular and indented by many bays forming natural harbors, notably Ocoa Bay in the south and the Samaná Bay in the northeast.

The Dominican Republic has a semitropical climate, tempered by the prevailing easterly winds. Temperatures of more than 23°C (more than 74°F) are registered in the lowlands throughout the year. During the summer months temperatures range between 27° and 35°C (80° and 95°F) in these regions. The highlands are considerably cooler. Annual precipitation averages about 1,500 mm (about 60 in), but considerably more moisture is received by the mountainous areas of the north. The wet season is from June to November. Tropical hurricanes occur occasionally; Hurricane Georges, which struck in 1998, caused great damage.

The main resources of the Dominican Republic are agricultural. The fertile soil in the valleys is conducive to farming, and many of the mountain slopes are covered with forests. The country also has valuable deposits of nickel, gold, and silver.

The vegetation of the Dominican Republic, like that of the other islands of the West Indies, is extremely varied and luxuriant. Among the species of indigenous trees are mahogany, rosewood, satinwood, cypress, pine, oak, and cacao. Many species of useful plants and fruits are common, including rice, tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, yam, banana, pineapple, mango, fig, grape, and breadfruit.

The most noteworthy mammal among the indigenous animals is the agouti, a rodent. Wild dogs, hogs, and cattle are abundant, as are numerous reptiles, notably snakes, lizards, and caimans. Waterfowl and pigeons are common birds.

Most of the population of the Dominican Republic is of mixed Spanish and black-African descent. The society is 65 percent urban.

The population of the Dominican Republic (2001 estimate) is 8,581,477, giving the country an overall population density of 177 persons per sq km (459 per sq mi).

Spanish is the official language of the Dominican Republic. English is also spoken, and a French dialect is heard along the Haitian frontier. The great majority of the people profess Roman Catholicism. There is a small Protestant community, and about 1 percent of the population are Spiritists.

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