Your vacations in the Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are occupied by two countries – Saint Martin being the other. Both in area and population, the Dominican Republic is the second largest Caribbean nation (after Cuba), with 48,442 km² and an estimated 10 million people.

The Dominican Republic is situated on the eastern part of the second-largest island in the Greater Antilles, Hispaniola. It shares the island roughly at a 2:1 ratio with Haiti. The country's capital and greatest metropolitan area, Santo Domingo, is located on the southern coast.

The Dominican Republic has become the Caribbean's largest tourist destination, with the country's year–round golf courses among the top attractions. The Caribbean's highest mountain, Pico Duarte, is located in this rugged country, as is Lake Enriquillo, the Caribbean's largest lake.

The Dominican Republic is divided into 31 provinces. Additionally, the national capital, Distrito Nacional, is contained within Santo Domingo.

Official language

Spanish

Currency

Dominican peso

Electricity

110/120 volts, 60 cycles same as Canada

Shopping

Some of the best buys include Dominican rum, cigars and locally-grown coffee.

Useful information

Tap water is not safe to drink. Bottled water can be purchased locally.

The climate in the Domincan Republic

The majority of the Dominican Republic enjoys beautiful tropical weather all year round, with the average annual temperature hovering around 25°C. Some call the Dominican Republic's climate, 'the endless summer', due to warm and sunny conditions experienced pretty much everywhere in the country, all year round.

The Dominican Republic, like most of the Caribbean, is located in an area where hurricanes can occur. Officially, the Caribbean hurricane season runs from the beginning of June to the end of November. Historically, most hurricane activity in the Dominican Republic's part of the Caribbean has taken place in the months of August and September.

Official language

Spanish

Currency

Dominican peso

Electricity

110/120 volts, 60 cycles same as Canada

Shopping

Some of the best buys include Dominican rum, cigars and locally-grown coffee.

Useful information

Tap water is not safe to drink. Bottled water can be purchased locally.