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The Dominican
Republic has three major
metropolitan areas. Santo Domingo, on the
southern coast, is the capital, with a population of
two million people. On the northern coast is
Puerto Plata, one of the country’s main tourist
resorts with some 60,000 year-round residents.
Santiago, located in the central highlands, is the
country’s leading industrial centre, with a
population of well over quarter a million
inhabitants.
Cabarete and Sosua,
near Puerto Plata, and La Romana and Punta Cana,
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The rest of the nation’s six million plus population live in or around a dozen or so smaller towns and villages. If you have the opportunity of travelling through the countryside you will notice that for a country with an area of 19,000 square miles the D.R. is sparsely populated, particularly its eastern region. The island of Hispaniola was originally inhabited by an estimated one million Indians; they were annihilated in less than a century by the Spanish conquerors. Today, 70 percent of the Dominican Republic’s population are mulattoes, the result of extensive intermingling between white European settlers and African slaves. The remaining 30 percent are white, black and Asians. |
The region boasts world
class resorts allowing visitors to explore the beauty of nature or the
excitement of festivals and events.
Savour the many delights of fine cuisine or casual
fare. Venture "off-the-beaten-path" and browse unique galleries, antique
shops, and artists colonies. Challenge yourself with championship golf along
the north coast of Playa Grande or just relax and enjoy the simple pleasures
of the
BEACHES
This is a special place where nature's treasures remain unspoiled and the simple joys of easy living are still easy to find. Located in the heart of the Caribbean, you will discover more than 1,288 km of Coast line with the most beautiful beaches of the Caribbean in all different styles. Find white sandy beaches, diving attractions and unspoiled nature all around the island.
CLIMATE
The
The
country’s topography is generally rugged and mountainous, dominated by four
parallel mountain ranges extending in a north-westerly direction.
Most of its eastern region is characterized by steep valleys and
lowland plains.
Though many of the nation’s numerous rivers are too shallow for navigation,
they are an important source of water and hydroelectric power.
The
The fertile Dominican soil is appropriate for cultivating any grain. According to the W. Koppen Climate Classification System the predominant climate is that of humid tropical savannah, with five variations or microclimates, classified as: humid, dry steppe, tropical jungle, forest, and savannah. The average annual temperature fluctuates between 18°C/65° and 27ºC/ 81ºF.
For Dominicans there is only one season:
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CONTENTS
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