General information and facts about the Dominican Republic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Let’s go in order and briefly tell you about each point. After reading, you will have a general understanding of the Dominican Republic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The country of the Dominican Republic, general facts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Dominican Republic is located in the Western Hemisphere on the Antilles Islands in the Caribbean Sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The capital of the country is the city of Santo Domingo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is a presidential republic, where the president appoints the main positions in the country and provinces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The highest peak in the Dominican Republic is Pico Duarte at 3093m above sea level. This same peak is also the highest point of all the Antilles Islands and the Caribbean Basin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Useful to know:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\nPeople often ask if the Dominicana and Dominican Republic are different countries or not. The answer is: they are the same country. But the confusion comes from the country called Dominica. Dominica is often mistaken for the Dominican Republic. Dominica is another small country also located in the Caribbean Basin.<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n The Dominican Republic is an island nation. 97% of the country’s area is located on the island of Haiti (Hispaniola). In addition to the Dominican Republic, the island of Haiti also includes the country of Haiti. This is the only country with a land border with the Dominican Republic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to the island of Haiti (Hispaniola), the Dominican Republic includes several dozen islands, but people live only on the four largest of them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Interesting to know:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\nTo understand the sizes of the islands, I have listed them in order of decreasing area. And while Saona is a fairly large island, Bacardi, the fourth largest island, is about 1200m by 800m and has an area of only 1 sq km. There is only one hotel and a paradise beach on this island.<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n As already written, the Dominican neighbor on land is the Republic of Haiti. This is one of the poorest countries in the world. Today in Haiti there is a high level of crime, hunger and poverty, disease, and in the 21st century they can buy or sell a person here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Dominican Republic guards its land border with Haiti very seriously. There are hundreds of military bases and checkpoints here. Another 100 km from the border, there are points for checking documents and inspecting cars traveling from the direction of the Haitian border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Interesting fact:<\/strong><\/p>\nWhen we were driving from Santo Domingo in the direction of Haiti, we were never stopped. But on the way back, for a section of the road 100 km, there were 4 inspections of cars and 2 checks of documents. There were so few identity checks because we are fair-skinned and don’t look like Haitians at all.<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Nevertheless, there are many illegal Haitians in the Dominican Republic, according to unofficial data, about 1.5 million people. They are all fleeing their country for a better life. By the way, this also affected safety in the Dominican Republic itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In general, the Dominican Republic is considered a safe country. But at the same time, many things are still striking to the Europeans and to me personally. Here are a few facts about safety in the Dominican Republic:<\/p>\n\n\n\n For more information about safety in the Dominican Republic<\/a>, read the article at the link. There you will find out where to hide your money, how many times we were tried to be robbed and many tips that will help you prepare for a trip here. Spoiler: it’s not as scary as it’s written.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The photo below shows the flag of the country itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And now a very brief history of its origin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Emblem of the country can be seen in the photo below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is not such a story behind the coat of arms as there is with the flag. However, approximately six years after being liberated from Haitian occupiers, in 1844, the country gained its own coat of arms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It changed several times and finally took its modern form in 1896. You see this coat of arms even now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As part of the coat of arms you can find: two national flags, spears, a cross, a bible, a laurel branch and a palm branch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The reason is simple, Christopher Columbus landed on the island of Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic) during his first voyage in 1492. Since then, this land belonged to the Spanish crown, which Columbus served. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The country was under Spanish rule for almost 350 years, while the Dominican Republic has only been independent for about 170 years. Therefore, it is not surprising that the official language of the country is Spanish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is important to know:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\nDominican people very poorly know English, many cannot even count, even those who work with tourists. This is a big problem and really creates difficulties in communication.<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n We learned the basics of Spanish while traveling faster than they learned English. Only a few local residents can speak English to some extent, but even they have such a pronunciation that I doubted whether it was English at first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I recommend that everyone who is planning to come here for a vacation and does not know Spanish, at least the basics, read an article about the Spanish language for tourists in the Dominican Republic. 10 phrases that will make your vacation a lot easier<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n Today the official currency of the country is the Dominican peso. However, in the early 20th century, the country came under financial control of the United States and received a grant from America. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, to this day, the Dominican Republic has not been able to rid itself of the influence of the dollar. The American dollar is accepted almost everywhere here, even in grocery stores, pharmacies, cafes, and restaurants, etc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are, of course, a few nuances that you need to know, but you can read about them and many other aspects of money and currency in the Dominican Republic<\/a> in the article at the link. There you will find everything a tourist needs to know: where to exchange, what exchange rate, how to save, what currency to bring with you, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dominican Republic is located in the Western Hemisphere in the UTC-4 time zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, Washington is located in the UTC -5 time zone, Los Angeles is in the UTC -8 time zone, and London is in the UTC 0 time zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By simple calculations, we find that: Los Angeles is 4 hours behind Dominican Republic, Washington is 1 hour behind, and London is 4 hours ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tourism in the country accounts for about 15-20% of its GDP, which is not as much as the Maldives, but still a lot. Of course, a country with eternal summer, an ocean and a sea could not be deprived of tourists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Interesting to know<\/p>\nBy the way, I often get asked where to go on vacation in the Dominican Republic or the Maldives. Read the link for the main differences and tips on what to choose.<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n If we return to tourism, the country was visited by more than 5 million tourists in 2022, with a population of 10.5 million. This is a worthy indicator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most tourists arrive in the Dominican Republic from:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Dominican Republic has its own domain zone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n All websites of this country are located at the addresses: website.do<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dominican Republic is located in the tropics and has a rainy season that lasts for 4 months. Here is what tourists need to know about the climate in the Dominican Republic:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read more about the weather, climate, rainy season, how to choose a resort, and the best time to visit in the article “Weather in the Dominican Republic<\/a>“<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the latest census, the population of the country is almost 10.5 million people. The area is 49,000 sq km. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To give you an idea of how much this is, let’s compare it to a similar country whose size and population is well known: Portugal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"facts](\"https:\/\/travel-4-fun.com\/dominicana\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/01\/facty-pico-duarte-759x1024.jpg\")
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Dominican Islands<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"general](\"https:\/\/travel-4-fun.com\/dominicana\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/01\/facta-island-baccardi-1024x768.jpg\")
Which country is nearby<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Safety<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"safety](\"https:\/\/travel-4-fun.com\/dominicana\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/01\/facty-gaiti-1024x768.jpg\")
Flag of the Dominican Republic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"facts](\"https:\/\/travel-4-fun.com\/dominicana\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/01\/flag-dominicana.jpg\")
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Emblem of the Dominican Republic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"general](\"https:\/\/travel-4-fun.com\/dominicana\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/01\/gerb.jpg\")
The national language of the Dominican Republic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Currency and money<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"General](\"https:\/\/travel-4-fun.com\/dominicana\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/01\/facty-dengi-dominicany-768x1024.jpg\")
What is the time zone in the Dominican Republic?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Facts and general information about tourism in the Dominican Republic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Sites or domains of the Dominican Republic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
General information and facts about the climate in the Dominican Republic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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General information and facts about the Dominican Republic: population and area of the country<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"General](\"https:\/\/travel-4-fun.com\/dominicana\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/01\/facty-gallon-1024x522.jpg\")