An Overview about the Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is one of the countries situated on Hispaniola, an island in the Caribbean. Hispaniola is one of the largest islands of the West Indies as well. There are numerous activities that you can do in the Dominican Republic, such as golfing. The Caribbean country is also known for its natural beauty.

History of Dominican Republic
The land of the Dominican Republic was inhabited by the Taino that moved here from the Northern East region of South America in 650 C.E. Taino were a group that spoke the Arawakan language and had village-centered societies that were involved in 4 major activities. It included fishing, farming, hunting, and gathering.

• Then in the 15th century, a group called Caribs fought with Tainos and invaded most of the land, which drove them to the northeastern region of Hispaniola.
• In 1492, when Christopher Columbus first arrived in the country, he settled in the northern part of Hispaniola, but soon the local inhabitants killed Columbus's people. However, he again colonized and was successful.

Moreover, in 1496, the city of Santo Domingo was established in the region and people started settling here. In the 17th century, Spain handed over the majority of the western part to France, which in 1804 became Haiti. The inhabitants of Haiti soon conquered the whole Island in 1821. But in 1844, two-third of the eastern region was given independence, which is now known as the Dominican Republic.

Geography of Dominican Republic
The total size of the region is approximately 48,730 sq. km and is surrounded by the two great seas. It includes the Atlantic Ocean in the North and the Caribbean Sea in the South. The region also shares its boundaries with the Bahamas and the Turks. It also connects with Caicos Islands in the north and northwestern regions. The region has several mountain ranges and peaks. One of the famous peaks is Pico Duarte, which is also the highest point in the country. The lowest geographical point of the Dominican Republic is Lago Enriquillo which is a lake situated 46 m below sea level. The land here is rough, and some widespread lakes and valleys surround the region.

Climate you need to know about
Being a Caribbean nation, the region enjoys a tropical climate all year round. The average temperature here is around 25 °C. But it can rise to 28 °C on some of the coastal plains surrounding the region. The regions with the highest peaks and mountain ranges get the most rainfall which is around 100 inches. However, the valleys, particularly those in the northeastern region, remain dry for most of the season. The country also experiences some thunderstorms and hurricanes from August to October.

Demographics Insights to know about
The Dominican Republic is a region where people of different races live in perfect harmony. The population of the country is approximately 10.75 million. People of the mixed-race now inhabit 70% of the land. The region also consists of some small Black and white minorities. The people living here are called Dominicans, and the official language of the Dominican Republic is Spanish. However, English is also quite popular here due to the emigrants from the USA coming here to settle. Roman Catholic is the most practiced religion in the region, and it is also the country's official religion. The national symbol of the region is palmchat, a bird, and the national anthem of the country is called Himno Nacional.

References

• Geonames
• Wikipedia

Other Databases

• World Continents, Countries, States, and Cities
• Haiti
• Aruba