Geography 

The Dominican Republic covers an area of approximately 48,671 square kilometers, making it the second largest nation in the Antilles by area after Cuba, the 24th biggest country in the united states of America, and the 132nd position in the world. The country also has extensive beaches of white sand, evergreen forests in the highlands, fertile valleys with exuberant vegetation, and evergreen desert zones with dune formations. It also has nickel, bauxite, gold, and silver minerals. The country is also characterized by several rivers and lakes, with Artibonite being the longest river on the island. The highest peak in Dominica is Pico Duarte Mountain at 3,078 meters (10,125 feet).

Climate 

The Dominican Republic enjoys a tropical climate with typical year-round warm and humid conditions associated with the tropics. Seasonal mean temperatures range from 20 to 25 degrees Celsius in the winter months (December to February) to 25 to 27 degrees Celsius in June, August, September, and November. Rainfall occurs throughout the year, and the heaviest precipitation occurs in the northeast, where it can exceed 2,500 millimeters per year. At the same time, the far western and southwestern valleys remain relatively dry, with less than 760mm of annual precipitation. Interannual variability in the Caribbean climate mainly influences the Dominican annual climate. Moreover, Dominican Republic is a hotspot for natural disasters, with exposure to droughts, earthquakes, flooding, hurricanes, landslides, heatwaves, tropical storms, and tsunamis.

Population 

Currently, the population of Dominica stands at 11,145,252. The majority of the population, around 70%, are of mixed African and European (Spanish)descent, with the remainder black around 16% and white 14%. It is, therefore, a multiethnic country with different races and other indigenous races and languages. The population of Dominican people is relatively young, with the majority falling between the age bracket of 15 to 64 years and very few percentages, at around 7% living beyond 64 years. The mortality rate in the Dominican Republic is relatively high infant mortality at around 27%, with low life expectancy at approximately 64 yrs.

Languages 

The Dominican Republic, a multiethnic country, has various languages being spoken and used. The most common native languages in the Dominican Republic include Dominican Spanish, used by 85% of the population, Haitian Creole by 2%, and Samana English by 1%. Other micro languages are being spoken in the region, such as Chinese, Japanese, Italian, and other foreign languages.

Religion 

The Dominican Republic is a multiethnic country and has various religious groups. The constitution provides freedom of religion. Roman Catholicism is the formal state religion and extends to the catholic church special privileges not granted to other religious groups. In addition to this, there are also other religious groups such as Protestantism at 23%, unaffiliated at 18%, and other remaining groups at 2%.

Government 

The Dominican Republic has a representative democracy with national powers divided among the independent executive, legislature, and judicial branches. The president heads the state in the Dominican Republic, elected every four years. There is also the prime minister’s office, which is responsible for running the government. The Dominican Republic has undergone 39 constitutional amendments, more than any other nation since its independence in 1844. Its current constitution was adopted in 2015, and it is the one being used in the country. The cabinet is appointed by the president, who also executes laws passed by the legislative branch and is the commander in chief of the armed forces. The national assembly in the Dominica Republic is bicameral with two houses, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. Moreover, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies are chosen through direct elections.

The judicial system constitutes the supreme court of Justice, the Appeals Court of the First Instance, and the Justices of Peace. The legal system is based on the Napoleonic code, and the judiciary is independent.

Economy

With its economy being the biggest in the Caribbean and Central America, the Dominican Republic holds the seventh spot for the largest economy in Latin America. It is a middle-based country with its economy relying primarily on tourism, agriculture, free trade zone manufacturing, mining, real estate, and service industries.

Culture 

The country is rich in culture, mixing the cultures of Spaniard colonists, enslaved Africans, and Taino natives. European, African, and Taino cultural elements are most prominent in Dominican food, family structure, religion, and music.

Recent History 

Dominica Republic has been prone to many striking misfortunes for a very long period, such as the strongest earthquake in 1953 in the Puerto Plata region with a magnitude of 7.3 on the Richter scale.

Hurricane Fiona also caused local flooding and damage to buildings in the country’s north in September 2022. The country is also prone to floods, mass landslides, and drought.