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General Information |
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The Dominican Republic occupies the eastern two thirds of the island of Hispaniola which is situated southeast of Florida at 18 degrees North Latitude in the Caribbean Sea. This Spanish speaking tropical country is the second largest in the Caribbean with Cuba being the largest. It measures 48,442 km2 making it approximately 20% larger than Switzerland.
The geography of the Dominican Republic is extremely diverse consisting of white sandy beaches, tropical rainforests, desert-like expanses, mountain ranges and farm land. Millions of acres have been designated as national parks in the last two decades. Located on the central western portion of the country is the highest mountain peak in the Caribbean, Pico Duarte, which measures 10,128 feet (3088 meters) above sea level. Lake Enriquillo on the southwest side of the country is one of the lowest points in the Caribbean measuring at 44 meters below sea level.
The climate along the coastal areas of the Dominican Republic is consistently pleasant with average daily day time temperatures of about 82 degrees Fahrenheit (28 degrees Celsius) and average nightly temperatures of 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius). However, temperatures in the mountains can be significantly lower. For example, temperatures on Pico Duarte can drop as low as 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius). Monthly precipitation varies from between 2.9 to 8.9 inches (73mm to 226mm) with the maximum average precipitation occurring in November.
The political system of the Dominican Republic is much like that of the United States of America with a president and two legislative chambers: the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. The Senate has 31 representatives, one for each province in the country and one for the national district. The Chamber of Deputies has 154 members. The president is elected by universal suffrage to a four-year term. Although there are about twenty political parties only three play any significant role in the political system.
The early inhabitants of the island were the Tainos who had a well structured society when the Europeans first discovered the island in the 15th Century. Since that time, there have been Spanish, French and American settlements and the population has grown to over 9 million inhabitants. Approximately, one third of the population resides in Santo Domingo, the nation’s capital city, which is located on the south coast of the island. Santiago and Puerto Plata are second and third largest cities.
The Dominican economy has become diverse in recent decades and is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. The currency is the Dominican Peso which has remained steady for the last several years at approximately 35 pesos per U.S. dollar. The Gross National Product increased by 9.3 percent in 2005, 10.7 percent in 2006 and 6 percent in 2007. International companies have chosen their investments within the Free Zones of Santiago, Puerto Plata and Santo Domingo where they assemble and manufacture textiles, electronics, cigars, and other commodities. Imports and exports are also increasing. Sugar cane is the largest export crop. Other exports include tobacco, cocoa, coffee,
vegetables and various tropical fruits. It is estimated that Dominicans living abroad sent to the country more than 3 billion dollars during 2007 for investments and assistance to their families.
Tourism is the largest and fastest growing industry. The Dominican Republic has more than 65,000 hotel rooms and had over four million tourists visiting in 2007. Major tourist areas include Puerto Plata- Cabarete-Sosua, La Romana, Samana-Las Terrenas and Punta Cana.
The beachside towns of Cabarate and Sosua are located about 10 to 15 minutes east of the Puerto Plata Airport on the North Coast of the island. Puerto Plata is a city of 300,000 inhabitants and has many modern amenities including a major hospital. A Robert Trent Jones golf course is located in Playa Dorada, about 20 minutes from Sosua.
Santo Domingo is the capital of the Dominican Republic. Day trips to this vibrant city are offered from most of the major tourist areas. The Colonial Zone offers many treasures to explore including the Santa Maria Cathedral which was built in 1521, the Casas Reales Museum and the house of Diego Columbus, son of Cristopher Columbus. Like European cities of the same era, Santo Domingo was built with many fortifications with high stone walls punctuated by forts and gates which served to fend off attaches by the colony’s enemies. Today, ruins of these fortifications can be seen along several streets within the city.
The beauty, diversity and rich culture of the Dominican Republic is unparalleled by any of the other Caribbean Islands. This island nation is conveniently located just an hour and half from Miami and three hours from New York. We invite you to join us on this island paradise.
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Alcazar de Colon,
Santo Domingo |
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CENTURY 21 Juan Perdomo
Plaza Perdomo
Calle Pedro Clisante # 73
Sosua, Puerto Plata
Dominican Republic
Tel.: (809) 571 2100
Fax: (809) 571 3121
E-mail: juan@juanperdomo.com |
