Dominican Republic – country information

Country name	Dominican republic
Official name	Dominican republic
Capital	Santo Domingo
Continent	North America
Area	48,671 km2
Population	9,445,281 (2010)
Foundation of a state	27/02/1844
The highest mountains	Pico Duarte 3175 m
Longest rivers	Yague del Norte 200 km
State system	pluralistic presidential republic
The biggest cities	Santo Domingo (capital) 2,600,000 (conurbation), Santiago de los Caballeros 525,000, La Vega 210,000
Official language	Spanish
Ethnicity/National Composition	mulattoes and other mixed races 70%, whites 15%, blacks 15%
Religious affiliation	Roman Catholic 91%, other 9%
Currency	1 Dominican peso (RD$) = 100 centavos
gross domestic product (GDP)	US$9,547 (2012)
Average life expectancy of the population	71.73 years (2006)
Structure of GDP	agriculture, forestry and fishing 14.5%, mining 2.5%, industry 19%, construction 8%, services 56%

Dominican Republic – Neighboring States

State	Capital	Area	Population
Haiti	Port-au-Prince	27,750 km2	10,413,211

Country overview

According to Abbreviationfinder, the Dominican Republic occupies the larger, eastern part of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea. Compared to neighboring Haiti, it is twice as large.

Country data

Location: Caribbean

Time zone: CET – 5 (during summer time: CET – 6)

Total area: 48,670 km²

Land area: 48,320 km²

Water area: 350 km²

Length of the state border: 376 km

Bordering countries: Haiti: 376 km

Coastline: 1,288 km

Capital: Santo Domingo

Provinces: 10
Cibao Nordeste, Cibao Noroeste, Cibao Norte, Cibao Sur, El Valle, Enriquillo, Higuamo, Ozama, Valdesia, Yuma

Electric current: 110 V / 60 Hz

Telephone code: 00 1809 and 00 1829 and 00 1849 (Source: Allcitycodes)

Highest point: Pico Duarte 3,175 m

Population

Population: approx. 10.4 million residents (Countryaah, 2021)

Population growth: 1.2% per year

Population density (residents per km²): 214

Life expectancy: 76 (male), 80 (female)

Official language: Spanish

Religions:

• 95% Roman Catholic
• 5% other

Climate

There is a tropical, humid and hot climate all year round with no distinct seasons.

The humidity is particularly high in the period from May to September. The temperature is then often above 30 ° C.

At around 25 ° C, the temperature is still very high, but this is mitigated by the winds from the sea and the heavier precipitation.

Currency / finance

Currency unit: Dominican Peso (DOP)

Classification: 1 Peso = 100 Centavos

ATMs: Available in many major cities.

International credit cards: These are accepted by many hotels and shops.

Regulations: There is no limit to the amount of foreign currencies that can be imported. The export is permitted in the amount of the declared import. There is an obligation to declare.

There is no limit to the amount of local currency that can be imported. The export is limited to the equivalent of a maximum of 10,000 US dollars, but no more than the amount of the import declaration.

You should only exchange the amount of money you actually need, as you are only allowed to exchange about a third of the money back.

Therefore, all bill of exchange should be kept until departure.

Customs regulations

The following may be carried duty-free:

• 200 cigarettes
• 1 liter of alcoholic beverages
• small amounts of perfume (opened bottle)

(Information applies to people aged 18 and over)

Tourists and people in transit can bring items of personal use with them duty-free.

There is an import ban for all agricultural and animal products.

Travel advice

An increase in Zika virus infections is currently being observed in the region. The Zika virus is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes.

The Federal Foreign Office recommends that pregnant women refrain from avoidable trips to ZIKA virus outbreak areas, as the risk of early childhood malformations if the woman is infected cannot currently be ruled out.

The crime rate is much higher than in other European countries. Greater caution is advised.

Behavioral advice

The trafficking and possession of all kinds of drugs is severely punished. High fines and imprisonment are common, even with foreigners.

Tap water should only be filtered and boiled to drink.

Economy

Located on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, which it shares with Haiti, the country has become one of the most popular holiday destinations.

Almost every year there are new records for visitor numbers.

Industries: tobacco production, textiles, tourism, sugar production

Natural resources: bauxite, gold, nickel, silver

Land use:

• Usable land: 21%
• Grain cultivation: 9%
• Pasture area: 43%
• Forests: 12%
• other: 15%

Plants

The hilly island of Hispaniola becomes a mountain range towards the center. The higher elevations are home to a tropical rainforest. There are desert areas in the south.

There are more plant species in this tropical flora than in all of Europe. The ideal climate is very beneficial for growth.

Animals

Most of the wild animals originally living here have been completely wiped out. There are only a few small insect species and very many bird species in the Dominican Republic.

The marine life around the island of Hispanola is particularly diverse. Large schools of fish, corals, whales and turtles can still be observed here.