Surface: 48.734 km˛
Population: 7.313.000 inhabitants
Density of population: 150 inhabitants/ km˛
Capital: Santo Domingo (2.000.000 inhabitants)
Official language: Spanish
Official currency: peso
Brut Intern Product: 1.050 $/inhabitant
State type: Republic
Geographical Characteristics
The Dominican Republic is situated in Great Antilles Archipelago in the Islander Central America. The country occurs 70% of the eastern side of Haiti Island and most of its surface is represented by high and spectaculars mountains with three important peaks from west to east Sierra Neiba in south, Central Cordillera with Pico Duarte 3.175 m the highest peak in Antilles Archipelago and Sierra de Bahoruco, both of them in north. There are also a lot of interior plateaus and the main of them
is Cibo. There are also a lot of short rivers.
Climate, Vegetation and Fauna
The Climate is tropical with high temperatures in most of the year. The total rainfall is rich on the north coast because of the alizee wind 150-200 cm. The medium temperatures are over 25°C most of the year. The vegetation is represented by the luxuriant tropical forest, which occurs more than 25% of the country’s surface. The fauna is very rich but remark the exotic birds.
Population and Cities
The country has 7.313.000 inhabitants, a birth-rate of 27‰, a mortality of 6‰. The urban population is near 60%. The main city is the capital of the country Santo Domingo which is the first city founded by the Europeans in all America. Other important cities are: Santiago de Los Caballeros (285.000 inhabitants), LA Romana (101.000 inhabitants), San Petro de Macoris (81.000 inhabitants) and San Francisco de Macoris (80.000 inhabitants). The black people brought like slaves in the 19th century represent most of the population. The rest are white people almost 16%. The population is concentrated in two zones south-east coast and Royal Valley in the north. The main religions are Catholicism (92%) and Protestantism.
State
Dominican Republic is a presidential republic according to The Constitution voted on November 28, 1966. The legislative activity is exerted by the president and the Congress formed by Senate and the Deputy Chamber and the executive activity is exerted by govern named and ruled by the president. There are 22 political parties and the main are: the Social Christian Party, the Dominican Liberation Party, the Dominican Revolutionary Party and the Revolutionary Social Christian Party.
Economy
The agriculture is the main activity and 2/5 of the active population work in cultivating plants and growing animals. 50% of the products goes to export. The main cultivated plants are sugar cane, cocoa (10th place in the world), coffee, bananas and other exotic fruits. There are also some important mineral reserves like nickel (the main exported product) and gold. An other important source of incomes is the tourism.
Surface: 48.734 km˛