Dominican Replublic Overview
"Lifestyle Paradise"
Climate
The Dominican Republic enjoys a year round tropical maritime climate. A latitude of 17°36, - 19°58, places the Dominican Republic at the border of the tropical zone. Sea breezes refresh the insular territory, evening out temperatures to average 23°C in the early mornings to 32°C at mid-day. There is little difference between winter and summer temperatures with July averaging at 82ºF (28ºC) and January at 76ºF (23ºC). The lowest temperatures occur in the mountain areas near Constanza, where temperatures have dropped to 0°C, and record highs have been registered at the frontier with Haiti, 39°C in the summer. The months of May to November are regarded as the rainy season. The hurricane season lasts from June through November, with August-September being the peak months.
Culture
Dominican Republic is an independent country in the West Indies, a region of the Caribbean Sea. It occupies the eastern two-thirds of Hispaniola, the second largest island in the Greater Antilles. The republic of Haiti occupies the rest of the island. Hispaniola lies between the islands of Cuba and Puerto Rico and is located about 1,000 kilometres southeast of Florida, United States. The Dominican Republic’s land area of some 48,000km2 makes it roughly equivalent to the size of Scotland or the US state of Maryland.
- Conventional long form: Dominican Republic.
- Conventional short form: The Dominican.
- Local long form: Republica Dominicana .
- Local short form: La Dominicana.
- Total Area: 48,000 km2with 1,288 km coastline, including rocky cliffs and 300km of sandy beaches. The Dominican Republic is bathed by the Atlantic to the north and the Caribbean Sea to the south.
- Geographic Coordinates: 19 00 N, 70 40 W.
- Population: 8,833,634 (July 2004 est.).
- The official language of the Dominican Republic is Spanish.
- Government: Representative Democracy with President Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna (since 16 August 2004) both chief of state and head of government. Vice President Rafael ALBURQUERQUE de Castro (since 16 August 2004).
- Capital: Santo Domingo.
- Independence Day (from Haiti): 27 February 1844.
- Legal System: based on French civil codes, undergoing modification.
- Industries: tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining, textiles, cement, tobacco.
History
Named by its Spanish settlers “Hispaniola”, the island became the base for the expansion of the Spanish empire into the new world. The city of Santo Domingo (originally named “La Isabela”) was founded in 1496, and soon became the seat of the first cathedral, the first hospital and the first university of America.
Only a year after gaining its independence from Spain in 1821, the eastern part of the island was occupied by Haiti. This occupation ended on February 27, 1844 with the proclamation of the National Independence. Since 1966, ten democratic elections have been held, alternating the power between the three main political parties.
The Dominican Republic’s Latin style is a sharp contrast to the character of many nearby islands, especially the British and French-influenced ones, and is reflected in both the local music and cuisine