Dominican Republic
The
Dominican Republic is a Caribbean country located on the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola. It shares the island with Haiti and has an area of 18,619 square miles (48,223 square kilometers). The estimated population of the Dominican Republic in 2022 is 10,622,000. The capital city is Santo Domingo, with the majority of people being of mixed European and African ancestry, followed by those of European and African descent. Spanish is the official language and Christianity, particularly Roman Catholicism, is the predominant religion. The currency is the Dominican peso.
The Dominican Republic is predominately mountainous, with ranges and hills running from northwest to southeast and containing Duarte Peak, the highest point in the West Indies at 10,417 feet (3,175 meters). The Cibao Valley in the north is renowned for its fertility and the southwestern part of the country is largely dry and desert-like. The economy of the Dominican Republic is a mix of traditional sugar production and more diverse industries, with one of the world’s highest economic growth rates. Despite this, much of the population still lives in poverty, though there is a growing middle class. It is a multiparty republic with two legislative houses; the president is the head of state and government.