Key Facts

  • The Dominican Republic occupies the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, the second largest island in the Caribbean after Cuba.

  • Hispaniola, with the Atlantic Ocean to the north and the Caribbean Sea to the south, is shared with another country, Haiti.

  • The island of Hispaniola was the first place in the New World to be settled by Europeans, and the first seat of Spanish rule after Christopher Columbus arrived on its shores during his first exploratory voyage in 1492. However, it wasn’t the site of his first landfall; that was in what is now known as the Bahamas.

  • The previous inhabitants of the island of Hispaniola were the Taino people.

  • The first cathedral, first hospital, and first university in the Americas were founded in what is now the capital city, Santo Domingo.

  • The country’s currency is the Dominican peso – DOP or RD$.

  • Dominican Republic Independence Day is celebrated on February 27.

  • The national flag of the Dominican Republic depicts a white cross on a blue and red background.  (Read more......)

Did You Know That The Dominican Republic.......

  • The Dominican Republic is famous for being a top Caribbean tourism destination. Tourists are attracted to its idyllic deep blue beaches and tropical landscapes and the warm welcome they receive from the Dominican people. Popular tourist destinations in the Dominican Republic include Punta Cana, Puerto Plata, and Samaná.

  • The Dominican Republic is very famous for its exceptionally talented baseball players, such as Sammy Sosa, Albert Pujols, and Hall of Famers Juan Marichal, Vladimir Guerrero, Pedro Martinez, and David Ortiz, and for its internationally-popular merengue music and dance. Naturally, the national sport is baseball.

  • The Dominican Republic is a popular whale-watching destination during the months of February and March when humpback whales from the North Atlantic Ocean migrate to the humpback whale sanctuary in Samana Bay for their mating season.

  • The Dominican Republic is well known as a producer of bananas, mangos, sugar, coffee, cocoa, and tobacco. Dominican rum and cigars are highly rated by connoisseurs all over the world.

  • Two semi-precious stones - amber and larimar - are associated with the country. The Dominican Republic is the only place where the light-blue larimar stone is found. At the Amber Museum, you can even see a prehistoric mosquito embedded in a Dominican amber stone. Amber is a fossilized tree resin. (Read more......)