Location/Geography
The Dominican Republic occupies two-thirds of the eastern part of the island of Hispaniola, which it shares with the Republic of Haiti, and is the second largest island in the Caribbean with an area of 48,198 square kilometers. The Dominican Republic is located in the heart of the Caribbean, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and the Caribbean Sea to the south.
Population
The population of the Dominican Republic is more than 10.8 million people, according to the 2020 census.
Time
Local time is Eastern Caribbean Time (GMT -0400). In the winter, it is one hour ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time. The Dominican Republic does not change its time as is customary with Daylight Saving Time in the United States.
Capital City
The capital of the Dominican Republic is Santo Domingo, with a population of almost 3.1 million inhabitants. Santo Domingo is the oldest city in the New World.
City of Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo Subway
Government
The political structure of the Dominican Republic is based on the principles of democracy. Every four years the country elects its president, vice president and legislators.
Government Palace, Santo Domingo
Language
Spanish is the official language of the Dominican Republic. However, you will be surprised by the large majority of employees in hotels and tourist destinations who speak relatively good English, as well as French, German and Italian. If non-Spanish speaking visitors wish to venture outside the tourist areas, it is advisable that they learn some basic Spanish phrases.
Currency
The Dominican Peso (RD$) is the official currency of the Dominican Republic. Major credit cards and travelers checks are accepted at many tourist sites in the country. ATMs are located in almost every city in the Dominican Republic, as well as in most resorts (only the RD$ is available through ATMs).
ClimateThe
Dominican Republic enjoys a tropical climate throughout the year. Depending on location, a typical day can have full sun or a combination of sun/clouds. The average annual temperature is 25° to 31° C (78° to 88° F). The coolest season is between November and April, and the warmest season is between May and October.
Los Haitises, Samaná
Bahía de las Águilas, Pedernales
Cayo Arena, Monte Cristi
Culture at a Glance
The cultural composition of the Dominican Republic is influenced by the ethnic groups that mixed on this island: European, African and, to a lesser extent, indigenous, as well as in artistic expressions, gastronomy, handicrafts, sports, religion, among other aspects that make up the identity of the Dominican people.
In terms of gastronomy, the country has a rich and multifaceted culinary culture, a product of that same fusion, which later was also sprinkled with cuisine from other parts of the world, giving rise to a food of delicious flavors and smells, as is the Dominican cuisine.
Due to the insular condition, the agricultural and cattle raising tradition of this land; the main ingredients of the Dominican menu are rice, meats, beans, groceries and vegetables, as well as fish, seafood and others, which give shape to the recipes that adorn the tables of the country on a daily basis.
The emblematic dish is called the "bandera", consisting of white rice with red beans, accompanied by a portion of meat (beef or chicken) and a salad or tostones (slices of fried green plantains), a menu that is served daily for lunch. This is followed by moro and locrio.
The list continues with appetizing stews and broths, such as sancocho, called the "national dish", as well as asopao, stewed goat, and others such as mangú (green plantain, boiled and mashed), pastelones, pasteles en hoja, chicken or pork chicharrones and an endless number of options.
In the aspect of handicrafts, the country presents a rich artistic manifestation that combines a variety of techniques, contents and traditions, predominating an infinity of objects, among them, those elaborated with Taino motifs; while in jewelry there are those of amber, larimar, bone, horns and coconut jicara; clay, porcelain, wood, leather, cabuya and guano are also used as the basis for the elaboration of the most diverse articles and figures, both personal, decorative, domestic, religious and, in turn, are of great attractiveness.
Regarding religion, there is freedom of worship in the Dominican Republic, but the majority of the population is Christian, mainly Catholic, followed by Evangelicals, being the fastest growing group, and others belonging to different beliefs.
Basilica La Altagracia, Higuey
Among the festivities celebrated in the country are the national holidays, the main ones being: January 26, the day of patrician Juan Pablo Duarte; February 25, the day of patrician Ramón Matías Mella; National Independence Day, February 27; March 9, the day of patrician Francisco del Rosario Sánchez; then the Restoration of the Republic, August 16; and Constitution Day, November 6. These are followed by numerous popular religious festivities in each region of the territory, however, the most important of the Dominican popular culture is the carnival, a recreational celebration of freedom, integration and identity, where masks, exaggeration, sarcasm, the unusual, the satirical, the grotesque and the imaginary are its basic characteristics. The carnival is celebrated in almost all the towns of the country during the Sundays of February and March.
Merengue, Typical Dominican Dance
Heroes Monument, Santiago
As the first city of the Americas, Santo Domingo holds a valuable museum reserve, where an important part of the historical and cultural heritage of this people is located, mostly in the Colonial City and other peripheral areas.
Colonial City, Santo Domingo
These rooms hold the Dominican identity expressed in objects, documents, canvases, sculptures, costumes, indigenous pictographs, furniture from different centuries and religious beliefs.
Among these are the Alcázar de Colon, the Catedral Primada de América, the Fortaleza Ozama, the monastery of the Dominican Fathers, the Casa del Cordón, the Casa de la Moneda, the Reloj de Sol, the Casa de Nicolás de Ovando, the Casa del Tostado, the Casa de Bastidas, the Museo de las Casas Reales and the Panteón Nacional. Also the Altar of the Homeland, the House of Juan Pablo Duarte, the Consistorial Palace, the Borgellá Palace, the Colón Park, as well as religious monuments such as the Carmen Church, the Santa Clara Church and Convent, the Las Mercedes Church, the Regina Angelorum, San Miguel and Santa Bárbara, among many others.
