About the Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic occupies the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola. At 48,921 sq. km, it is the second largest country in the Caribbean, after Cuba. The Dominican coastline stretches for 1,633 km, and is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the north.
The geography of the Dominican Republic is greatly diverse, ranging from arid semi-desert plains, to lush valleys, to tropical rain forests with 27 different climatic zones; resulting in a wide variety of incredibly beautiful vegetation. The topography of the Dominican Republic consists of a diverse range of highland and lowland areas, offshore islands, rivers and lakes, all of which contribute in some way or another to the varied beauty of the country and the adventure travel options to explore. Most visitors come for its magnificent gold or white sand beaches of the country's 1633 kilometers of coastline. But the interior of the country has an amazing amount to offer the visitor as well. There are five mountain ranges that run through the country. The Cordillera Central, the runs through the center of the country, is the highest mountain range on the island, and includes Pico Duarte, the highest mountain in the Caribbean, at 3087 meters (10,128 feet).
The Dominican Republic is divided into 30 provinces. The capital city, Santo Domingo, is the oldest city in the Caribbean and the New World. Other major cities include Santiago de los Trenta Caballeros (Santiago), La Vega, San Francisco de Macorís, San Cristóbal, San Pedro de Macorís, La Romana, Puerto Plata and San Juan de la Maguana.