The Republic of Dominican Republic is a state that is located in the Caribbean, in the eastern part of the island of Haiti. The country occupies 74 percent of the island and borders on the Republic of Haiti in the west . The country's area is 48 730 square kilometers, the population is 9.65 million people. The state is one of the most visited resorts in this region. It is very popular among Russian tourists due to an acceptable pricing policy.
general information
To begin with, let’s say that the Dominican Republic and the Dominican Republic are one and the same country. It is located on an island that is part of the Antilles archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean, and occupies most of it. Previously, these lands were called the West Indies, and they were inhabited mainly by Creoles - mixed descendants of Aborigines and Europeans. From an administrative point of view, the Republic of Dominican Republic is divided into 32 districts, each of which has a main city. The capital is Santo Domingo, and the main resort centers are Punta Cana, La Romana, Saona, San Falipe de Puerto Plata and others.
Climate of the country
And where is the Republic of Dominican Republic relative to the latitudinal zonality of our planet? It is located in the tropical climate zone. And, since it is surrounded by the sea on three sides, the air here is always humid. It is worth noting that the continent has a mountainous surface (with the exception of coastlines), so often clouds form precisely above the hills. The average summer temperature is approximately 28 degrees. In winter, it drops to 23 degrees. Note that in the hot season, it often rains, which bring trade winds from the ocean, waves rise and often tropical short-term showers occur. Because in the summer mainly windsurfers come here. In winter, the air becomes a little cooler, showers and winds stop, so the rest becomes more comfortable.
Population and languages
The Republic of Dominican Republic, like many countries in Latin America, was colonized by immigrants from Spain several centuries ago. Since then, European immigrants have assimilated with the local Indians of various tribes. As a result, the current inhabitants of the state are mainly mestizos and creoles, who have forgotten their Native American languages and speak only Spanish. Creole language in its original form is extremely rare here. Also note that some residents speak English.
Flora and fauna of the region
The nature of the Dominican Republic is represented by several types of forests at once, since the island itself lies in the tropic strip, but it has zones of altitudinal zonation. So, at the foot of the mountains, on the shores of the sea and in all other lowlands, tropical evergreen jungle prevails. The royal palm, ferns and more are popular. The higher the mountains, the more conifers. There are pine and spruce, and juniper, as well as fir and arborvitae of various species.
But the Republic of Dominican Republic is not as generous in the animal kingdom as in the vegetable one. Here you can meet mongooses, coatis, some kind of agouti. Livestock, which is available, is fully imported from Spain. A lot of birds flying over a tropical paradise. The most beautiful bird is considered a flamingo. Unlike the poor terrestrial world, marine fauna is simply teeming with diversity. There are the most exotic species of fish and marine animals that are not found anywhere else.
Capital of Santa Domingo
The Republic of Dominican Republic was discovered in 1496 by the famous navigator H. Columbus. He landed on the shores of the current capital of the state and called it New Isabella. Soon, the name was changed to Santo Domingo, which means “Holy Sunday”. The city is divided into two parts by the Osama River. In the west, there are business centers, government houses, other modern buildings and leisure parks. In the east, the door to the colonial era opens before us. There are houses and churches in the Victorian style, the oldest streets founded by the Spaniards immediately after land development, the citadel. The capital is also a resort city. True, it is always noisy here, beaches are crowded with people and not always clean.
What is eaten in the Dominican Republic?
But the cuisine of this country is a real find for lovers of something new and unusual. It is a mixture of European, Native American and African traditions, therefore it is based mainly on beans, bananas, seafood and vegetables. It is worth trying the traditional Dominican dish, Bandera. It consists of fried bananas, meat, rice, beans and lettuce. From alcohol, rum is preferred here - it is considered a national drink in the Dominican Republic. Coffee is also popular, as it is grown here. The aroma is very strong, and the taste is unusual, because all tourists will certainly try it and will certainly admire the drink.