Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is located on five-eighths of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean. The rest of the island is where Haiti is located. The Dominican Republic is the second largest Caribbean nation with Cuba being the first. Christopher Columbus landed on the island on December 6, 1492, but it was on the Haiti side. The Dominican Republic side went back and forth from Haiti control until they regained control of their own side of the island for the last time. While the Dominican Republic is located on the large island, there are multiple offshore islands and cays that comprise the entire Dominican territory. There are four mountain ranges within the Dominican including the Northern Mountain Range and the Central Mountain Range. There are also many lakes and lagoons in the area. The tropical rainforest climate brings hot weather during the summer and cooler temperatures during the winter months. The wet season arrives in November and lasts through January along the northern coast, while the wet season is from May through November everywhere else. Here are some unique and interesting facts about the Dominican Republic: · This is the only country that has an image of the Holy Bible on its national flag.
· The official language is Spanish.
· Everyone who lives in the Dominican Republic are very loyal to their families.
· The Catedral de Santa Maria La Menor dates back to 1540 and is believed to be the oldest cathedral in the entire world.
· The official Independence Day of the Dominican Republic is February 27, 1844.
· One of the main industries in the area is sugar processing.
· Living together as joint families is preferred in this area.
· Many people travel to the Dominican Republic for their wedding or honeymoon.
· This area produces excellent tasting rum.
· People can see humpback whales in the Bay of Samana between December and March every year.
· Honking a car horn while sitting in traffic is supposed to be done to keep people busy while they are waiting. It doesn’t make traffic move any faster though.
· Coffee is the national drink.
· Baseball is the national sport.
· Their national and traditional dish is called the Dominican flag and is made using chicken, beans, and rice. The Dominican Republic is a wonderful place to visit, even if a person is not traveling there for a special occasion. There is quite a bit to do on the island and people will find themselves outside as they explore and participate in the many outdoor activities.
