The Dominican Republic shares the Island of Hispaniola with the Republic of Haiti. Covering an area of 48,400 km2, it is the second largest country in the Caribbean. Thanks to its climate and seemingly endless miles of beach, the Dominican Republic has become a top quality tourist destination connected with the world's leading cities.
It has an estimated population of 7,600,000 inhabitants, a mixture of different, mainly urban influences, with around 2,000,000 inhabitants living in the capital, Santo Domingo. The landscape is varied and includes Lake Enriquillo, which, at 144 metres below sea level, is the lowest point in the Caribbean, and Pico Duarte, the highest in the Caribbean, with an altitude of 3,175 metres. The Cibao Valley is the main agricultural area.
CLIMATE: The climate in the coastal area is mainly warm, as it is typical in the tropics. The temperatures are cooler in the middle of the country. The average temperature all year long is 25ºC, or 77ºF.
CURRENCY: The unit of currency in the Dominican Republic is the Dominican peso.
SHOPPING: Haggling is accepted in markets and small shops, but not in department stores, where prices are fixed. The most interesting items are handicrafts, pottery, typical naive paintings, coffee, tobacco and rum. International credit cards (Visa, MasterCard and American Express) are accepted in most of the country's shopping centres and restaurants.
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