Dominican Republic flag

Dominican Republic Overview

The Dominican Republic occupies two thirds of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean, which is shared with Haiti. The country is both in terms of area and population the second largest in the Caribbean, after Cuba.

Capital: Santo Domingo
Biggest city: Santo Domingo
State: republic
Language: Spanish
Religion: catholicism
Surface: 48 730 km²
Population: 10.3 million (2013)
Population density: 198 residents per km²
Life expectancy: 74 years
Illiteracy: 13%
Currency: Dominican peso (DOP)
1 peso = 0.18 kr
GDP per capita: $ 9,100 (2010)
Time difference: -5 hours
Electricity: 110/220 V AC 60Hz
National Day: February 27th
Country area code: 1 809
2-Letter country abbreviation: DO (See more abbreviations on Abbreviationfinder)
Business: agriculture 46%, service sector 38%, industry 16%
Climate: tropical with rainy season from May to November

Dominican Republic flag

Christopher Columbus came to the island in 1492, and four years later his brother Bartolomeo founded the city of Santo Domingo – the oldest Spanish city in America. Here are i.a. America’s oldest university, founded in 1538, and the alleged remains of Christopher Columbus. The city has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990.

The Dominican Republic is one of the poorest countries in the Caribbean, and the social gaps are large. More than a third of the population lives in poverty, and almost a tenth in extreme poverty. The cost situation is just under half against, for example, Jamaica, Barbados and Martinique, which has benefited the country’s tourism.

The landscape is largely mountainous. In the Dominican Republic, there is both Duarte, which is the highest peak in the entire Caribbean, and Lake Enriquillo, which is the lowest point in the Caribbean.

The scenes from Cuba in the movie “Godfather 2” are in fact filmed in the Dominican Republic. When Al Pacino visits Havana, he is in fact in the capital Santo Domingo. The movie “Apocalypse Now” is also partly filmed in the Dominican Republic.

WORLD HERITAGE

The following objects in the Dominican Republic are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The year in which the item was added to the list is indicated in parentheses.

  • The Colonial City of Santo Domingo (1990)

ELECTRICAL OUTLET

Electricity and electrical outlets in the Dominican Republic

Voltage: 110 V

Frequency: 60 Hz

Type of plug: A

Need an adapter: Yes, Swedes need an adapter.

CLIMATE AND WEATHER

Weather in Santo Domingo

Climate Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Christmas Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Average temperature °C 27 26 26 27 28 28 28 29 29 29 28 28
Day °C 30 30 31 31 31 32 32 32 32 32 31 31
Night °C 20 19 19 20 21 23 23 22 22 22 22 20
Rain (mm) 50 50 60 60 140 130 130 160 160 150 120 80
Rainy days 9 5 7 7 10 9 10 9 10 9 9 8
Soltim / day 8 9 9 9 8 9 9 9 9 8 8 8

Dominican Republic 2

Santo Domingo

According to Countryaah, Santo Domingo is the capital of the Dominican Republic and has just over 2 million residents (2008). When the city was built in the 1490s, it became the first city of the new world and was founded by Christopher Columbus’ brother Bartolomeo. In 1586, Sir Francis Drake attacked the city and largely succeeded in destroying it. The reconstruction took considerable time.

In 1990, Santo Domingo was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.