• Capital: Santo Domingo

Facts

  • Population: 10.6 million
  • Language: Spanish
  • Religion: Christianity
  • Life expectancy: 71 years (men), 77 years (women)
  • Currency: Dominican peso

Geography

  • Area; 48,072 sq km (18,696 sq miles)
  • The Dominican Republic is a Caribbean nation that shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti to the west.

Notes

  • Dominican Republic is a former Spanish colony

Tourism

  • The Caribbean nation is a major tourist destination – central to the country’s economy and employment
  • Known for its beaches and resorts
  • Pico Duarte is the Caribbean’s tallest mountain
  • The DR  is friendly and welcoming and the vast majority of visits to the country are trouble-free. However, there is a high crime rate, ranging from opportunistic crime like bag-snatching and pick-pocketing to violent crime.

Overlanding

  • The island is accessible by sea or air.
  • The DR has one of the highest death rates in the world for road traffic accidents. Road accidents are frequent, especially during holiday periods like Christmas and Easter. Drink driving is common.
  • The quality of roads vary, although the motorways connecting cities and tourist areas are good.
  • Military and police road blocks are common, especially in the areas near the Haitian border.
  • Local vehicles typically are in a state of disrepair and often don’t have working headlights or mirrors.
  • National roadside assistance is at 1-829-689-1000

Safety & Security