Location: The Dominican Republic makes up the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. Haiti makes up the remaining third of the island.
Area: 18,791 square miles (48,670 square kilometers). Slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire.
Population: 10,606,865
Capital: Santo Domingo
Geography: The Dominican Republic is a country with many mountains, and the highest peaks of the West Indies are found here. It is also home to a series of long rivers and the largest lake in the West Indies, Lake Enriquillo.
Climate: The Dominican Republic has a tropical maritime climate with little seasonal temperature variation. The northern coast of the country has a rainy season from November to January, while the rest of the country experiences a rainy season from May to November.
Currency: The legal currency of the Dominican Republic is the Domincan peso (DOP). $1 = 46.54 DOP (January 2017).
Government: The Dominican Republic operates under a Democratic Republic. It has three separate branches: Executive, Judicial, and Legislative (made up of a 178-member Chamber of Deputies, and a 32-member Senate).
Head of State and Government: President Danilo Medina Sanchez (since 16 August 2012). The President is elected directly by the people. They are allowed to hold office for two consecutive terms, and cannot run again after that time. A presidential term lasts for four years.
Language: Spanish is the official language of the Dominican Republic.
Religions: A huge majority of the Dominican Republic’s population identify as Roman Catholic (95%), while the other 5% follow other religions.
Time Zone: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
International Country Code: +1
Internet Country Code: .do
Life Expectancy at Birth: 78.1 years (Male = 75.9, Female = 80.5)
Exports: $9.822 billion
Imports: $16.67 billion
Gross Domestic Product (Purchasing Power Parity): $160.9 billion
GDP per Capita: $15,900
Inflation Rate: 1.9%
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