The Dominican Republic is the second largest Caribbean nation after Cuba, with approximately 10 million inhabitants. It occupies the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, of which the western third is the country of Haiti. Haiti feels very African and most people speak French and Creole – theDominican Republic is more Latin American, and Dominicans speak Spanish. Not to be confused with the little-developed Caribbean island of Dominica, population 73,000.
GEOGRAPHY
It's the most diverse of Caribbean nations, with high alpine wilderness, tropical rainforest, savanna, desert and mangrove swamps, as well as the white-sand beaches. There are extensive opportunities for adventure tourism, including mountain biking, whale-watching and climbing Pico Duarte, at 3,175m the highest peak in the Caribbean.HISTORY
Hispaniola was where Christopher Columbus first landed in 1492, claiming it for Spain. French pirates later made the island their base, and in the 17th century a formal French colony was set up on the north-western coast (what is Haiti today). It grew into the "pearl of the Antilles", a colony with huge wealth, thanks to its position on trade routes, and to sugar cane production. After protracted struggles between the two colonies, and with their colonial powers, Haiti declared independence in 1804, the Dominican Republic in 1865.ECONOMY
The Dominican Republic has the largest economy in the Caribbean, based mostly on tourism, but it is also active in agriculture, mining and sugar refining.
VISA REQUIRED?
No, but all tourists need a tourist card, bought on arrival at the airport for $10.
VISITING HAITI
The political situation in Haiti is fragile but the Foreign Office does not advise against going. There are no visa requirements, although there is a departure tax, currently $25. Buses run between Port-au-Prince and Santo Domingo, capital of the Dominican Republic, taking about seven hours.
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