Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands, along with Saint Martin, that are shared by two sovereign states. The Dominican Republic is the second-largest Caribbean nation by area (after Cuba) and third-largest by population (after Cuba and Haiti). The Dominican Republic's capital, Santo Domingo, is the oldest European city in the Americas. The country's highest point is Pico Duarte, in the Cordillera Central; the lowest point is Lake Enriquillo, in the southwestern part of the country. The island of Hispaniola, of which the Dominican Republic is a part, is colloquially known in English as the "Dominican Republic". The people of the Dominican Republic speak Spanish as their primary language, though Dominican Creole and Haitian Creole are also spoken. The Dominican Republic is the site of the first European settlement in the Americas, the city of Santo Domingo, founded in 1496. The Dominican Republic is also the site of the first cathedral, castle, monastery, and fortress built in the Americas, located in the colonial zone of Santo Domingo. The country was originally inhabited by the Taíno people, an Arawakan-speaking group who were the native people of Hispaniola prior to the arrival of the Europeans. The Dominican Republic was a Spanish colony from 1496 to 1898. The country is named after Saint Dominic, founder of the Dominican Order. The Dominican Republic's national hero is Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda, who fought for the country's independence from Spain. The Dominican Republic is the only country in the world to have been founded by a saint. The Dominican Republic is the second-largest economy in the Caribbean and Central American region, and is an upper middle-income country according to the World Bank. The Dominican Republic is classified as a newly industrialized country, and the country's economy has been growing rapidly in recent years. Tourism is the Dominican Republic's largest industry, and the country is the most popular tourist destination in the Caribbean. The Dominican Republic has a tropical climate, with average temperatures of 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit) and rainfall of 1,500 millimeters (60 inches) per year. The Dominican Republic is a biodiversity hotspot, with a wide variety of plant and animal life. The country is home to the Caribbean's largest lake, Lake Enriquillo, and the second-largest coral reef in the world, the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. The Dominican Republic is a founding member of the United Nations, the Organization of American States, the Association of Caribbean States, and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States. The country is also a member of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization.