The Dominican Republic is located in the Caribbean, just a little southeast of Cuba, on the island of Hispaniola, which it shares with the country of Haiti.  Originally discovered by Christopher Columbus, he named it La Isla Española, the Dominican Republic holds his final resting place and was the center of most of the colonial exploration by the Spanish.  The Dominican Republic is, roughly speaking, 2/3 of the island and about the same size as Vermont & New Hampshire (turned sideways) at approximately 48,500 sq. km.

The geography of the Dominican Republic is incredibly diverse for an island country; everything from soaring mountains to desert to lush rain forests all within a single small country.  The result of this interesting geography is a country that provides an abundant food supply to its inhabitants and has substantial mineral deposits for itself as well as neighboring countries.  Even though many as people flock to the beaches, the true “magic” of the Dominican Republic is found in the center of the country where its three mountain ranges run parallel to each other.  If you come, make sure you take an excursion to see the real Dominican Republic and you’ll see why Columbus called it “paradise found.”

The government of the Dominican Republic is a duly elected Democratic government with a Cabinet and Senate.  Political stability started in the mid-1960’s when the constitution was formed following the overthrow of the dictator, Rafael Trujillo.  In the early 1990’s the government began a series of aggressive economic reforms that, while difficult on the people, has helped turn the country into a dynamic, attractive investment bonanza for tourism. 

The climate here is considered semi-tropical offering almost perfect weather conditions throughout the year.  The temperature in the summer months, from May through October, will range from 89-95°F / 31-35°C and the winter temperatures, from November through April, will be 75-90°F / 24-32°C. The hottest month of the year is August and the coolest is January.  Hurricane season is June – October but the Dominican Republic, and particularly the North Coast, are spared many storms due the geography.