Dominican Republic
The Country of the Week
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Santo Domingo
- Population
- 10,899,292 (2025 est.)
- Area
- 48,670 sq km
- Government
- presidential republic
- Religions
- Evangelical 50.2%, Roman Catholic 30.1%, none 18.5%, unspecified 1.2% (2023 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- mixed 70.4% (Mestizo/Indio 58%, Mulatto 12.4%), Black 15.8%, White 13.5%, other 0.3% (2014 est.)
- Currency
- Dominican pesos (DOP)
- Life Expectancy
- 72.6 years (2024 est.)
- Internet Domain
- .do
- Climate
- tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall
- Terrain
- rugged highlands and mountains interspersed with fertile valleys
- Natural Resources
- nickel, bauxite, gold, silver, arable land
- Major Exports
- medical instruments, tobacco, gold, garments, power equipment (2023)
Source: CIA World Factbook (public domain)
Overview
The Taino -- indigenous inhabitants of Hispaniola prior to the arrival of Europeans -- divided the island now known as the Dominican Republic and Haiti into five chiefdoms and territories.