Historical Timeline
February 27, 1844 (Tuesday) – Dominican Republic declares independence from Haiti
March 18, 1861 (Monday) – Becomes Spanish colony again (annexation)
August 11, 1865 (Friday) – Restoration of independence from Spain
May 5, 1916 (Friday) – U.S. occupation begins, amid political instability
July 12, 1924 (Saturday) – End of U.S. occupation; sovereignty restored
February 24, 1930 (Monday) – Rafael Trujillo seizes power
September 3, 1930 (Wednesday) – Hurricane San Zenón hits Santo Domingo; ~2,000 killed
May 30, 1961 (Tuesday) – Trujillo assassinated; regime begins to collapse
April 24, 1965 (Saturday) – Civil war erupts; U.S. troops intervene
July 1, 1966 (Friday) – Joaquín Balaguer elected president; authoritarian rule resumes
September 22, 1998 (Tuesday) – Hurricane Georges causes widespread flooding; 283 deaths
May 16, 2004 (Sunday) – Leonel Fernández re-elected, returns to presidency
January 12, 2010 (Tuesday) – 7.0 magnitude earthquake strikes Haiti; major refugee impact on Dominican Republic
August 28, 2015 (Friday) – Tropical Storm Erika brings flooding to the east
September 22, 2017 (Friday) – Hurricane Maria skirts island; severe flooding and infrastructure damage
July 5, 2020 (Sunday) – Luis Abinader elected President
August 14, 2021 (Saturday) – Haitian earthquake (7.2) triggers regional tsunami alert; minor impact
September 19, 2022 (Monday) – Hurricane Fiona causes flooding and power outages across Dominican Republic
February 27, 2024 (Tuesday) – 180th Independence Day celebrated nationwide
General Information
Continent: North America (Caribbean)
Location: Eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, which it shares with Haiti
Capital: Santo Domingo
Language: Spanish
Currency: Dominican Peso (DOP)
Population: ~11.3 million (last updated: April 2025)
Time Zone: Atlantic Standard Time (AST, UTC−4)
Topography
Borders: Haiti (to the west)
Landscape: Mountains, valleys, plains, rivers, coastal lowlands
Major Rivers: Yaque del Norte, Yuna, Yaque del Sur, Ozama
Major Mountains: Pico Duarte (highest), Cordillera Central, Sierra de Neiba
Deserts: Enriquillo Valley (semi-arid zone)
Lakes: Lake Enriquillo (largest and lowest point), Lake Rincón
Volcanoes: None active; extinct volcanoes in Cordillera Oriental
Highest Point: Pico Duarte (3,098 m / 10,164 ft) — highest in the Caribbean
Lowest Point: Lake Enriquillo (−46 m / −151 ft)
Climate: Tropical; warm and humid with a wet season (May–November) and dry season
Geological Features: Enriquillo–Plantain Garden fault zone (earthquake risk), karst landscapes, mountain ranges formed by tectonic collisions
Demography
Ethnic Groups: Mixed (~73%), Black (~16%), White (~11%)
Religion: Roman Catholic (majority), growing Evangelical Protestant community
Urban Population: ~83% (last updated: 2023)
Population Notes: Rapid urbanization; high population density in Santo Domingo
Culture
Famous For: Beaches, merengue & bachata music, baseball, colonial architecture
Cuisine: La Bandera Dominicana (rice, beans, meat), Mangu, Sancocho, tropical fruits
Arts: Merengue, bachata, carnival, folk traditions, modern literature
Sports: Baseball (national passion), basketball, boxing
Economy
Economy Type: Upper-middle income; diverse and rapidly growing
GDP: Approx. $120 billion USD (last updated: 2024)
Major Industries: Tourism, manufacturing (free zones), agriculture, mining, services
Key Exports: Medical instruments, sugar, gold, tobacco, textiles
Unemployment Rate: ~5.6% (last updated: 2024)
Economic Regions: Santo Domingo metro, Northern Corridor, Eastern tourism zone (Punta Cana)
Government
Government Type: Presidential representative democratic republic
Head of State & Government: President Luis Abinader (since August 2020)
Legislature: Bicameral (Senate and Chamber of Deputies)
Constitution: In effect since 1844, multiple revisions (last major reform in 2015)
Travel Attractions
Santo Domingo: Colonial Zone (UNESCO), Alcázar de Colón, Catedral Primada
Punta Cana: Beaches, resorts, golf
Jarabacoa & Constanza: Mountains, waterfalls, eco-tourism
Samaná Peninsula: Whale watching, El Limón waterfall
UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Colonial City of Santo Domingo