Dominican Republic

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Activities

The Dominican Republic offers a wide variety of outdoor activities including canyoning, canoeing, catamaran cruises, caving and cave diving, deep-sea fishing, world-class golfing, helicopter rides, hiking, horseback riding, kiteboarding, mountain biking, "Ocean World" tours, paragliding, quad-riding, rafting, sailing, scenic small engine plane flights, scuba-diving, snorkeling, surfing, wake boarding, whale watching, windsurfing and more.

Fishermen, Tropical Fish, Dolphin Scuba Diving

Climate

With temperatures averaging 25°C year-round, the Dominican Republic enjoys a tropical 28°C near sea level and 18°C at higher elevations. The mountains rarely, if ever, go below 0°C and protected plains infrequently exceed 40°C. The northern portion of the country will experience pleasant brief afternoon showers from November through January, with the coolest months being in January and February, while the southern portion of the country is more inclined to receive its periodic rainfall from May through November. The driest part of the country is located in the west, but nationwide annual rainfall still reaches around 150 centimeters on average. The hottest month is August, with the most delightful times of the year considered to be in the spring.

Punta Cana, Inlet, Loshaitises

Culture

The Dominican Republic population is represented by diverse nationalities and, in addition to Spanish as the official language, English, French, German and Italian are commonly spoken. The culture was predominately influence by Spain and such Spanish heritage is expressed in the people's passion for music, dance and art. There are national theaters, dance troupes, open-air art galleries and outdoor festivals throughout the country. Roman Catholicism is the primary religious denomination with one Archdiocese, over 500 clergy and the cathedral of "Santa Maria La Menor" dating back to 1540. The Dominican Republic is home to some of the world's most modern villas, resorts and hotels, elegant restaurants, exquisite shopping and professional golf courses.

Custom Home, Private Beach, Golfing

Economy
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Financial and Offshore Services

The Dominican Republic economy is driven in large part by the services sector such as tourism and light manufacturing. The United States, Canada and the European Union are the largest countries to whom the Dominican Republic exports goods, while Venezuela, Mexico and the United States are the three largest countries with whom the Dominican Republic imports goods. Principle exports include clothing, cigars, sugar, coffee, tobacco, fruits, vegetables, flowers, tropical plants, cocoa, and gold and silver. Principal imports include petroleum, industrial and agricultural raw materials, capital goods, wood, pharmaceuticals and food products. Asset Protection Services International, SRL offers complete citizenship and passport services in the Dominican Republic.

National Palace, Harbor, Oceanfront Development

Geography

The Dominican Republic and Haiti are on the island of Hispaniola and are the only two countries in the Caribbean to share the same island. The Cordillera Central mountain range is one of 5 mountain ranges running through the Dominican Republic. "Pico Duarte" is the highest point in the Dominican Republic and in the Caribbean reaching a respectable 3,087 meters above sea level. With 1,633 kilometers of coastline, the Dominican Republic possess spectacular cliffs, long stretches of white sandy beaches and crystal clear turquoise water. The "Playa Grande" beach has been voted among the top 10 beaches in the world. The Dominican Republic landscape contains fresh water lagoons, ocean coves, coral reefs, small islands, cays, inlets, national parks, rivers, lakes and waterfalls. There is a diverse terrain with semi-desert plains to lush valleys and tropical rain forests with a total of 27 different climatic zones.

Ocean Rock Formations, Waterfall, Sandy White Beaches

History

Christopher Columbus was greeted by the Taino (meaning "good" or "Knoble") Indians upon his initial visit to the Dominican Republic in the late 14th century. The first European settlements were built on the northern part of the island, where Puerto Plata is now, and exploited the natural resources such as gold from the Cibao Valley. The city of Santo Domingo was established in 1496 and governed by Christopher Columbus's brother Bartholomew. Many within the Taino native population valiantly resist Spanish occupation and were brutally tortured or murdered for uprising against such tyranny. The populous however, lacked the bodily immunities to protect themselves against diseases like small pox and was eventually reduced to fewer than 50,000 people within 25 years. Once Spain had removed a vast majority of the areas natural resources, they turned their interests to Mexico and the territory was controlled by the French into the 18th century. Local resistance to the French and Spanish enslavement of people lasted for decades and after a military struggle with Haiti, the Repùblica Dominicana was finally declared on February 27th, 1844. The Dominican Republic was subject to a multitude of military leaders and corrupt political rulers for well over a century. It wasn't until the eight year "intervention" by America that civil uprisings were quelled and the country's legal system was restructured.

Spanish Fort, Surf, Mrs. Dominican Republic