The Dominican Republic, with a total population of almost 8 million, is the most populous country in the Caribbean. The great majority (75%) of its citizens are “mulattoes”, a mixture of Europeans, Africans and Amer-Indians. 15% are whites who are mainly descended from the original Spanish settlers. Blacks make up 10%. There have not been any pure Amer-Indians remaining on the island for the past three centuries. There are also a fairly large number of Haitians living and working in the country, doing mainly heavy manual labor and less remunerative work. The country has a high birth rate, with about half of the population under 15 years old. Only 3% are over the age of 65. The main religion for more than 95% of its citizens is Roman Catholicism.

The Dominican Republic occupies the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, which it shares with its neighbor, Haiti, to the west. Cuba is the only larger country within the Caribbean and the Greater Antilles region. Hispaniola is strategically located directly in the heart of the region. (When Christopher Columbus saw the island on his first voyage in 1492, he couldn't stop raving about its natural beauty, insisting that "There is no more beautiful island in the world.") The Windward Passage separates western Hispaniola from Cuba. To the east of the D.R., across the Mona Passage, lies Puerto Rico only 54 miles away.

The country is divided into 29 provinces and a National Territory surrounding the capital, Santo Domingo. There are two major cities with large population concentrations, Santo Domingo, with more than 1.5 million residents, and Santiago de los Caballeros, with more than half a million.

For most people the economic situation is relatively poor, with an average wage of approximately RD$ 5000 (about US$ 300) per month. It is slowly improving. Tourism accounts for the greatest portion of foreign exchange entering the country and also for employment in many of the coastal regions, particularly in the Puerto Plata-Sosua-Cabarete and La Romana areas.

The official language of the Dominican Republic is Spanish. However, around the main areas where tourists are concentrated, many Dominicans also speak some English and German. A few may also speak French and Italian. However, in some areas of the country, particularly within the interior, the local residents usually speak only Spanish and nothing more.

Source of Information: jmtravel.com/la_romana_and_bayahibe.htm

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The Dominican Republic on the Web:
https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/dr.html
http://www.dr1.com/
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/caribbean/dominican-republic