Short facts about the geography of Dominican Republic

Location:

Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti

Geographic coordinates:

19 00 N, 70 40 W

Map references:

Central America and the Caribbean

Area:

total:  48,730 sq km land:  48,380 sq km water:  350 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire

Land boundaries:

total:  275 km border countries:  Haiti 275 km

Coastline:

1,288 km

Maritime claims:

contiguous zone:  24 NM continental shelf:  200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone:  200 NM territorial sea:  6 NM

Climate:

tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall

Terrain:

rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed

Elevation extremes:

lowest point:  Lago Enriquillo -46 m highest point:  Pico Duarte 3,175 m

Natural resources:

nickel, bauxite, gold, silver

Land use:

arable land:  21% permanent crops:  9% permanent pastures:  43% forests and woodland:  12% other:  15% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land:

2,300 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards:

lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:

water shortages; soil eroding into the sea damages coral reefs; deforestation; Hurricane Georges damage

Environment - international agreements:

party to:  Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified:  Law of the Sea

Geography - note:

shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti (eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic, western one-third is Haiti)

Source: World Factbook