Dominican Republic is located in the archipelago of the Greater Antilles in the eastern part of the island of Hispaniola, which it shares with Haiti. It occupies more than two thirds of the island and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the north, the Caribbean Sea or Sea of the Antilles on the south, on the east by the Mona Channel and on the west by Haiti. It has an area of 48,422 square kilometers and a population of approximately 10.41 million, according to the projection of the 2012 census.
The Dominican Republic is the second largest Caribbean island both in surface and in population, after Cuba which is the largest country. The official language is Spanish and the currency is the Dominican Peso.
It emerged as an independent State on 27 February 1844, free from all foreign and sovereign domains. This nation is indeed the holder of the largest economy in Central America and the Caribbean, and is known for its positive and friendly attitude towards foreign investment. According to World Bank, Dominican Republic ranks as the country that has received the most foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Caribbean since 2012.
FDI flows to the Dominican Republic grew by 59% in 2012 supported by the acquisition of the Dominican National Brewery, the largest beer maker in the country by Anheuser-Busch In Bev, for more than US$ 1.23 billion.
But regardless of this investment, the country has a high FDI driven by increased investment in vital and dynamic areas such as energy, manufacturing and mining. Investment also increased in the manufacturing sector of Free Trade Zones, tourism and real estate.
Geographically, Dominican Republic is located in a strategic and central point of America, near major markets and with easy connection to the main European, and American destinations, as well as Central and South America.
The Dominican territory is politically divided into 31 provinces and a National District. The National District, where the capital city of the country is located, is similar to a province but with its own administrative structure.
The country possesses an enviable variety of ecosystems that are scattered throughout its geography. It has the tallest hills and mountains of the Caribbean with Pico Duarte (10,164 feet above sea level) as the highest in the region, located in the Armando Bermudez National Park. Also highlighted are the Jimenoa and Aguas Blancas, mighty rivers with impressive waterfalls, in the province of La Vega, and the high mountain valleys of Constanza and Jarabacoa, ideal for the development of ecotourism activities and great agribusiness potential. However it also has a large and fertile valley that extends into the center of the island called the Cibao, where you find important human settlements with agricultural vocation constantly expressed in the work of the land that lavishes off its products to meet the demand for the domestic and export markets.
Undoubtedly, elements that have exposed and made the Dominican Republic well known to the world are its long beaches of white sand, which combines masterfully with the turquoise sea and the endless blue sky. Moreover, the tall coconut trees provide an idyllic setting for thousands of tourists arriving to the island every day to live the unique experience of the Caribbean in Dominican soil.
