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The Dominican Republic
The Dominican
Republic is a tropical island paradise in the Caribbean that is quickly
becoming the tourist destination of choice. Many people choose to go South
to escape the cold winter climate and prefer the resorts in this Caribbean
country because of the miles of white sandy beaches, the impressive
mountains and the breathtaking scenery. The country is on the island of
Hispaniola and it shares this island with the country of Haiti.
This is a mountainous country, but it is only small, extending 240 miles
from east to west and 170 miles from north to south. There are four
parallel mountain ranges with valleys in between. The Cordillera Central
is the largest mountain range and extends across the country. The Pico
Duarte and the Monte Tina in the western part of the country have some of
the highest peaks in the Caribbean, rising more than 9000 feet above sea
level.
Most of the country enjoys a tropical climate, but it does vary according
to location. For example, the mountains, the ocean and the trade winds do
affect the climate, but it is always hot and sunny. Near the coast the
average annual temperature is about 78°, but in the mountains the
temperatures can dip below freezing in the winter. The northeastern part
of the country does get heavy rain and there are lesser amounts of rain as
you go farther south. The country is also susceptible to the hurricanes
that sweep across the Atlantic and this often interrupts the summer
tourist season.
In the low lying areas there are dense tropical forests with many species
of hardwoods. In the drier areas, you will find scrub forests interspersed
with grassy plains. Beautiful forests of pine cover the lower mountain
slopes.
This country has very fertile farmland and agriculture is very important
to the economy. Tourism is growing and is really adding to the economy as
well. Most of the people work in the farms, either on their own or by
working for someone else on large plantations. The principal crops are
coffee, cocoa, sugar, tobacco and bananas. There are also other vegetables
and tropical fruit grown for local use and some farms also raise cattle.
In the rural areas of the country, most of the people are very poor and
live in one or two room houses with thatched roofs. They grow most of
their own food and they cook over an open fire. In the cities, some
workers do live in small homes, but it is not hard to see shantytowns
outside the larger centers.
Baseball is the national sport of the country and festivals are regular
events to celebrate national holidays.
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