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DOMINICAN Facts & Figures

Size: 18,704 square miles

Population: 9,378,818

Capital: Santo Domingo

Currency: Peso

Weather / Climate:

The climate of the Dominican Republic is mostly tropical. The annual average temperature is 25 °C (77 °F). At higher elevations, the temperature averages 18 °C (64.4 °F) while near sea level the average temperature is 28 °C (82.4 °F). Low temperatures of 0 °C (32 °F) are possible in the mountains while high temperatures of 40 °C (104 °F) are possible in protected valleys. January and February are the coolest months of the year, while August is the hottest month. Some snowflakes can fall in rare occasions on the top of the Pico Duarte.

The wet season along the northern coast lasts from November through January. Elsewhere, the wet season stretches from May through November, with May being the wettest month. Average annual rainfall is 1,500 millimetres (59.1 in) countrywide, with individual locations in the Valle de Neiba seeing averages as low as 350 millimetres (13.8 in) while the Cordillera Oriental averages 2,740 millimetres (107.9 in). The driest part of the country lies in the west. Tropical cyclones strike the country every couple of years, with 65 percent of the impacts along the southern coast. Hurricanes are most likely between August and October. The last time a category 5 hurricane struck the country was Hurricane David in 1979.

Taken from wikipedia

DOMINICAN languages

Dominican Spanish is Spanish as spoken in the Dominican Republic, a Caribbean country, and throughout the Dominican diaspora, which is found mostly in the United States, chiefly in New York City, Boston, and Miami.

Dominican Spanish is similar to Puerto Rican Spanish, Cuban Spanish, Canarian Spanish (Canary Islands of Spain), Andalusian Spanish (Andalucia, southern Spain), Panamanian Spanish and Venezuelan Spanish. Speakers of Dominican Spanish may also use several Spanish archaisms. Dominican Spanish has heavy influence from African languages, mainly in phonetics and syntax, but also some words.[1]

Despite the particularities, speakers of the Dominican variant of Spanish usually have no trouble understanding speakers of other Spanish dialects, due to exposure to such dialects in mass media and the use of standard Spanish in the Dominican education system. The opposite is sometimes more difficult, because of differences in syntax and vocabulary, but in particular the relatively high speed of Dominican speech.

Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominican_Spanish

DOMINICAN culture

Once ruled by Spain, the Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, a former French colony. Christopher Columbus discovered the island of Hispaniola in 1492, and established it as his main base for the further exploration of the region. In 1697, the western part of the island came under French control, with the east remaining under Spanish control. A century later, the city of Santo Domingo (the oldest city in the Americas), which was founded by Columbus' brother, was ceded to the French; the rest of the island soon followed suit. The battle of Palohincado, in 1808, heralded the collapse of French rule in the eastern part of the island. The colony reverted to Spanish sovereignty the following year, and in 1821, the colonial treasurer, José Nunez de Caceres, proclaimed Santo Domingo's independence. This independence was short-lived, however, as in 1822, the Haitians invaded the colony and occupied it for 22 years, until, on 27 February 1844, the territory of Santo Domingo recovered its sovereignty and declared independence as the Dominican Republic.

After years of civil war and US occupation, the Republic was ruled by the dictatorship of General Rafael Trujillo (1930-1961), whose assassination led to a period of civil unrest. Under the control of President Joaquin Balaguer, the country became reasonably stable. After defeat to Guzman Fernandez in the 1978 elections, Balaguer was re-elected four times consecutively between 1986 and 1995. In November 1995, amid a cycle of protests and strikes caused by a serious energy crisis, steep inflation and deterioration of public services, Balaguer was forced to stand down, with Leonel Fernandez becoming President. In May 2000, despite failing health, Balaguer took one more shot at the Presidency, but this ended in defeat at the hands of PRD candidate Hipolito Mejia. Four years later, Fernandez became president again after promising to reduce inflation, stabilise the exchange rate and restore investor confidence. The President was elected into a third term in 2008.

The Caribbean nation is a major tourist destination. Tourism and the DR's free-trade zones have become major employers and key sources of revenue. Sugar, coffee and tobacco are among the main exports. The largely mountainous country includes Pico Duarte - the highest point in the West Indies, the fertile Cibao Valley, swathes of desert, and Lake Enriquillo - the lowest point in the region.

The Dominican Republic is inhabited mostly by people of mixed European and African origins. Western influence is seen in the colonial buildings of the capital, Santo Domingo, as well as in art and literature. African heritage is reflected in music. The two heritages blend in the popular song and dance, the merengue. No blending of fortunes, however, is evident in the distribution of wealth between ethnic groups.

The Dominican Republic is one of the poorest countries in the Caribbean. There is a huge gap between the rich and the poor, with the richest being the white descendants of Spanish settlers, who own most of the land, and the poorest comprising people of African descent. The mixed race majority controls much of the commerce.

Mutual distrust has soured relations between the Dominican Republic and its troubled neighbour, Haiti. Up to one million Haitians live in the Dominican Republic, many of them illegally. The government has carried out mass deportations.

The Dominican Republic is the Caribbean's most geographically diverse country, showcasing everything from tropical rainforests and alpine ranges to mangrove swamps and desert expanses. These natural gifts offer superb adventure travel and eco-tourism options, catering for mountain-bikers, trekkers, water sport fanatics among other outdoor enthusiasts. A heady blend of Caribbean rhythms, American influences and European ancestry, today's Dominican Republic is as much defined by its booming music and a passion for all things baseball as by its time-faded colonial heritage. But while many overseas visitors are drawn by the all-inclusive resorts peppering the north and east coasts, to consider the Dominican Republic as just another palm-fringed beach bolthole is to sell it short. Capital Santo Domingo's Zona Colonial is rich in remarkable architecture, and makes the most natural starting point for cultural visitors, particularly those who like their music loud: throughout the country, fast-step merengue and guitar-based bachata blare from storefronts and taxis.

The country is almost all Christian, with 95% Roman Catholic; there are small Protestant and Jewish minorities.

The Dominican lifestyle is a mixture of American and Latino reference points. Though the culture is rich in Roman Catholic and Spanish influences, for example, 72-hour divorces may be obtained. Daytime dress is generally casual but beachwear and shorts are only acceptable in resorts and at pools; it is rare for locals to enter a church wearing shorts or a T-shirt. In many areas, evenings tend to be smarter, with dressing up common at better restaurants, hotels and for social functions. Despite a relatively conservative culture, meanwhile, young female visitors to towns and cities are likely to draw attention, not always of the respectful kind.

Holidays

· 01 January – New Year's Day

· 06 January – Epiphany

· 21 January – Our Lady of Altagracia

· January – Duarte’s Day

· 27 February – Independence Day

· April – Good Friday

· 01 May – Labour Day

· June – Corpus Christi

· 16 August – Restoration Day

· 24 September – Our Lady of las Mercedes

· November – Constitution Day

· 25 December – Christmas Day

Taken from:

www.bbc.co.uk

www.worldtravelguide.net

DOMINICAN people

The population of the Dominican Republic in 2007 was estimated by the United Nations at 9,760,000,^[66] which placed it number 82 in population among the 193 nations of the world. In that year approximately 5% of the population was over 65 years of age, while 35% of the population was under 15 years of age. There were 103 males for every 100 females in the country in 2007.^[4] According to the UN, the annual population growth rate for 2006–2007 is 1.5%, with the projected population for the year 2015 at 10,121,000.

It was estimated by the Dominican government that the population density in 2007 was 192 per km² (498 per sq mi), and 63% of the population lived in urban areas.^[67] The southern coastal plains and the Cibao Valley are the most densely populated areas of the country. The capital city, Santo Domingo, had a population of 3,014,000 in 2007. Other important cities are Santiago de los Caballeros(pop. 756,098), La Romana(pop. 250,000), San Pedro de Macorís, San Francisco de Macorís, Puerto Plata, and La Vega. Per the United Nations, the urban population growth rate for 2000–2005 was 2.3%.^[68]

Ethnicity

According to the CIA World Factbook, the ethnic composition of the Dominican population is 73% multiracial, 16% white, and 11% black.^[4] The multiracial population is primarily a mixture of European and African, but there is as well a significant Taíno element in the population;^[26] research published in 2010 showed that 15% of Dominicans have Taíno ancestry.^[70] There is also a large Haitian minority. Other ethnic groups in the country include West Asians—mostly Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinians.^[71] A significant presence of East Asians, primarily ethnic Chinese and Japanese, can also be found.^[71] Europeans are represented mostly by Spanish, German Jews, Italians, Swiss, Portuguese, British, Dutch, Danes, and Hungarians.^[71][72][73] There is also a sizeable expatriate community of U.S. citizens residing in the country.^[74]

Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominican_Republic#Demographics

DOMINICAN food

Dominican Republic cuisine is predominantly made up of a combination of Spanish, indigenous Taíno, and African influences, the first and last occurring over the last five centuries. Dominican cuisine resembles that of other countries in Latin America, those of the nearby islands of Puerto Rico and Cuba, most of all, though the dish names differ sometimes.

Breakfast can consist of eggs or meat and mangú (mashed plantain). A heartier version uses deep-fried meat, such as Dominican salami. As in Spain, the largest, most important meal of the day is lunch. Its most typical form, nicknamed La Bandera ("The Flag"), consists of rice, red beans, meat (beef, chicken, pork, or fish), and salad.

Dishes and their origins

The Dominican Republic was formerly a Spanish colony. Many Spanish traits are still present in the island. Many traditional Spanish dishes have found a new home in the Dominican Republic, some with a twist. African and Taíno dishes still hold strong, some of them unchanged.

All or nearly all food groups are accommodated in typical Dominican cuisine, as it incorporates meat or seafood; grains, especially rice, corn (native to the island^[1]), and wheat; vegetables, such as beans and other legumes, potatoes, yuca, or plantains, and salad; dairy products, especially milk and cheese; and fruits, such as oranges, bananas, and mangos. However, there is heaviest consumption of starches and meats, and least of dairy products and non-starchy vegetables.

Sofrito, a sautéed mix of local herbs and spices, is used in many dishes. Throughout the south-central coast bulgur, or whole wheat, is a main ingredient in quipes and tipili, two dishes brought by Levantine Middle Eastern immigrants. Other favorite foods and dishes include chicharrón, pastelitos or empanadas, batata, pasteles en hoja (ground roots pockets), chimichurris, plátanos maduros (ripe plantain), and tostones.

Taíno dishes

Arepita– fried yuca, sometimes potatoes
Casabe– bread made out of yuca

Spanish dishes

Arroz con lecheor arroz con dulce – sweet spiced milk and rice pudding. Still used the classic Spanish recipe.
Flan– there are many recipes of flan with a tropical twist from the fresh fruits on the island
Paella– In the Dominican Republic paella is done with local fish and ground annatto instead of saffron
Chicharrón– fried pork rinds
Empanadas - called pastelitos (not to be confused with the Cuban pastelitos).

African dishes

Mangú– mashed, boiled plantain. Originated in west Africa and is known as fufu in Africa, Cuba and Puerto Rico.
Mondongo– beef tripe soup. Its origins lead back to african slaves in the Dominican Republic.

chen-chen- A corn dish originating in San Juan De La Maguana with african influences

Dominican dishes

Arepa– Dominican arepa is different from that of the venezuelan and colombian arepa. It is very popular as street food in the Dominican Republic.

chambre- legumes and meat stew. It has african origins in the poor rural parts of the Dominican Republic.
Moros de gandules con coco– rice, peas, and coconut milk dish. This dish originated in Samaná.
Pasteles en hojas– similar to tamales. Its origin leads back to African slave in the caribbean in general. Tubers or plantains are grated and the paste is formed into a rectangular purse shape, stuffed with meat (usually ground meat and Dominican seasoning). They are then tightly wrapped in a banana leaf and boiled.
rabo encendido- Spicy ox-tail stew.
Sancocho– very hearty stew with a mixture of meats including chicken, pork, shrimp or fish, and several tubers and vegetables, like cassava, corn, potatoes, yautía, and yam. The sancocho de siete carnes(seven-meat sancocho) and sancocho de habichuelas (bean sancocho) are unique to the Dominican Republic.
Niño envuelto– rice cake wrapped in cabbage leaf. A dish influenced by lebanese immigrants.
Chicharrón de pollo– fried boneless chicken.
Molondrones guisados- Okra stew. Can be traced back to african slaves in the Dominican Republic.
yuca y batatas fritas- fried sweet potatoes and cassava. This dish can be traced back to the taino indians that inhabited the island.
carne mechada- Braised beef roll. Not to be confused to the Venezuelan dish of shredded meat also known as carne mechada.
chapea
Guanimos- Corn pockets. similar to Mexican tamales and Venezuelan hallaca. Guanimos are made of cornflour instead of cornmeal seen in both hallace and tamales.
asopao- Rice soup. This dish is proven to have originated in the Dominican Republic and was later adapted to Puerto Rican cuisine . Asopao can be made with chiken, shrimp or sea food in general.
pastelones-Dominican casseroles. A main element of Dominican cuisine. There are more than six variations in the Dominican Republic the most popular ones being pastelon de platano maduro(yellow plantain casserole) and pastelon de yuca(cassava casserole). Pastelones can be found in other Latin American Countries like Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Panama and Cuba, specially the eastern part which has great Dominican influence. Pastelones are usually stuffed with ground meat or chicken.
Arroz con maiz- Rice with corn. A popular staple of the *Dominican cuisine. It combines the sweet flavor of corn with the salty flavor of rice and other ingredients.
Locrios- A classic style of mixing rice with other kind of meat. There are many variations of this dish , some being unique to the *Dominican Republic.The famous dish *arroz con pollo, is called locrio de pollo in the*Dominican Republic.
Chimichurris- Hamburgers topped with cabbage slaw.
Los tres golpes- Literally "the three hits". A meal usually sereved as breakfast consisting of mangu, fried cheese, dominican salami and eggs. The mangu is topped with suteed onions.
Pan de coco- Coconut bread.This dish originated in samana.
Camarones con coco y gengibre- Shrimp with coconut and ginger. This dish is prepared with Dominican seasoning as a base and with the addition of coconut cream and ginger.
Mazamorra- Mashed Squash and onions. Not to be confused with Peruvian mazamorra.This dish is used as an alternative instead of mangu sometimes.
Buche e perico-Litterally parrot's cheek.A hearty Dominican corn stew.
repollo guisado
palmito guisado
bollitos de yuca
berenjenas guisadas
Pico y pala
La bandera- Litteraly " The flag".The national dish consisting usually of dominican bean stew(most commonly used the red kidney beans), any type of white meat, red meat or seafood which are prepared "guisadas" (stewed), "A la criolla" , "Al ajillo" or "al carbon". The beans are usually served mixed with white rice.
Habichuelas blancas con longaniza-White beans stew with Domnican sausage.
arroz con almendras y pasas- Rice with raisins and almonds. This dish is usually eaten around christmas.
bollos de arina de maiz
camarones guisados
bolitas o bollitos de platano maduro y queso-ripe plantain balls filled with cheese
lengua picante- spicy cow tongue
crema de cepa de apio
lambi guisado-conch stew

Taken from wikipedia

Places to go in DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Best buys are products made on the island including amber jewellery and decorative pieces. These are a national speciality; some pieces encase insects, leaves or dew drops within the ancient petrified pine resin. Larimar or Dominican turquoise is another popular stone. Milky blue and polished pink pieces of conch shell are also made into jewellery. Rocking chairs, woodcarvings, macramé, pottery, Taino artefacts, Creole dolls, baskets, limestone carvings and CDs of salsa and merengue also make good buys. Bargaining is recommended, and in most cases expected.

Choice varies from discos and casinos to cafés and festivals. Hotels offer more traditional shows, including folk music and dancing. Popular dances are the inescapable merengue, played at head-shaking volume almost everywhere; bachata (a less frenetic, guitar-based genre becoming very popular across the country); son (a slow-dance imported from Cuba and especially prevalent in the capital); perico ripiao (a type of merengue); and salsa. The Malecón, Santo Domingo's long waterside boulevard, is known for its nightlife. Concerts and other cultural events are often held at the Casa de Francia and Plaza de la Cultura in Santo Domingo.

Santo Domingo's Zona Colonial boasts some of the most important buildings in the Americas, including the grand building that Columbus' son called home and the cathedral built to proselytise the region.

Museo del Hombre Dominicano - Santo Domingo's best museum gives a fascinating look at the country's anthropology, with a focus on sculptures and artefacts relating to the Tainos, the island's original inhabitants.

Throw yourself into Santo Domingo's nightlife by dancing to down-and-dirty merengue with the locals along Avenida Venezuela's row of nightclubs and 'super-colmadons'. City boardwalk the Malecon has a number of further lively options.

Columbus Lighthouse – a colossal cross-shaped monument to Christopher Columbus, the 'lighthouse' (rarely used as such) doubles as a world museum. The explorer's remains are kept here under a grand sarcophagus.

Casa de Campo - this vast resort offers a smorgasbord of different activities, from horseback riding, shooting and tennis to scuba-diving, riverboat fishing and golf. Its "Teeth of the Dog" golf course has received numerous international accolades.

The city of La Vega bursts to life each February for its annual carnival, renowned as the most colourful and raucous in the country. More than 100,000 people cram the streets over the last weekend of the month. Order a cubalibre servicio - a small bottle of rum, a coke and a bucket of ice - from one of the country's omnipresent colmadons (grocery stores-cum-bars) and practice your Spanish on the locals.

Those staying at coastal resorts won't have to look far for the chance to go offshore fishing - hotels, in fact, can usually arrange the activity themselves. Marlin, dorado and sailfish are among commonly found game fish.

The waters around Cabarate on the north coast are said to offer the best windsurfing in the Americas. Equipment can be easily rented - beginners are best off taking to the sea in the early morning.

Enjoy a round of golf under the Caribbean sun. Several of the country's courses enjoy dramatic ocean-facing settings. For more information, contact the Federation of Dominican Golf (FEDOGOLF).

Baseball isn't so much the national sport as the national obsession - male and female, young and old, they're all hooked. The domestic seasons lasts from October until late January, providing a chance to experience the game in all its noisy, rum-fuelled glory.

The country's geographical diversity makes the interior great for mountain-biking, with the Cordillera Septentrional a particularly good choice. Iguana Mama offer this and other adventures.

Close to Puerto Plata, Mount Isabela de Torres provides exceptional views of the ocean and surrounding landscape. Adventurous sorts can climb it under their own steam; others might prefer the cable-car.

Lago Enriquillo, populated by countless flocks of tropical birds (and a healthy population of crocodiles), is a spectacularly large salt-water lake near the Haitian border.

When thousands of humpback whales make their annual winter arrival off the Samana headland, it makes for an incredible spectacle. The season generally stretches from mid-January to mid-March.

Puerto Plata, the northern city has an absorbing Old Town, most notably in the form of the Fort San Felipe, first constructed by the Spaniards in 1540 as both a defensive outpost and a keep for captured smugglers.

The first beach destination developed for tourism in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Plata, remains one of its most popular, with a long string of affordable beachfront resorts and a reputation as one of the best spots for windsurfing in the world. The resort can also serve as a gateway to the rest of the North Coast resorts, including laid-back Cabarete (famous for kiteboarding) and Sosua, a budget-friendly beach village with low-cost shopping and dining and good snorkelling.

There are, perhaps, more picturesque sites elsewhere; the beige-sand beaches here are somewhat narrow and the water isn't as vivid a shade of turquoise as in some other parts of the Caribbean. Still, beaches here are festive, with crowds of locals and tourists enjoying music piped in by loudspeaker, and vendors offering waverunners, parasailing and other water sports.

Puerto Plata and its environs are packed with historical and cultural points of interest. Overlooking the harbour is San Felipe Fort, a remnant of the 16th-century colonial architecture and the oldest building in the city. Nearby is an old restored lighthouse. The Taino Art Museum (Arawak Plaza) illustrates the history of the indigenous people, pre-Columbus, and the Amber Museum (Calle Duarte 61) displays a gorgeous collection of amber, including the piece holding a mosquito that was used in Jurassic Park.

Punta Cana, boasting a series of wide white beaches that stretch nearly uninterrupted for 56km (35 miles), has a well-deserved reputation as one of the most affordable destinations in the Caribbean, as well as one of its friendliest, thanks to the Dominican Republic's lively, Spanish-influenced culture and music. More recent projects, including the in-progress Cap Cana development with its Jack Nicklaus golf courses, are targeting a better-heeled visitor.

All 56km (35miles) of Punta Cana's sugar white sand beaches are accented with coco palms and turquoise waves. They are perhaps the prettiest in the Dominican Republic. Most are attached to hotels and well-populated with tourists, who enjoy stretching on a sun lounger or taking part in water sports such as parasailing, windsurfing, jet-skiing or deep-sea fishing. Farther afield are more isolated stretches, where you may be one of only a few holidaymakers.

Golfers can choose from five courses, with green fees surprisingly low. Or experience the famous Dominican hospitality with a 4-wheel drive tour of the countryside; day-long excursions usually include a drive through the jungle, a break for swimming at a deserted stretch of beach, a typical lunch (beans, rice, plantains and chicken) at a Dominican home, and visits to caves and sugar-cane fields.

Taken from www.worldtravelguide.net

Doing business in DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

The Dominican Republic has the second largest economy^[10] (the largest, according to the U.S. State Department)^[15] in Central America and the Caribbean. It is an upper middle-income developing country,^[119] with a 2007 GDP per capita of $9,208, in PPP terms, which is relatively high in Latin America. In the trimester of January–March 2007 it experienced an exceptional growth of 9.1% in its GDP, which was actually below the previous year's 10.9% in the same period. Growth was led by imports, followed by exports, with finance and foreign investment the next largest factors.^[120]

The Dominican Republic is primarily dependent on natural resources and government services. Although the service sector has recently overtaken agriculture as the leading employer of Dominicans (due principally to growth in tourism and Free Trade Zones), agriculture remains the most important sector in terms of domestic consumption and is in second place, behind mining, in terms of export earnings. The service sector in general has experienced growth in recent years, as has construction. Free Trade Zone earnings and tourism are the fastest-growing export sectors. Real estate tourism alone accounted for $1.5 billion in earnings for 2007.^[121] Remittances from Dominicans living abroad amounted to nearly $3.2 billion in 2007.^[15]

Economic growth takes place in spite of a chronic energy shortage,^[122] which causes frequent blackouts and very high prices. Despite a widening merchandise trade deficit, tourism earnings and remittances have helped build foreign exchange reserves. The Dominican Republic is current on foreign private debt.^{[citation needed]}

Following economic turmoil in the late 1980s and 1990, during which the gross domestic product (GDP) fell by up to 5% and consumer price inflation reached an unprecedented 100%, the Dominican Republic entered a period of growth and declining inflation until 2002, after which the economy entered a recession.^[15]

This recession followed the collapse of the second-largest commercial bank in the country, Baninter, linked to a major incident of fraud valued at $3.5 billion, during the administration of President Hipólito Mejía (2000–2004). The Baninter fraud had a devastating effect on the Dominican economy, with GDP dropping by 1% in 2003 as inflation ballooned by over 27%. All defendants, including the star of the trial, Ramon Baez Figueroa, were convicted. One subpoena was not delivered because the United States denied extradition.^{[citation needed]}

According to the 2005 Annual Report of the United Nations Subcommittee on Human Development in the Dominican Republic, the country is ranked #71 in the world for resource availability, #79 for human development, and #14 in the world for resource mismanagement. These statistics emphasize national government corruption, foreign economic interference in the country, and the rift between the rich and poor.

Currency

The Dominican peso (DOP, or RD$^[123]) is the national currency, although United States dollars (USD) and euros (EUR) are also accepted at most tourist sites. The dollar is implicated in almost all commercial transactions of the Dominican Republic; such dollarization is common in high inflation economies. The peso was officially at par with the dollar until the early 1980s, but has depreciated since then. The exchange rate, liberalized by 1985, stood at 2.70 pesos per dollar in August 1986,^{[37]:p417, 428} 14.00 pesos in 1993, and 16.00 pesos in 2000. Having jumped to 53.00 pesos in 2003, the rate was back down to around 31.00 pesos in 2004. As of November 2010 the rate was 1 DOP = 0.0273 USD, that is, 36.6 DOP per USD; 1 DOP = 0.020 euro (EUR, or €); and 1 DOP = 2.294 Japanese yen (JPY, or ¥).^[123]

Tourism

Tourism is fueling the Dominican Republic's economic growth. For example, the contribution of travel and tourism to employment is expected to rise from 550,000 jobs in 2008—14.4% of total employment or 1 in every 7 jobs—to 743,000 jobs—14.2% of total employment or 1 in every 7.1 jobs by 2018.^[124] With the construction of projects like Cap Cana, San Souci Port in Santo Domingo, and Moon Palace Resort in Punta Cana, the Dominican Republic expects increased tourism activity in the upcoming year. Ecotourism has been a topic increasingly important in the nation, with towns like Jarabacoa and neighboring Constanza, and locations like the Pico Duarte, Bahia de Las Aguilas and others becoming more significant in efforts to increase direct benefits from tourism.

Taken from wikipedia