Editing Geography of the Dominican Republic

{{Short description|none}}
{{Country geography |
name = Dominican Republic |
map = File:Dominican Republic relief location map.jpg|
continent = [[North America]] |
region = [[Caribbean]]<br />[[Greater Antilles]]|
coordinates =19°00' N 70°40' W |
area ranking = 131st |
percent land= 99.2|
km area = 48670 |
km coastline = 1,288 | 
borders =[[Land borders|Total land borders]]:<br />275 km|
highest point= [[Pico Duarte]]<br />3,098&nbsp;m|
lowest point= [[Lake Enriquillo]]<br />-46&nbsp;m| 
longest river= [[Yaque del Norte River]]|
largest lake= [[Lake Enriquillo]]|
|exclusive economic zone={{convert|255,898|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}
}}

The '''Dominican Republic''' (Spanish: ''República Dominicana'') is a country in the [[Caribbean|West Indies]] that occupies the eastern five-eighths of [[Hispaniola]]. It has an area of 48,670&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>, including offshore islands. The land border shared with [[Haiti]], which occupies the western three-eighths of the island,<ref name="Dardik">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=de9NDQAAQBAJ |title=Vascular Surgery: A Global Perspective |editor=Dardik, Alan |page=341 |year=2016 |publisher=Springer |isbn=9783319337456 |access-date=8 May 2017}}</ref><ref name="Current Affairs">{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5wBsDQAAQBAJ |title=Current Affairs November 2016 eBook |editor=Josh, Jagran |page=93 |year=2016 |access-date=8 May 2017}}</ref> is 376&nbsp;km long.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/haiti/| title = CIA World Factbook: Haiti| date = 12 July 2022}}</ref> The maximum length, east to west, is 390&nbsp;km from Punta de Agua to Las Lajas, on the border with Haiti. The maximum width, north to south, is 265&nbsp;km from Cape Isabela to Cape Beata.<ref name="santiago">{{cite book | last = De la Fuente | first = Santiago | title = Geografía Dominicana | publisher = Editora Colegial Quisqueyana | year = 1976 | location = Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | pages = 90–92 }}</ref> The [[Capital (political)|capital]], [[Santo Domingo]], is located on the south coast.

The [[Dominican Republic]]'s shores are washed by the [[Atlantic Ocean]] to the north and the [[Caribbean Sea]] to the south. The [[Mona Passage]], a channel about 130&nbsp;km wide, separates the country (and Hispaniola) from [[Puerto Rico]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Dominican-Republic|title=Dominican Republic{{!}} History, Geography, & Culture|work=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=2018-02-21|language=en}}</ref>

== Physical features ==
[[File:Constanza.jpeg|thumb|right|240px|Cordillera Central]]
The Dominican Republic is a country with many [[mountain]]s, and the highest peaks of the [[Caribbean|West Indies]] are found here. The chains of mountains show a direction northwest–southeast, except in the Southern peninsula (in Haiti) where they have a direction west–east. The mountains are separated by [[valley]]s with the same general direction.

From north to south, the mountain ranges and valleys are:<ref>{{cite book
  | last = Butterlin
  | first = Jacques
  | title = Géologie Structural de la Région des Caraïbes
  | publisher = Masson
  | year = 1977
  | location = Paris
  | pages = 110–111
  | language = fr
  | isbn = 2-225-44979-1 }}
</ref>
* ''[[Cordillera Septentrional]]'' (in English, "Northern Range"). It runs parallel to the north coast, with extensions to the northwest, the [[Tortuga (Haiti)|Tortuga]] Island, and to the southeast, the [[Samaná Peninsula]] (with its ''Sierra de Samaná''). Its highest mountain is [[Diego de Ocampo]], close to Santiago, with 1,249 m. There are several small plains between this range and the Atlantic Ocean. Rivers are short and most of them flow to the north.
* The ''[[Cibao]]'' Valley (Dominican Republic) is the largest and the most important valley of the country. This long valley stretches from North Haiti, where is called ''[[Plain]]e du Nord'', to Samaná Bay. It can be divided in two sections: the northwestern part is the ''Yaque del Norte Valley'' (or ''Línea Noroeste'') and the eastern ''Yuna Valley'' (or ''Vega Real'', English: ''Royal Valley''). The ''Vega Real'' is the most fertile area in the country, with a high population density.
* The ''[[Cordillera Central, Dominican Republic|Cordillera Central]]'' (also called ''Sierra del Cibao'') is the island's most rugged and imposing feature and is known in Haiti as the ''Massif du Nord'' ("Northern Massif").  The highest mountains of the West Indies are in this range: [[Pico Duarte]], 3,098 m, and others above 3,000 m. Near the center of the island, this range turns southward and is called ''Sierra de Ocoa'', finishing near the city of Azua de Compostela, on the Caribbean coast. Another branch, ''Cordillera Oriental'' or ''Sierra del Seibo'', is separated from the main chain by a [[Karst topography|karst]]ic region (''Los Haitises'') and with a west–east direction; it is located south of Samaná Bay.
[[File:Habitat Sphaerodactylus epiurus MG 9092.jpg|thumb|right|Cordillera Oriental landscape in Dominican Republic.]]
* The ''San Juan Valley'' and ''[[Plain]] of Azua'' are big valleys south of the ''Cordillera Central'' with altitude from 0 to 600 m.
* The ''Sierra de Neiba'', with Mount Neiba the highest mountain with 2,279 m. An extension to the southeast of ''Sierra de Neiba'' is the ''Sierra Martín García'' (''Loma Busú'', 1,350 m).
* The ''Hoya de Enriquillo'' or ''Neiba Valley'' is a remarkable valley, with a west–east direction, of low altitude (on average 50 m with some points below sea level) and with a great salt lake: the ''[[Enriquillo Lake]]''.
* The ''Sierra de Bahoruco'', called ''Massif de la Selle'' in Haiti. This southern group of mountains have a geology very different from the rest of the island.
* ''Llano Costero del Caribe'' (in English, "Caribbean Coastal Plain") is in the southeast of the island (and of the Dominican Republic). It is a large [[savanna]] east of [[Santo Domingo]].

[[File:Eastern Cibao banner.jpg|thumb|center|770px|A beach in the Samana province]]

==Climate==
[[File:Dominican Republic Köppen.svg|216px|thumb|[[Köppen climate classification system|Köppen climate types]] of the Dominican Republic]]
The Dominican Republic is a [[tropical]], [[maritime nation]]. Owing to its diverse mountainous topography, the country's climate shows considerable variation for its size, and has the most diverse climate zones of all the Caribbean islands, including [[subtropical highland climate]]s (''Cwb''), [[oceanic climate]]s (''Cfb'') and [[hot semi-arid climate]]s (''BSh'') along the usual [[tropical savanna climate|tropical savanna]] (''Aw''), [[tropical monsoon climate|monsoon]] (''Am''), and [[Tropical rainforest climate|rainforest]] (''Af'') climates typical of a Caribbean nation. Conditions are ameliorated in many areas by elevation and by the northeast [[trade winds]], which blow steadily from the [[Atlantic]] all year long. The annual mean [[temperature]] is {{convert|25|°C}}; regional mean temperatures range from {{convert|18|°C|1}} in the heart of the [[Cordillera Central, Dominican Republic|Cordillera Central]] ([[Constanza, Dominican Republic|Constanza]]) to as high as {{convert|27|°C|1}} in arid regions. Temperatures rarely rise above {{convert|32|°C|1}}, and freezing temperatures only occur in winter in the highest mountains. The average temperature in [[Santo Domingo]] in January is {{convert|24|°C|1}}, and {{convert|27|°C|1}} in July.

The rain season for the northern coast is from November to January. For the rest of the country, the rain season is from May to November. The average annual rainfall is {{convert|1346|mm|in|abbr=on}}, with extremes of {{convert|2500|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} or more in the mountainous northeast (the windward side of the island) and {{convert|500|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} in the southwestern valleys. The western valleys, along the Haitian border, remain relatively dry, with less than {{convert|760|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} of annual precipitation, due to the [[rain shadow]] effect caused by the central and northern mountain ranges. The northwestern and southeastern extremes of the country are also arid.

The Dominican Republic is occasionally damaged by tropical storms and hurricanes, which originate in the mid-Atlantic and southeastern Caribbean from June until November (mainly from August to October) each year.
<gallery mode="packed" heights="124px">
File:Cabo Cabrón, (Rincón Beach) Samaná, DR.JPG|Tropical rainforest climate in [[Samaná Province|Samana]].
File:Constanza, valle nuevo, clima invierno..jpg|Frosted alpine forest in [[Constanza, Dominican Republic|Constanza]].
File:Jaragua National Park (Road2).JPG|Semi-arid climate in [[Pedernales Province|Pedernales]].
File:Dunas de Baní 1.jpg|Desert sand dunes of [[Baní|Bani]].
</gallery>

== Islands ==
[[File:Caribbean maritime boundaries map.svg|thumb|right|300px|Caribbean maritime boundaries.]]
There are several smaller islands and cays that are part of Dominican territory. The largest islands are:
#''[[Saona Island|Saona]]'', close to the southeastern coast of Hispaniola, in the [[Caribbean Sea]]. It has an area of 117&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>.<ref name="santiago" /> Its [[Taíno people|Taíno]] name was ''Iai'' <ref name="Morales">As shown in a map made by Andrés Morales in 1508 and published in 1516. ''In'' {{cite book
  | last = Vega
  | first =Bernardo
  | title = Los Cacicazgos de la Hispaniola
  | publisher = Museo del Hombre Dominicano
  | year = 1989
  | location = Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
  | page = 88 }}</ref> or ''Adamanay''. [[Christopher Columbus|Columbus]] named this island as Savona, after the [[Savona|Italian city of the same name]], but the use during years has eliminated the letter ''v''.
#''[[Beata Island|Beata]]'', also on the southern coast. It has an area of 27&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>.<ref name="santiago" /> Its Taíno name is unknown. Columbus named this island ''Madama Beata''.
#''[[Catalina Island, Dominican Republic|Catalina]]'', very close to the southeastern coast. It has an area of 9.6&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>.<ref name="santiago" /> Its Taíno name was ''Iabanea''<ref name="Morales" /> but some writers, including poets, say that it was called ''Toeya'' or ''Toella''.

== Rivers and lakes ==
[[File:Rio Yaque del Norte, looking south, July 2009 - panoramio.jpg|thumb|right|Yaque del Norte river.]][[File:Lago de OviedoWW.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Oviedo Lake in Pedernales.]]
The 8 longest rivers of the Dominican Republic are:<ref>{{cite book
  | last = De la Fuente
  | first = Santiago
  | title = Geografía Dominicana
  | publisher = Editora Colegial Quisqueyana
  | year = 1976
  | location = Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
  | pages = 110–114 }}</ref>
# ''[[Yaque del Norte River|Yaque del Norte]]''. At 296&nbsp;km, it is the longest river in the Dominican Republic. Its sources are in the Cordillera Central and flows to the [[Atlantic Ocean]]. Its [[drainage basin|watershed]] has an area of 7,044&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>.
# ''[[Yuna River|Yuna]]''. It is 185&nbsp;km long. Its sources are in the Cordillera Central and flows to the east into [[Samaná Bay]]. Its watershed has an area of 5,498&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>.
# ''[[Yaque del Sur River|Yaque del Sur]]''. It is 183&nbsp;km long and its sources are in the Cordillera Central. It flows to the south into the [[Caribbean Sea]]. Its watershed has an area of 4,972&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>.
# ''[[Ozama River|Ozama]]''. It is 148&nbsp;km long. Its sources are in Sierra de Yamasá (a branch of the Cordillera Central). It flows into the Caribbean Sea. Its watershed has an area of 2,685&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>.
# ''[[Camú River|Camú]]''. It is 137&nbsp;km long. Its sources are in the Cordillera Central and flows into the Yuna River. Its watershed has 2,655&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>.
# ''Nizao''. It is 133&nbsp;km long. Its sources are in the Cordillera Central and flows to the south into the [[Caribbean Sea]]. Its watershed has an area of 974&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>.
# ''San Juan''. It is 121&nbsp;km long. Its sources are in the Cordillera Central and flows to the south into the Yaque del Sur River. Its watershed has an area of 2,005&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>.
# ''Mao''. It is 105&nbsp;km long. Its sources are in the Cordillera Central and flows to the north into the Yaque del Norte River. Its watershed has an area of 864&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>.

The [[Artibonite River]] is the longest river of the island, but only 68&nbsp;km flows through the Dominican Republic.

The largest lake of Hispaniola, and of the [[Caribbean]], is [[Lake Enriquillo]]. It is located in the ''Hoya de Enriquillo'' with an area of 265&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>. There are three small islands within the lake. It is around 40 meters below sea level, and is a [[hypersaline lake]], with a higher concentration of salt than seawater.

Other lakes are ''Rincón'' ([[fresh water]], area of 28.2&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), ''Oviedo'' ([[brackish]] water, area of 28&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), ''Redonda'', and ''Limón''.

== Statistics ==
[[File:ISS027-E-17333 - View of Dominican Republic.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Satellite view of Dominican Republic.]]
; Location:
: [[Caribbean]], it occupies five-eighths of the island of [[Hispaniola]], between the [[Caribbean Sea]] and the North [[Atlantic Ocean]], east of [[Haiti]]
; [[Geographic coordinates]]:
: {{coord|19|00|N|70|40|W|type:country}}
; Area:
:* Total: 48,670 km²
:* Land: 48,320 km²
:* Water: 350 km²
; Land boundaries:
:* Total: 376 km
:* Border countries: [[Haiti]] {{convert|360|km|mi|1|abbr=on|lk=in}}
; Coastline:
: 1,288 km
; Maritime claims:
:* Territorial sea: {{convert|6|nmi|km mi|1|abbr=on}}
:* Contiguous zone: {{convert|24|nmi|km mi|1|abbr=on|lk=in}}
:* Exclusive economic zone: {{convert|255,898|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} with {{convert|200|nmi|km mi|1|abbr=on}}
:* Continental shelf: {{convert|200|nmi|km mi|1|abbr=on}} or to the edge of the [[continental margin]]
; Climate:
: Tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall
; Rivers:
: Significant rivers include the [[Jimani River]], [[Río Yaque del Norte]], [[Río Jamao del Norte]], [[Río Isabela]] and the [[Ozama River]]
[[Image:hispaniola lrg.jpg|thumb|350px|Topography map of Hispaniola]]
; Terrain:
: Rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed
; Geographical extremes
:* Northernmost point – [[Cabo Isabela]]
:* Southernmost point – [[Alto Velo Island]], [[Jaragua National Park]]
:* Southernmost point (mainland) – south of [[Oviedo, Dominican Republic|Oviedo]], [[Pedernales, Dominican Republic|Pedernales]] in [[Jaragua National Park]]
:* Westernmost point – [[Las Lajas, Dominican Republic|Las Lajas]], border with [[Haiti]], [[Independencia Province]]
:* Easternmost point – [[Punta de Agua]], [[La Altagracia Province]]
; Elevation extremes
:* Lowest point – [[Lago Enriquillo]]: -46 m
:* Highest point – [[Pico Duarte]]: 3,098 m
; Natural resources:
: [[Nickel]], [[bauxite]], [[gold]], [[silver]]
; Land use:
:* Arable land: 16.56%
:* Permanent crops: 10.35%
:* Other: 73.10% (2012 est.)
; Irrigated land:
: 3,241 km² (2018)
; Total renewable water resources:
: 21 km<sup>3</sup> (2011)
; Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
:* total: 5.47 km<sup>3</sup>/yr (26%/1%/72%)
:* per capita: 574.2 m<sup>3</sup>/yr (2005)
; 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]]; damage caused by [[1998 Atlantic hurricane season#Hurricane Georges|Hurricane Georges]]
; Environment - international agreements:
:* Party to: [[Convention on biological diversity|Biodiversity]], [[United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change|Climate Change]], [[United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification|Desertification]], [[CITES|Endangered Species]], [[Marine Dumping]], [[Marine Life Conservation]], [[Nuclear Test Ban]], [[Ozone Layer Protection]], [[MARPOL 73/78|Ship Pollution]], Wetlands
:* Signed, but not ratified: [[Law of the Sea]]
; Geography - note:
: Shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti (eastern five-eighths is the Dominican Republic, western three-eighths is Haiti)<ref name="Dardik"/><ref name="Current Affairs"/>

==References==
<references />

{{Geography of North America}}
{{North America topic|Climate of}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Geography Of The Dominican Republic}}
[[Category:Geography of the Dominican Republic| ]]