Geography of the Dominican Republic

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This article details the geography of the Dominican Republic.

[edit] Country Map

Location

Caribbean, it occupies 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 km²
• Land: 48,380 km²
• Water: 350 km²

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

Rivers

Significant rivers include the Jimani River, Río Yaque del Norte, Río Jamao del Norte, Río Isabela and the Ozama River

Terrain

Rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed

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: 21%
• Permanent crops: 9%
• Permanent pastures: 43%
• Forests and woodland: 12%
• Other: 15% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land

2,300 km² (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; damage caused by Hurricane George

Environment - international agreements

• Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, 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)

[edit] See also

• Dominican Republic