The Dominican Republic , occupies the eastern two-thirds of Hispaniola, has some spectacularly beautiful scenery. It has many more forests than its neighbour, Haiti, and is green and fertile. Within a system of widespread food production are large sugar and fruit plantations and cattle ranches. The Republic has built up its tourist trade, and has much to offer in the way of natural beauty, old colonial architecture, attractive beaches, adventure sports, modern resorts and native friendliness.
Public transport is good and it is easy and rewarding to explore by bus or hired car.
Its population is mostly a mixture of black, white and mulatto, and is Spanish-speaking. The Dominicans are a mixture of African black and white, with a strong European strain. Although Dominicans often call themselves Indians, the Ta nos were in fact wiped out within a few generations of the arrival of the Spanish. Negro is not a derogatory term. Unlike in Haiti, the Dominicans culture and language are hispanic and their religion Roman Catholic.