Geography of the Dominican Republic

The **Dominican Republic** (Spanish: *República Dominicana*) is a country in the Caribbean. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of Hispaniola; Haiti occupies the western three-eighths of the island. The land border between these two countries is 388 km long.

The country has a total area of 48,671&nbsp;km²; the part on the Hispaniola has an area of 48,215&nbsp;km² and the small Dominican islands have an area of 159&nbsp;km². 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.

The limits of the country are Haiti to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and the Caribbean Sea to the south. Puerto Rico is to the southeast separated by the Mona Channel, of about 130&nbsp;km wide. The capital, Santo Domingo, is located on the south coast.

## Climate
The country has a tropical climate but modified by elevation and the *trade winds* (winds that come from the northeast, from the Atlantic Ocean), which blow from the Atlantic all year long. The average yearly temperature is 25&nbsp;°C with small changes from one season to another; the average temperatures change from one region to another, from 21&nbsp;°C in the centre of the Cordillera Central to as high as 28&nbsp;°C on the coastal plains. Temperatures very few times get above 32&nbsp;°C; temperatures get below 0&nbsp;°C only in the highest mountains in winter. The average temperature in Santo Domingo in January is 25&nbsp;°C and 30&nbsp;°C in July.

The rain season is from May to November. The average yearly rainfall is 1,346&nbsp;mm, with extremes of 2,500&nbsp;mm or more in the northeastern mountains and 500&nbsp;mm in the southwestern valleys. The western valleys, along the Haitian border, remain relatively dry, with less than 760&nbsp;mm of annual precipitation. The northwestern and southeastern extremes of the country are also very dry.

From June to November (mainly from August to October), tropical storms and hurricanes are frequent and can do much damage in the country.

## Islands 
There are several smaller islands and cays that are part of the Dominican Republic. The largest islands are:
#**Saona**, close to the southeastern coast of the Hispaniola, in the Caribbean Sea. It has an area of 117&nbsp;km². or *Adamanay*. Columbus named this island as Savona after the Italian city of the same name but the use during years has eliminated the letter *v*.
#**Beata**, in the southern coast of the Hispaniola, in the Caribbean Sea. It has an area of 27&nbsp;km².
* *Cordillera Septentrional* (in English, "Northern Range"). It runs parallel to the north coast, with extensions to the northwest, the Tortuga Island north of Haiti, and to the southeast, the Samaná Peninsula (with its *Sierra de Samaná*). Its highest mountain is Diego de Ocampo, close to the city of 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* is the largest and most important valley of the country. This long valley goes from Northern Haiti, where is called *Plaine du Nord*, to Samaná Bay. It can be divided in two parts: 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* has the best soils of the country; the population density is high.
* The *Cordillera Central* (in English, "Central Range") is also called *Sierra del Cibao* and in Haiti as the *Massif du Nord* ("Northern Massif"). With its high mountains, it divides the country in two halves. 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*, ending near the city of Azua de Compostela, on the Caribbean coast. Another branch, *Cordillera Oriental* (in English, "Eastern Range") or *Sierra del Seibo* is separated from the main chain by the region known as *Los Haitises*; it has a west-east direction and is located south of Samaná Bay.

* 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*; Mount Neiba is the highest mountain here 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 to 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 prairie east of Santo Domingo.

## Rivers and Lakes 
The 8 longest rivers of the Dominican Republic are:
# *Yaque del Norte* is the longest river of the Dominican Republic, with 296&nbsp;km. Its sources are in the Cordillera Central and flows through the *Yaque del Norte Valley* to the Atlantic Ocean. Its watershed has an area of 7,044&nbsp;km².
# *Yuna*. It is 209&nbsp;km long. Its sources are in the Cordillera Central and flows to the east through the *Vega Real* and to Samaná Bay. Its watershed has an area of 5,498&nbsp;km².
# *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;km².
# *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;km². The city of Santo Domingo is on both sides of this 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;km².
# *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;km².
# *San Juan*. It is 121&nbsp;km long. Its sources are in the Cordillera Central and flows to the south through the *San Juan Valley*; it is the main tributary of the Yaque del Sur River. Its watershed has an area of 2,005&nbsp;km².
# *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;km².

The Artibonite River is the longest river of the island but only 68&nbsp;km are in the Dominican Republic.

The largest lake of the Hispaniola, and of the Caribbean, is the **Lake Enriquillo**. It is in the *Hoya de Enriquillo* with an area of 265&nbsp;km². There are three small islands within the lake. It is around 40 meters below sea level and is a saline lake with a higher concentration of salt than the sea water.

Others lakes are *Rincón* (fresh water, area of 28.2&nbsp;km²), *Oviedo* (brackish water, area of 28&nbsp;km²), *Redonda*, *Limón*.

## References