Geography of the Dominican Republic
Location: Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of HaitiGeographic 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
Terrain: rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed
Elevation extremes:
lowest point:
Lago Enriquillo -46 m
highest point:
Pico Duarte 3,175 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; Hurricane Georges damage
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)
- See also : Dominican Republic
