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Currently reported don'ts for 'Dominican Republic': 18

Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic
  • Capital

    Capital

    Santo Domingo

  • Local time

    Local time

    16:02

  • Population

    Population

    10.17 m

  • Driving side

    Driving side

    Right

  • Calling code

    Calling code

    +1-809 and +1-829

  • Currency

    Currency

    $ DOP (peso)

Read more facts about Dominican Republic
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Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic
Socket  Socket
  • Capital

    Capital

    Santo Domingo

  • Local time

    Local time

    16:02

  • Population

    Population

    10.17 m

  • Driving side

    Driving side

    Right

  • Calling code

    Calling code

    +1-809 and +1-829

  • Currency

    Currency

    $ DOP (peso)

  • Average Salary

    Average Salary

    $ 491

  • Petrol price

    Petrol price

    € 1.41 pl

  • Precipitation

    Precipitation

    1 410mm /year

Geography & travel

  • Country Area

    Country Area

    48 730 km2

  • Protected Area

    Protected Area

    23%

  • Forest Area

    Forest Area

    41%

  • Agricultural area

    Agricultural area

    48%

  • Annual air passengers

    Annual air passengers

    11 903

Population

  • Ethnicity

    Ethnicity

    white - 16 %
    black - 11 %
    mixed - 73 %

  • Religion

    Religion

    Roman Catholic - 95 %

  • Literacy rates

    Literacy rates

    92.9%

  • Languages

    Languages

    Spanish

  • Armed Forces

    Armed Forces

    71 050

  • Alcohol consumption

    Alcohol consumption

    7.6 l/person

  • Smoking

    Smoking

    18.8%

  • Diabetes

    Diabetes

    8.8%

  • Malaria

    Malaria

    0%

  • Tuberculosis

    Tuberculosis

    60 per 100k

  • HIV

    HIV

    1%

Economy

  • Industries

    Industries

    tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold, textiles, cement, tobacco

  • Agriculture

    Agriculture

    sugarcane, coffee, cotton, cocoa, tobacco, rice, beans, potatoes, corn

  • Natural Resources

    Natural Resources

    nickel, bauxite, gold, silver

  • Energy Import

    Energy Import

    86%

  • Natural Resources

    Natural Resources

    nickel, bauxite, gold, silver

  • Renewable Energy

    Renewable Energy

    18%

  • CO2 Emissions

    CO2 Emissions

    21 540kt

  • Ease of Business

    Ease of Business

    99 (Best=1, Worst=200)

  • ATMs per 100k people

    ATMs per 100k people

    36

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What not to do when visiting Dominican Republic

1/18
Marker Dominican Republic
Business & Communication

Don’t forget to shake hands with direct eye contact and a welcoming smile when greeting (men). Maintaining eye contact is crucial, and it indicates interest.

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2/18
Marker Dominican Republic
Business & Communication

Don't be surprised by locals using religious expressions as a norm, e.g. Jesus taught me to drive. Everyone's very religious.

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3/18
Marker Dominican Republic
Business & Communication

Don't take it wrong - if a Dominican wants to ask something again, they move their nose as if they're going to sneeze.

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Did you know

Did you know?

Santo Domingo, capital of the Dominican Republic, is the oldest city in the Americas. The Dominican Republic has also had the most constitutions out of any modern country, 25 to date.

4/18
Marker Dominican Republic
Street & Behavioral

Don't wear beachwear outside the beach, especially in shops or restaurants.

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5/18
Marker Dominican Republic
Business & Communication

Don't always expect sharp punctuality.

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6/18
Marker Dominican Republic
Business & Communication

Don't take it wrong when someone forgets your name - name-dropping is commonplace and nepotism does not have the negative connotation it has in many other countries.

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7/18
Marker Dominican Republic
Street & Behavioral

Don't laugh if people walk with their hair curlers still in - it's normal there.

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8/18
Marker Dominican Republic
Street & Behavioral

Don’t wear expensive jewellery and show off the costly items in public.

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Did you know

Did you know?

In Dominican society appearance is very important. People are extremely fashion conscious and believe that clothes indicate social standing and success.

9/18
Marker Dominican Republic
Street & Behavioral

Don’t hide your hands when eating - keep them visible, but do not rest your elbows on the table. You may leave a small amount of food on your plate when you have finished eating.

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Tell us your experience

Tell us your experience

We love to hear from people who have travelled the world and know ‘what not to do’. Why not help other people on their travels?

Submit your story

10/18
Marker Dominican Republic
Business & Communication

Don’t be surprised by direct communication - Dominicans are not afraid to say what they feel.

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11/18
Marker Caribbean
Street & Behavioral

Don't sit under a ripe coconut tree - better to be safe than sorry, falling coconuts kill 150 people each year.

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12/18
Marker Caribbean
Business & Communication

Don't take pictures of locals without permission.

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13/18
Marker Caribbean
Street & Behavioral

Don't dive or snorkel without a floating marker on water.

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14/18
Marker Caribbean
Business & Communication

Don’t be a victim of mosquito-borne diseases - protect yourself against bites by mosquitoes.

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15/18
Marker Caribbean
Business & Communication

Don't forget to negotiate your taxi ride price before you take it.

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16/18
Marker Dominican Republic
Business & Communication

Don’t forget the hurricane season takes place between June and November.

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17/18
Marker Caribbean
Business & Communication

Don't really look for a deal - things are not that cheap in Caribbean.

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Tell us your experience

Tell us your experience

We love to hear from people who have travelled the world and know ‘what not to do’. Why not help other people on their travels?

Submit your story

18/18
Marker Caribbean
Business & Communication

Don't forget coral-safe sunscreen - if you go to water excursions, some of them may not allow you to join without coral-safe sunscreen.

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