Dominican Republic

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Capital
Santo Domingo
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Local time
16:02
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Population
10.17 m
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Driving side
Right
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Calling code
+1-809 and +1-829
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Currency
$ DOP (peso)


Dominican Republic



-
Capital
Santo Domingo
-
Local time
16:02
-
Population
10.17 m
-
Driving side
Right
-
Calling code
+1-809 and +1-829
-
Currency
$ DOP (peso)
-
Average Salary
$ 491
-
Petrol price
€ 1.41 pl
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Precipitation
1 410mm /year
Geography & travel
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Country Area
48 730 km2
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Protected Area
23%
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Forest Area
41%
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Agricultural area
48%
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Annual air passengers
11 903
Population
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Ethnicity
white - 16 %
black - 11 %
mixed - 73 %
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Religion
Roman Catholic - 95 %
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Literacy rates
92.9%
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Languages
Spanish
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Armed Forces
71 050
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Alcohol consumption
7.6 l/person
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Smoking
18.8%
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Diabetes
8.8%
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Malaria
0%
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Tuberculosis
60 per 100k
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HIV
1%
Economy
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Industries
tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold, textiles, cement, tobacco
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Agriculture
sugarcane, coffee, cotton, cocoa, tobacco, rice, beans, potatoes, corn
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Natural Resources
nickel, bauxite, gold, silver
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Energy Import
86%
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Natural Resources
nickel, bauxite, gold, silver
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Renewable Energy
18%
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CO2 Emissions
21 540kt
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Ease of Business
99 (Best=1, Worst=200)
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ATMs per 100k people
36
What not to do when visiting Dominican Republic
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.


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

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

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


Don't always expect sharp punctuality.

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.

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

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


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


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

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

Don't take pictures of locals without permission.

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


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


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


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

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

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?
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.


Still looking for somewhere to stay?
Book a holiday you will tell your friends about.