Dominican Republic

I think that a good begining can be writing about my dear and beautiful country: Dominican Republic.

Once ruled by Spain, the Dominican Republic (DR) shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, a former French colony.

My nation is a major tourist destination. Tourism, and the DR's free-trade zones, have become major employers and key sources of revenue. Sugar, coffee and tobacco are among the main exports.

The largely mountainous country includes Pico Duarte - the highest point in the West Indies, the fertile Cibao Valley, swathes of desert, and Lake Enriquillo - the lowest point in the region.

The DR is inhabited mostly by people of mixed European and African origins. Western influence is seen in the colonial buildings of the capital, Santo Domingo, as well as in art and literature. African heritage is reflected in music. The two heritages blend in the popular song and dance, the merengue.

Here there are some facts:

Full name: Dominican Republic
Population: 9 million (UN, 2005)
Capital: Santo Domingo
Area: 48,072 sq km (18,696 sq miles)
Major language: Spanish
Major religion: Christianity
Life expectancy: 64 years (men), 71 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 Dominican peso = 100 centavos
Main exports: Ferronickel, sugar, gold, silver, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, meats
GNI per capita: US$2,370 (World Bank, 2006)
Internet domain: .do
International dialling code: +1809

I will continue talking about my country in another post, there are a lot of things to say about us.