People and Culture	map provided by Microsoft Expedia	Geography
Climate		Economy
Pictures		Government/History page created by former  Cedarville University  Student

Pesos
The official currency of the Dominican Republic (D.R.) is the Peso. Paper currency is printed in denominations of 5,10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 Peso notes. Coins are circulated in 1 and 5 Peso denominations (currently both coins and paper are circulated to represent 5 pesos).
The Central Bank of the Dominican Republic maintains responsibility for the printing and issuance of currency, and the regulation of the nation's banking ~ monetary system.

Currency Exchange
Currency exchange services are offered by most banks or private exchange houses (Casa de Cambio).  While it is not difficult to find a money exchange counter or bank in the capital or tourist areas to convert your foreign currency into Pesos, keep in mind that the exchange rate may often be better with some of the private concerns, such as Vimenca.

To make matters convenient for tourists, the following foreign currencies are commonly bought or sold vs. the Dominican Peso:  Canadian Dollars, Dutch Gilders, English Pounds, French Francs, German Marks, Spanish Pesetas, Swiss Francs and US Dollars.  Most other currencies will be difficult to convert and may require a visit to the Banca de Reservas or Central Bank in order to do so.

The average wage for a Dominican is approximately RD$ 5000 (about US$ 300) per month, but slowly improving.

Income Source
Agriculture is the main source of income for the Dominican economy, with sugarcane being the leading cash crop produced for export. Other important export crops are cocoa and coffee. Nickel is the leading mineral export; bauxite, gold, and rock salt are other significant mineral resources.

Although the government is attempting to expand industry, most industrial products must be imported, largely from the United States. Tourism is challenging agriculture as the more important economic source.
 
 

The country is divided into 29 provinces and a National Territory surrounding the capital, Santo Domingo. Santo Domingo is on the southern portion of the island.  Since the city is located directly on the coast, it is a major center of seaport activity. The population of the Dominican Republic has been estimated to be about 8 million, with slightly less than four million living in the capital city of Santo Domingo.  Santiago is the second largest city, and is situated closer to the mountainous areas to the north.  The map below shows the 29 different provinces.

Mountain ranges divide the country into three regions: northern, central, and southwestern. The largest body of water is Lago Enriquillo (Lake Enriquillo), in the southwest. The highest mountain in the Caribbean, Pico Duarte , is located in the D.R. It rises in the Cordillera Central (Central Range) to the height of 3,087 meters.
 
 

                            click on any of the below provinces to learn more about them

People and Culture

The D. R., has a total population of almost 8 million. It has the biggest population in the Caribbean. The great majority (75%) of its citizens are mulattoes, a mixture of Europeans, Africans and Amer-Indians.  15% are whites who mainly descended from the original Spanish settlers. Blacks make up the rest of the balance (10%).

Culture
click above to learn more about each tradition and folklore below
The Three Wise Men -January 6th, the day of Three Wise Men, is when the Dominican and most Latin children receive their presents
January 21: Day of Altagracia- She is the spiritual Mother of the Dominican Republic
Christmas under a blazing sun- They celebrate Christmas in the heat with bonfires and other traditions.
Happy New Year! -This is a day for reconciliation, meditation, and celebration in the D.R.
Christmas Tradition: Aguinaldo -An “aguinaldo” used to be like a Christmas gift, but over the years people started calling the song “aguinaldo”. A group of 3 to 4 persons, go out on the streets playing homemade instruments such as bottles to sing to their neighbors and to collect gifts.
Superstition! -The Dominican Republic has specific regions where superstition is essential to perform all daily tasks. San Juan de Maguana, Ocoa, Azua, La Romana and San Pedro are especially known for it.
Carnival is coming to town! -The Dominican Carnival, as it is known today, is a drastic evolution from the festivals that were celebrated in Europe in the 16th century.
Mamajuana -A traditional Dominican drink
Independence Day -February 27, 1844 is Independence Day and is usually celebrated with The Dominican Carnival
The dances of Samaná -Bamboulá and Isidora
Dominican cuisine -The typical Dominican cooking is very rich and spicy. It is a combination of the traditional Taíno, Spanish and African cooking.
Africa in Samaná Part II -The blacks who were brought to the Dominican Republic by president Boyer in 1824, were mostly slaves on the southern plantations in North America brought their unique culture with them.
 

Music
Dominican Merengue -This is a popular type of music in the D.R.
 

In the mountain ranges it is considerably cooler. The temperatures can go below freezing. On some occasions snow can be seen.

The hot season, or "summer" is from May to October. The average temperature ranges from 31°C (87°F) during the daytime and drops to about 22°C (72°F) at night. However with the humidity during this season, it often feels much warmer. It often rains for thirty minute periods during this time. They refer to these storms as a tropical shower.

Tropical cyclones strike the country on average of once every two years and usually have greatest impact along southern coast.