Geography of the Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a country in the West Indies that occupies the eastern five-eighths of Hispaniola. It has an area of 48,670 km², including offshore islands. The land border shared with Haiti, which occupies the western three-eighths of the island, is 376 km long. The maximum length, east to west, is 390 km from Punta de Agua to Las Lajas, on the border with Haiti. The maximum width, north to south, is 265 km from Cape Isabela to Cape Beata. The capital, Santo Domingo, is located on the south coast.
The Dominican Republic's shores are washed by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and the Caribbean Sea to the south. The Mona Passage, a channel about 130 km wide, separates the country from Puerto Rico.
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Climate
The country is a tropical, maritime nation. Conditions are ameliorated in many areas by elevation and by the northeast trade winds, which blow steadily from the Atlantic all year long. The annual mean temperature is ; regional mean temperatures range from in the heart of the Cordillera Central to as high as in arid regions. Temperatures rarely rise above, and freezing temperatures only occur in winter in the highest mountains. The average temperature in Santo Domingo in January is, and in July.The rain season for the northern coast is from November to January. For the rest of the country, the rain season is from May to November. The average annual rainfall is, with extremes of or more in the mountainous northeast and in the southwestern valleys. The western valleys, along the Haitian border, remain relatively dry, with less than of annual precipitation, due to the rain shadow effect caused by the central and northern mountain ranges. The northwestern and southeastern extremes of the country are also arid.
The Dominican Republic is occasionally damaged by tropical storms and hurricanes, which originate in the mid-Atlantic and southeastern Caribbean from June until November each year.
Islands
There are several smaller islands and cays that are part of the Dominican territory. The largest islands are:- Saona, close to the southeastern coast of the Hispaniola, in the Caribbean Sea. It has an area of 117 km². Its Taíno name was Iai or Adamanay. Columbus named this island as Savona after the Italian city of the same name but the use during years has eliminated the letter v.
- Beata, in the southern coast of the Hispaniola, in the Caribbean Sea. It has an area of 27 km². Its Taíno name is unknown. Columbus named this island as Madama Beata.
- Catalina, very close to the southeastern coast of the Hispaniola, in the Caribbean Sea. It has an area of 9.6 km². Its Taíno name was Iabanea but some writers, including poets, say that it was called Toeya or Toella. It was visited by Columbus who named it Santa Catalina.
Relief
From north to south, the mountain ranges and valleys are:
- Cordillera Septentrional. It runs parallel to the north coast, with extensions to the northwest, the Tortuga Island, and to the southeast, the Samaná Peninsula. Its highest mountain is Diego de Ocampo, close to Santiago, with 1,249 m. There are several small plains between this range and the Atlantic Ocean. Rivers are short and most of them flow to the north.
- The Cibao Valley is the largest and the most important valley of the country. This long valley stretches from North Haiti, where is called Plaine du Nord, to Samaná Bay. It can be divided in two sections: the northwestern part is the Yaque del Norte Valley and the eastern Yuna Valley. The Vega Real is the most fertile area in the country, with a high population density.
- The Cordillera Central is the island's most rugged and imposing feature and is known in Haiti as the Massif du Nord. The highest mountains of the West Indies are in this range: Pico Duarte, 3,098 m, and others above 3,000 m. Near the center of the island, this range turns southward and is called Sierra de Ocoa, finishing near the city of Azua de Compostela, on the Caribbean coast. Another branch, Cordillera Oriental or Sierra del Seibo, is separated from the main chain by a karstic region and with a west–east direction; it is located south of Samaná Bay.
- The San Juan Valley and Plain of Azua are big valleys south of the Cordillera Central with altitude from 0 to 600 m.
- The Sierra de Neiba, with Mount Neiba the highest mountain with 2,279 m. An extension to the southeast of Sierra de Neiba is the Sierra Martín García.
- The Hoya de Enriquillo or Neiba Valley is a remarkable valley, with a west–east direction, of low altitude and with a great salt lake: the Enriquillo Lake.
- The Sierra de Bahoruco, called Massif de la Selle in Haiti. This southern group of mountains have a geology very different from the rest of the island.
- Llano Costero del Caribe is in the southeast of the island. It is a large prairie east of Santo Domingo.
Rivers and lakes
The 8 longest rivers of the Dominican Republic are:- Yaque del Norte. With 296 km, it is the longest river of the Dominican Republic. Its sources are in the Cordillera Central and flows to the Atlantic Ocean. Its watershed has an area of 7,044 km².
- Yuna. It is 209 km long. Its sources are in the Cordillera Central and flows to the east into Samaná Bay. Its watershed has an area of 5,498 km².
- Yaque del Sur. It is 183 km long and its sources are in the Cordillera Central. It flows to the south into the Caribbean Sea. Its watershed has an area of 4,972 km².
- Ozama. It is 148 km long. Its sources are in Sierra de Yamasá. It flows into the Caribbean Sea. Its watershed has an area of 2,685 km².
- Camú. It is 137 km long. Its sources are in the Cordillera Central and flows into the Yuna River. Its watershed has 2,655 km².
- Nizao. It is 133 km long. Its sources are in the Cordillera Central and flows to the south into the Caribbean Sea. Its watershed has an area of 974 km².
- San Juan. It is 121 km long. Its sources are in the Cordillera Central and flows to the south into the Yaque del Sur River. Its watershed has an area of 2,005 km².
- Mao. It is 105 km long. Its sources are in the Cordillera Central and flows to the north into the Yaque del Norte River. Its watershed has an area of 864 km².
The largest lake of the Hispaniola, and of the West Indies, is the Lake Enriquillo. It is located in the Hoya de Enriquillo with an area of 265 km². There are three small islands within the lake. It is around 40 meters below sea level and is a saline lake with a higher concentration of salt than the sea water.
Others lakes are Rincón, Oviedo, Redonda, Limón.