Covering two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, east of Haiti, the Dominican Republic has a singular character shaped by a weird contrast.

Inside the many resort hotels along the fabulous waterfront, tourists find luxury, a world of palm trees and pretty blue lagoons combined with the most exquisite cocktails. Outside the limits of these paradisic resorts, the other face of the Dominican Republic can be seen along the country roads, among the sugar cane, coffee and cocoa bean fields, where shy people labour in the sun.

The capital, Santo Domingo, was the first Spanish settlement in the Americas. There still remains a historic old section of Santo Domingo, which has been turned into an entertaining and appealing Colonial theme park.

Around Puerta Plata, there are other tourist spots in the north coast region, and the east coast at Punta Cana. They mainly consist of fantastic tropical beaches, which have been bought and developed into all-inclusive resorts. However, those who dare to explore a little further will find the most beautiful and pristine tropical paradise off the beaten track in the Dominican Republic, and local people ready to give them warm hospitality.

Dominican people are mainly Roman Catholic and their official language is Spanish. The Dominican Republic has a tropical maritime climate. The country's currency is the Dominican Peso.

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