Caribbean Red Cross

The Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti and has one of the fastest growing economies in the western hemisphere. The country has seen a constant flow of emigration, particularly of women to European countries.

The Dominican Republic has an area of 48,730 square kilometres and is primarily covered in rugged mountains and highlands with fertile valleys. The climate is tropical with very little seasonal temperature variations. The country lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and is therefore subject to hurricanes and severe storms from June to October and occasional flooding. There are also periodic droughts.

The country is a representative democracy headed by President Leonel Fernández Reyna. The next elections are scheduled for May 2010. The capital city of the Dominican Republic is Santo Domingo and the country is divided into 29 provinces.