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Geography of the Dominican Republic

This article details the geography of the Dominican Republic.

; Location:

Caribbean, it occupies two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti
; Geographic coordinates:
19 00 N, 70 40 W
; Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
; Area:
  • Total: 48,730 km²
Land: 48,380 km²
Water: 350 km²
; Area - comparative:
Slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire
; Land boundaries:
  • Total: 275 km
Border countries: Haiti 275 km
; Coastline:
1,288 km
; Maritime claims:
  • Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 6 nm
; Climate:
Tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall
; Rivers:
Significant rivers include the Jimani River, Río Yaque del Norte, Río Jamao del Norte, Río Isabela and the Ozamas River
; Terrain:
Rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed
; Elevation extremes:
  • Lowest point: Lago Enriquillo -46 m
Highest point: Pico Duarte 3,175 m
; Natural resources:
Nickel, bauxite, gold, silver
; Land use:
  • Arable land: 21%
Permanent crops: 9%
Permanent pastures: 43%
Forests and woodland: 12%
Other: 15% (1993 est.)
; Irrigated land:
2,300 km² (1993 est.)
; Natural hazards:
Lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding; periodic droughts
; Environment - current issues:
Water shortages; soil eroding into the sea damages coral reefs; deforestation; Hurricane Georges damage
; Environment - international agreements:
Signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
; Geography - note:
Shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti (eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic, western one-third is Haiti)

See also: Dominican Republic