Dominican Republic is a country in Caribbean. Its capital is Santo Domingo.
North America and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Santo Domingo; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapThe Dominican Republic occupies the eastern part of Hispaniola. It has several mountain ranges separated by valleys and plains, with coasts on the Atlantic and Caribbean. The highest mountains in the Caribbean rise in its interior.
Pico Duarte represents this high upland terrain. Los Haitises has a different limestone landscape of hills, caves and coastal inlets. Dry southwestern areas contrast with wetter northern and eastern regions, adding further environmental variety.
The climate is tropical, with relatively small annual temperature changes near the coast. Mountains are cooler, and rainfall varies considerably between regions.
Elevation and exposure to moist winds create strong local climate differences. Forests, dry woodland and coastal wetlands occur in different regions. River valleys and plains support major farming areas below the mountains.
A centered white cross extends to the edges and divides the flag into four rectangles; the top ones are ultramarine blue (left side) and vermilion red, and the bottom ones are vermilion red (left side) and ultramarine blue; a small coat of arms with a shield supported by a laurel branch and a palm branch is at the center of the cross; above the shield, a blue ribbon displays the motto DIOS, PATRIA, LIBERTAD (God, Fatherland, Liberty); below the shield, REPUBLICA DOMINICANA is on a red ribbon; on the shield, a Bible is opened to a verse that reads "Y la verdad nos hara libre" (And the truth shall set you free)
Forested limestone landforms meet the coastal water in the northeast.
Photo: Anton Bielousov · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
The route toward the summit passes through the Dominican Republic’s mountain interior.
Spanish is the official language and the main language of public life. Dominican Spanish has characteristic Caribbean vocabulary and pronunciation.
Haitian Creole is spoken by Haitian-origin communities, while English and other languages are learned or used in some workplaces and tourism settings. These additional languages do not share Spanish’s national official status.
The Dominican Republic occupies the eastern part of Hispaniola, historically home to Taíno communities. Independence from Haitian rule was declared in 1844. Spain reannexed the country in 1861, but the Restoration War restored independence in 1865. The twentieth century included US occupation and the Trujillo dictatorship.
Tourism, manufacturing in free-trade zones, mining, construction and services are major activities. Agriculture remains important, and remittances support many households. Gold and manufactured goods contribute to exports.
tourism, sugar processing, gold mining, textiles, cement, tobacco, electrical components, medical devices
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 4,399,290 | 4.399 |
| 1980 | 5,729,037 | 5.729 |
| 1990 | 7,151,166 | 7.151 |
| 2000 | 8,584,190 | 8.584 |
| 2010 | 9,820,175 | 9.820 |
| 2020 | 11,008,300 | 11.008 |
| 2025 | 11,520,487 | 11.520 |
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 19,828,543,242 | 19.829 |
| 1991 | 20,015,752,229 | 20.016 |
| 1992 | 22,265,015,207 | 22.265 |
| 1993 | 23,905,211,029 | 23.905 |
| 1994 | 24,525,260,343 | 24.525 |
| 1995 | 25,923,197,384 | 25.923 |
| 1996 | 27,468,529,262 | 27.469 |
| 1997 | 29,913,105,390 | 29.913 |
| 1998 | 31,919,035,076 | 31.919 |
| 1999 | 33,820,295,671 | 33.820 |
| 2000 | 35,393,522,990 | 35.394 |
| 2001 | 36,267,520,113 | 36.268 |
| 2002 | 37,894,663,734 | 37.895 |
| 2003 | 37,383,329,267 | 37.383 |
| 2004 | 38,349,900,170 | 38.350 |
| 2005 | 41,966,981,959 | 41.967 |
| 2006 | 45,815,860,540 | 45.816 |
| 2007 | 49,214,666,985 | 49.215 |
| 2008 | 50,823,044,978 | 50.823 |
| 2009 | 51,333,030,312 | 51.333 |
| 2010 | 55,645,592,833 | 55.646 |
| 2011 | 57,421,779,163 | 57.422 |
| 2012 | 59,015,618,840 | 59.016 |
| 2013 | 61,927,882,063 | 61.928 |
| 2014 | 66,331,713,897 | 66.332 |
| 2015 | 70,966,782,572 | 70.967 |
| 2016 | 75,735,566,406 | 75.736 |
| 2017 | 78,714,898,895 | 78.715 |
| 2018 | 84,301,701,755 | 84.302 |
| 2019 | 88,427,452,426 | 88.427 |
| 2020 | 81,415,993,438 | 81.416 |
| 2021 | 92,824,351,637 | 92.824 |
| 2022 | 97,686,450,824 | 97.686 |
| 2023 | 99,828,029,403 | 99.828 |
| 2024 | 104,773,032,846 | 104.773 |
| 2025 | 106,991,487,756 | 106.991 |
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
A presidential republic. An elected President heads the executive, and the National Congress has a Senate and a Chamber of Deputies.
Three questions about Dominican Republic.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.
