Dominican Republic Geography

In 1916 the USA afraid that Germany might intervene in the Dominican Republic occupied the country. The American occupation lasted until 1924. Elections were then held and Horacio Vasquez became president of the Dominican Republic. However in 1930 Rafael Trujillo staged a coup and became a dictator. Trujillo ruled Dominican Republic for 31 years till he was assassinated in 1961. In 1962 elections were held and Juan Bosch led a new government. However in 1963 the army staged a coup. In 1965 the people rebelled but the USA intervened. President Johnson sent US Marines to the Dominican Republic. A provisional government ruled for one year until 1966 when Joaquin Balaguer was elected president. Balaguer was president until 1978 and under him some economic development took place. He was

Climate and Geography:

Hot with tropical temperatures all year with coastal areas being warmer than central regions. There are two rainy seasons; the heaviest is from May to August and the other is from November to December. Hurricanes may sometimes occur during these periods.

The Dominican Republic shares the Caribbean island of Hispaniola with the nation of Haiti It is larger than its French-speaking neighbour, making up the eastern two-thirds of the landmass. A series of mountain belts stretch across the border region, most notably in the form of the Cordillera Central; at 3,175m (10,414ft) the peak of Pico Duarte represents the highest point of the country.

The Dominican landscape is frequently forested and often undulating, with a multitude of valleys, plains and plateaux. The soil is fertile with excellent white beaches on the north, southeast and east coasts. Ten per cent of the country was set aside in the 1970s to be protected as national parks and science reserves, and, in spite of occasional hurricanes and fires, these areas remain largely intact. Today there are 17 national parks in the Dominican