The Dominican Republic has three major metropolitan areas. Santo Domingo, on the southern coast, is the capital, with a population of two million people. On the northern coast is Puerto Plata, one of the countries main tourist resorts with some sixty thousand year round residents. Santiago, located in the central highlands, is the countries leading industrial centre, with a population of well over quarter a million inhabitants. Sosua, near Puerto Plata, and La Romana and Punta Cana, at the eastern end of the island, all have growing resort populations.

The rest of the nations six million plus population live in or around a dozen or so smaller towns and villages. If you have the opportunity of travelling through the countryside you will notice that for a country with an area of nineteen thousand square miles it is sparsely populated, particularly its eastern region.

The island of Hispaniola was originally inhabited by an estimated one million Indians they were annihilated in less than a century by the Spanish conquerors. Today, seventy percent of the Dominican Republics population are mulattoes.

The white sand beaches, impressive mountain ranges veined with spectacular rivers and waterfalls and saltwater lakes teeming with exotic wildlife are just part of the Dominican Republics appeal. Whether youre looking to party, relax or explore, the Dominican Republic has a lot to offer.

Safety is still a concern in the Dominican Republic, but it shouldnt dissuade you from planning a vacation here. Crime consists primarily of theft, robberies, and muggings, and most of it is limited to Santo Domingo. There is a low incidence of violent crime against tourists, however. Follow some simple common sense rules and youll be fine.

The greatest threat to the Dominican Republic these days comes from hurricanes, which periodically flatten entire cities. The major resorts have become adept at getting back on their feet quickly after a hurricane, but if a hurricane hits the country before your trip, you might want to call ahead and make sure your room is still standing.

Once the home of Columbus son Diego and his wife, Dona Maria de Toledo, the beautifully restored Museo Alcazar de Colon houses many objects said to have belonged to the Columbus family. The building itself if not the objects inside is definitely worth a look.

The Dominican Republic has two rainy seasons, one in the late spring and one in the fall, with the heavies precipitation in the northern and eastern parts of the country.