Dominican Republic

Did you know?

• 🏝A Caribbean nation occupying the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, shared with Haiti.
• 🏳️What does its flag mean? The central white cross symbolizes salvation, peace, and Christian faith, dividing the flag into four quarters. Blue (top left and bottom right) represents liberty, freedom, and the sky. Red (top right and bottom left) represents the blood shed by national heroes in the fight for independence. The coat of arms in the center features a Bible open to the Gospel of John (8:32), a gold cross, spears, and the motto 'Dios, Patria, Libertad' ('God, Fatherland, Liberty').
• 📜First European city in the Americas: Its capital, Santo Domingo, founded in 1496, is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the Americas.
• 🏔️Highest and lowest points in the Caribbean: The country houses both Pico Duarte (highest peak in the Caribbean at 3,098 meters) and Lake Enriquillo (lowest point at 46 meters below sea level).
• 💎Larimar gemstone: The Dominican Republic is the only place on Earth where Larimar, a rare light-blue pectolite gemstone, is mined.