Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic Passport Ranking
The passport of the Dominican Republic currently ranks on the 76th place according to the Guide Passport Ranking Index. It provides visa-free access to 30 countries. This grants it an overall medium-low mobility score. Its ranking has however increased over the past years from 83rd in 2011 to its current ranking. Dominican passport holders have visa-free access and visas on arrival to countries such as Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Israel and Egypt. Dominican citizens do however require a visa to enter about 163 destinations in the world, which requires extended travel preparations. Some destinations where a visa is required are the entire European Union, the United States and Australia.
The Dominican Republic is a former Spanish colony consisting of 31 provinces. The most important provinces are Santo Domingo, Santiago and Distrito Nacional. The country is situated in the Caribbean occupying two thirds of the island Hispaniola, which it shares with Haiti. It has total surface area of 48,671 square kilometers. The nation’s terrain is characterized by rugged mountains and highlands with fertile valleys in between. Its climate is tropical maritime with only little temperature variation throughout the year.
The overall population is over 10.8 million people. The capital of the country is Santo Domingo, which is also the most populous city with more than 3 million inhabitants. The country’s largest international airport is Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) with 7 million annual passengers. The airport provides access to destinations all around the world for mostly touristic purposes.
Dominican culture is strongly influence by the its Spanish history. The majority of the population identify themself as Christians. The official language is Spanish. The Dominican legal system is based on the French civil code. The government form is a presidential republic. The chief of state and head of government is the elected President Danilo Medina Sanchez. Elections are taking place every 4 years.
The official currency is the Dominican Peso (DOP), which has a current exchange rate of DOP 58 to the USD. The country has an open economy, generating a GDP of approximately $215 billion. Its citizens have a per capita income of $20,625. The GDP is mostly made up of the services and industry sector. Tourism plays a large role as it is one of the most visited countries in the Caribbean. The Dominican Republic is also increasing activity in the mining sector by starting extraction at Pueblo Viejo. This is one of the largest gold and silver mines in the world.
The Dominican Republic is an extremely popular holiday destination for people from all over the world. It is known for its vast beaches and beautiful nature. Some of the major destinations include the Colonial City of Santo Domingo, Punta Cana, Las Galeras and Jarabacoa. The Colonial City of Santo Domingo is recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site. The main tourist activities are fishing, watersports and hiking. The nation has a total of more than 6 million tourists visiting every year coming from all over the world.
Santo Domingo
