Editing Dominican Republic (section)

==Geography==
{{main|Geography of the Dominican Republic|List of islands of the Dominican Republic}}
[[File:Dominican Republic relief location map.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|Topographical map of Dominican Republic]]
The Dominican Republic comprises the eastern five-eighths of [[Hispaniola]], the second-largest island in the [[Greater Antilles]], with the [[Atlantic Ocean]] to the north and the [[Caribbean Sea]] to the south. It shares the island roughly at a 2:1 ratio with [[Haiti]], the north-to-south (though somewhat irregular) border between the two countries being {{convert|376|km|mi|abbr=on}}.<ref name="CIADemo" /> To the north and north-west lie [[The Bahamas]] and the [[Turks and Caicos Islands]], and to the east, across the [[Mona Passage]], the US Commonwealth of [[Puerto Rico]]. The country's area is reported variously as {{convert|48442|km²|0|abbr=on}} (by the embassy in the United States)<ref name="embassy" /> and {{convert|48670|km²|0|abbr=on}},<ref name="CIADemo" /> making it the second largest country in the [[Antilles]], after [[Cuba]]. The Dominican Republic's capital and largest city [[Santo Domingo]] is on the southern coast.<ref name="CIADemo" /> The Dominican Republic is located near fault action in the Caribbean.

[[File:Monte Cristi, Coastline.JPG|thumb|[[Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic|Monte Cristi]] coastline]]
The Dominican Republic has four important mountain ranges. The most northerly is the ''[[Cordillera Septentrional]]'' ("Northern Mountain Range"), which extends from the northwestern coastal town of [[San Fernando de Monte Cristi|Monte Cristi]], near the Haitian border, to the [[Samaná Peninsula]] in the east, running parallel to the Atlantic coast. The highest range in the Dominican Republic&nbsp;– indeed, in the whole of the West Indies&nbsp;– is the ''[[Cordillera Central, Dominican Republic|Cordillera Central]]'' ("Central Mountain Range"). In the Cordillera Central are the four highest peaks in the Caribbean: [[Pico Duarte]] ({{convert|3098|m|ft|0|disp=or}} above sea level),<ref name="CIADemo" /> La Pelona ({{convert|3094|m|ft|0|disp=or}}), La Rucilla ({{convert|3049|m|ft|0|disp=or}}), and Pico Yaque ({{convert|2760|m|ft|0|disp=or}}). In the southwest corner of the country, south of the Cordillera Central, there are two other ranges: the more northerly of the two is the ''[[Sierra de Neiba]]'', while in the south the ''[[Sierra de Bahoruco]]'' is a continuation of the [[Massif de la Selle]] in Haiti. There are other, minor mountain ranges, such as the ''Cordillera Oriental'' ("Eastern Mountain Range"), ''Sierra Martín García'', ''Sierra de Yamasá'', and ''Sierra de Samaná''.

Between the Central and Northern mountain ranges lies the rich and fertile [[Cibao]] valley. This major valley is home to the cities of [[Santiago de los Caballeros|Santiago]] and [[Concepción de La Vega|La Vega]] and most of the farming areas of the nation. Rather less productive are the semi-arid San Juan Valley, south of the Central Cordillera, and the Neiba Valley, tucked between the Sierra de Neiba and the Sierra de Bahoruco. Much of the land around the [[Lake Enriquillo|Enriquillo]] Basin is below sea level, with a hot, arid, desert-like environment. There are other smaller valleys in the mountains, such as the [[Constanza, Dominican Republic|Constanza]], [[Jarabacoa]], [[Villa Altagracia]], and [[Bonao]] valleys.
The ''Llano Costero del Caribe'' ("Caribbean Coastal Plain") is the largest of the plains in the Dominican Republic. Stretching north and east of Santo Domingo, it contains many sugar plantations in the [[savannah]]s that are common there. West of Santo Domingo its width is reduced to {{convert|10|km|mi}} as it hugs the coast, finishing at the mouth of the Ocoa River. Another large plain is the ''Plena de Azua'' ("Azua Plain"), a very arid region in [[Azua Province]]. A few other small coastal plains are on the northern coast and in the [[Pedernales Province|Pedernales]] Peninsula.
[[File:Salto el Limón (14688207924).jpg|thumb|upright|Salto del Limón, one of many waterfalls across the Dominican Republic]]
Four major rivers drain the numerous mountains of the Dominican Republic. The [[Yaque del Norte River|Yaque del Norte]] is the longest and most important Dominican river. It carries excess water down from the Cibao Valley and empties into Monte Cristi Bay, in the northwest. Likewise, the [[Yuna River]] serves the Vega Real and empties into Samaná Bay, in the northeast. Drainage of the San Juan Valley is provided by the San Juan River, [[tributary]] of the [[Yaque del Sur]], which empties into the Caribbean, in the south. The [[Artibonite River|Artibonito]] is the longest river of Hispaniola and flows westward into Haiti. There are many lakes and coastal lagoons. The largest lake is [[Lake Enriquillo|Enriquillo]], a [[salt lake]] at {{convert|45|m|ft|0}} below sea level, the lowest elevation in the Caribbean.<ref name="CIADemo" />

There are many small offshore islands and [[cay]]s that form part of the Dominican territory. The two largest islands near shore are [[Saona Island|Saona]], in the southeast, and [[Beata]], in the southwest. Smaller islands include the [[Cayos Siete Hermanos]], [[Isla Cabra]], [[Cayo Jackson]], [[Cayo Limón]], [[Cayo Levantado]], [[Cayo la Bocaina]], [[Catalina Island (Dominican Republic)|Catalanita]], [[Cayo Pisaje]] and [[Isla Alto Velo]]. To the north, at distances of {{convert|100|-|200|km|mi|0}}, are three extensive, largely submerged [[Bank (topography)|banks]], which geographically are a southeast continuation of [[the Bahamas]]: [[Navidad Bank]], [[Silver Bank]], and [[Mouchoir Bank]]. Navidad Bank and Silver Bank have been officially claimed by the Dominican Republic.{{citation needed|date=August 2019}} [[Isla Cabritos]] lies within [[Lago Enriquillo]].

The country is home to five terrestrial ecoregions: [[Hispaniolan moist forests]], [[Hispaniolan dry forests]], [[Hispaniolan pine forests]], [[Enriquillo wetlands]], and [[Greater Antilles mangroves]].<ref name="DinersteinOlson2017">{{cite journal|last1=Dinerstein|first1=Eric|author-link1=:de:Eric Dinerstein|last2=Olson|first2=David|last3=Joshi|first3=Anup|last4=Vynne|first4=Carly|last5=Burgess|first5=Neil D.|last6=Wikramanayake|first6=Eric|author-link6=Eric Wikramanayake|last7=Hahn|first7=Nathan|last8=Palminteri|first8=Suzanne|last9=Hedao|first9=Prashant|last10=Noss|first10=Reed|last11=Hansen|author-link10=Reed Noss|first11=Matt|last12=Locke|first12=Harvey|author-link12=Harvey Locke|last13=Ellis|first13=Erle C.|author-link13=Erle Ellis|last14=Jones|first14=Benjamin|last15=Barber|first15=Charles Victor|last16=Hayes|first16=Randy|last17=Kormos|first17=Cyril|last18=Martin|first18=Vance|author-link18=Vance Martin|last19=Crist|first19=Eileen|last20=Secrest|first20=Wes|last21=Price|first21=Lori|last22=Baillie|first22=Jonathan E. M.|last23=Weeden|first23=Don|last24=Suckling|first24=Kierán|author-link24=Kieran Suckling|last25=Davis|first25=Crystal|last26=Sizer|first26=Nigel|last27=Moore|first27=Rebecca|last28=Thau|first28=David|last29=Birch|first29=Tanya|last30=Potapov|first30=Peter|last31=Turubanova|first31=Svetlana|last32=Tyukavina|first32=Alexandra|last33=de Souza|first33=Nadia|last34=Pintea|first34=Lilian|last35=Brito|first35=José C.|last36=Llewellyn|first36=Othman A.|last37=Miller|first37=Anthony G.|last38=Patzelt|first38=Annette|last39=Ghazanfar|first39=Shahina A.|author-link39=Shahina A. Ghazanfar|last40=Timberlate|first40=Jonathan|last41=Klöser|first41=Heinz|last42=Shennan-Farpón|first42=Yara|last43=Kindt|first43=Roeland|last44=Lillesø|first44=Jens-Peter Barnekow|last45=van Breugel|first45=Paulo|last46=Graudal|first46=Lars|last47=Voge|first47=Maianna|last48=Al-Shammari|first48=Khalaf F.|last49=Saleem|first49=Muhammad|display-authors=3|date=2017-04-05|title=An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm|journal=[[BioScience]]|volume=67|issue=6|pages=534–545; Supplemental material 2 table S1b|doi=10.1093/biosci/bix014|doi-access=free|pmc=5451287|pmid=28608869|issn=0006-3568}}</ref>

===Climate===
{{Main|Climate of the Dominican Republic}}
<!--[[File:Los Haitises Park.jpeg|thumb|Los Haitises Park National Park]]-->
The Dominican Republic has a [[tropical rainforest climate]]<ref name="researchgate.net">{{cite journal |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/250004144 |title=A New Climatic Map of the Dominican Republic Based on the Thornthwaite Classification |last1=Isso |first1=Michela |last2=Aucelli |first2=Pietro |last3=Maratea |first3=Antonio |last4=Rosskopf |first4=Carmen |last5=Mendez-Tejada |first5=Rafael |last6=Pérez |first6=Carlos |last7=Segura |first7=Hugo |date=September 2010 |journal=Physical Geography |volume=31 |number=5 |pages=455–472 |doi=10.2747/0272-3646.31.5.455|bibcode=2010PhGeo..31..455I |s2cid=129484907 }}</ref> in the coastal and lowland areas. Some areas, such as most of the [[Cibao]] region, have a [[tropical savanna climate]].<ref name="researchgate.net"/> Due to its diverse topography, Dominican Republic's climate shows considerable variation over short distances and is the most varied of all the Antilles. The annual average temperature is {{convert|25|C|F}}. At higher elevations the temperature averages {{convert|18|C|F|1}} while near sea level the average temperature is {{convert|28|C|F|1}}. Low temperatures of {{convert|0|C|F}} are possible in the mountains while high temperatures of {{convert|40|C|F}} are possible in protected valleys. January and February are the coolest months of the year while August is the hottest month. Snowfall can be seen on rare occasions on the summit of [[Pico Duarte]].<ref name="DRcli" />

The [[wet season]] along the northern coast lasts from November through January. Elsewhere the wet season stretches from May through November, with May being the wettest month. Average annual rainfall is {{convert|1500|mm|in|1}} countrywide, with individual locations in the Valle de Neiba seeing averages as low as {{convert|350|mm|in|1}} while the Cordillera Oriental averages {{convert|2740|mm|in|1}}. The driest part of the country lies in the west.<ref name="DRcli" />

[[Tropical cyclones]] strike the Dominican Republic every couple of years, with 65% of the impacts along the southern coast. Hurricanes are most likely between June and October.<ref name="DRcli">{{cite web|url=http://countrystudies.us/dominican-republic/19.htm|title=Dominican Republic&nbsp;– Climate|author=United States Library of Congress|publisher=Country Studies US|date=May 24, 2007|access-date=October 27, 2009|author-link=United States Library of Congress|archive-date=July 6, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090706224436/http://countrystudies.us/dominican-republic/19.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="CIADemo" /> The last major hurricane that struck the country was [[Hurricane Georges]] in 1998.{{Atlantic hurricane best track}}

<gallery mode="packed" heights="122px">
File:Constanza, valle nuevo, clima invierno..jpg|Frosted alpine forest in [[Constanza, Dominican Republic]]
File:Cabo Cabrón, (Rincón Beach) Samaná, DR.JPG|Tropical rainforest climate in [[Samaná Province|Samana]], Dominican Republic
File:Jaragua National Park (Road2).JPG|Semi-arid climate in [[Pedernales Province|Pedernales]], Dominican Republic
File:Dunas de Baní 1.jpg|Desert sand dunes of [[Baní]], Dominican Republic
</gallery>

===Fauna===
[[Bat]]s make up 90% of the native terrestrial mammal species residing in the Dominican Republic.<ref>Burton K Lim and others, Phylogeography of Dominican Republic bats and implications for systematic relationships in the Neotropics, Journal of Mammalogy, Volume 98, Issue 4, 1 August 2017, Pages 986–993</ref> Lake Enriquillo, located in the Dominican Republic's southwest, is home to the largest population of [[American crocodile]]s.