The Dominican Republic is on the island of Hispaniola which is shared with the nation of Haiti. The DR is the second largest Caribbean nation by area (the largest is Cuba).

The island was “discovered” by Christopher Columbus in 1492, although the native Taíno people had been there since the 7th century.

Historically the island is significant because the Santo Domingo colony was the site of the first permanent European settlement in the Americas, and the oldest continuously inhabited city in the Americas.

Now, it is one of the most visited islands in the Caribbean with great golf courses, many luxurious resorts, as well as other natural attractions like caves, biological parks, and mountains.