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Many people get them mixed up and believe they are the same, but Dominica and the Dominican Republic are two separate islands in the Caribbean.
The Caribbean archipelago hosts a chain of pearls, including two of the most confused: Dominica and theDominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. Dominica, officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the West Indies. To the north-northwest lies Guadeloupe and to the southeast Martinique.
The Dominican Republic is situated on the eastern part of the second-largest island in the Greater Antilles, Hispaniola, sharing the island roughly at a 2:1 ratio with Haiti. There are many small offshore islands and cays that are also part of the Dominican territory.
Dominica is an island nation and borderless country in the Caribbean Sea, the northernmost of the Windward Islands. It is said that when his royal sponsors asked Christopher Columbus to describe this islands in the "New World," he crumpled a piece of parchment roughly and threw it on the table. This, Columbus explained, is what Dominica looks like—completely covered with mountains, nary a flat spot to be found.
Dominica has been nicknamed the "Nature Isle of the Caribbean" for its seemingly unspoiled natural beauty. It is the youngest island in the Lesser Antilles, still being formed by geothermal-volcanic activity, as evidenced by the world's second-largest boiling lake.
The island features lush mountainous rainforests, home of many rare plant, animal and bird species. There are xeric areas in some of the western coastal regions, but heavy rainfall can be expected inland. Dominica has many waterfalls, springs and over 365 rivers.
The Dominican Republic, however, has become the Caribbean's largest tourist destination; the country's year-round golf courses are among the top attractions. Located in this mountainous country is the Caribbean's highest mountain, Pico Duarte, as well as Lake Enriquillo, the Caribbean's largest lake.
Quisqueya, as Dominicans often call their country, has a mild average temperature of 26°C and is outstanding for its great biological diversity.
The spirit and charm of the Dominican Republic is captured in its music, food, and national pastimes. Known for its professional winter baseball, handcrafted cigars and annual music festivals, the culture of the Dominican Republic is never boring. It's always an artful and a colorful expression of life.
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