DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. The Do minican Republic, West Indies, occupies the eastern and central portions of the island of Santo Domingo, or Haiti: bounded on the north by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, on the west by the republic of Haiti, and separated by Mona Passage from Porto Rico on the east. Area about 19,325 square miles.
The mountains — the centre and culmination of the Great Antillean uplift — form several cordilleras or roughly parallel ranges. The highest peak, Mount Tina (10,300 feet), is northwest of Santo Domingo City, and near the centre of the island are numerous peaks from 8,000 to 9,000 feet high. While the enormous mass of these mountains, occupying four-fifths of the island, renders much of the territory nearly inaccessible, between the ranges lie plains, some of which are wonderfully fertile, while others are without value for agriculture. Toward the north and west are the famous Vega Real and the sterile plain, Despoblado de Santiago; near the south coast the rich valley of Banff, which extends between the Nizao and the Ocoa ; and in sequence the valleys of Azua, San Juan, or Antigua Maguana, Santo Tome, On ceano, Hincha, Quava, and others. Toward the east, extending even to Cape Engafio is a region in which the praderias or llanos mead .ows or plains — are most common. The ridge of the Cibao Mountains sinks to a height of only 1,000 feet at its eastern end.
The Ozama and Isabel rivers unite to form the port of Santo Domingo after receiving the waters of many smaller streams, such as the Yavacao, the Monte Plata and the Savita. The Haina, or Jana, which empties into the sea about 10 miles west of the capital, and the Nigua, whose course is still farther toward the west, enclose a very beautiful plain which was a source of wealth during the Spanish period. The Nizao flows southward between fields of sugar-cane and meadows where herds of cattle graze. Other rivers are the Artibonito, Yaqui, Yuna, Naranja, and Magua. The coast-line, about 940 miles in extent, includes the Bay of Samana — a well-sheltered harbor extending westward from the Mona Passage, its average width being 12 or 13 miles and its length more than 25 miles. This bay would accommodate the largest fleets, and defensive works placed at its entrance would make it practically impregnable. Its strategic value is so great that it should be reckoned one of the republic's chief assets.
Other ports are: on the north, Puerto Plata and Monte Cristi; on the south, Santo Domingo and Azua.
The geology of the island is similar to that of the eastern ends of Cuba and Jamaica. There are four principal formations : "the older moun tain rocks, of Cretaceous and Tertiary Age, made up of igneous rocks and clays, mantled by gravels and crystalline limestone; the white limestones of Tertiary Age; recent alluvial for mations; and the coast limestone of elevated reef rock. No recent volcanic rocks are The Spaniards obtained large amounts of gold and silver, especially the former, from mines worked during the early years of coloni zation. Recent reports made by American ex perts are not especially favorable with regard to these two metals. The fact seems to be that gold exists quite generally, but not in paying quantities owing to the high-priced labor. The profits of the old mines were won by the labor of native and African slaves. Copper, iron, manganese, platinum, tin, lignite, salt and petro leum are found; and the analogy of the Oriente mining region in Cuba would suggest that the deposits of the first three metals deserve par ticular attention.
The diversities of both soil and climate are greater than elsewhere in the Antilles. The Vega Real is fertile and well-watered; the San tiago plain, its western prolongation, is a desert. The soil of the western part of the plain of Seylo is gravelly, while that of the eastern part is composed of foams and clays. The country immediately surrounding Azua is barren; but the best sugar estates on the island are only three miles away; and the sugar-lands of no other West Indian island can quite rival in fer tility the Dominican Republic's best. The cli mate of this country is healthful, like that of Porto Rico and other large islands in the West Indies. Trade winds blowing most of the year make the nights cool, and only a short part of the day must be called intensely hot, particularly in low-lying and sheltered regions. The dry season extends from the first part of December until June. During the other months the rain fall is as a rule abundant in the central and northern districts, especially in the northeast, which is probably the most fertile section of the entire country.