Dominican Republic

Dominicans are predominantly of mixed European, African, and Indigenous heritage. Spanish is the official language. The country shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, and migration across the border is a sensitive issue.

Roman Catholicism is the traditional faith, with a growing evangelical Protestant minority.

Society

The Dominican Republic has a young, growing population and rising living standards, with a vibrant culture — the birthplace of merengue and bachata and a baseball powerhouse — though poverty and inequality persist.