The Dominican Republic is divided into thirty-one provincias, while the national capital, Santo Domingo, is contained within its own Distrito Nacional.
Santiago de los Caballeros, often shortened to Santiago, is the second-largest city in the Dominican Republic and the fourth-largest city in the Caribbean by population. It is the capital of Santiago Province and the largest major metropolis in the Cibao region of the country. Santiago is the largest Caribbean city that is not a capital city, and it is also the largest non-coastal metropolis in the Caribbean islands. The city has a total population of 771,748 inhabitants (2022). Santiago is located approximately 155 km (96 mi) northwest of the capital Santo Domingo with an average altitude of 178 m (584 ft).
The 1948 Salta earthquake took place in the Argentinian province of Salta on 25 August at The shock was 7.0 on the moment magnitude scale and had a maximum Mercalli Intensity of IX (Violent). Property damage and casualties occurred in several towns in the east and southeast of Salta, and also in northern Tucumán and Jujuy, affecting the capitals of both. It was the last major earthquake recorded in the Argentine Northwest until the 2010 Salta earthquake.
The 1918 San Fermín earthquake, also known as the Puerto Rico earthquake of 1918, struck the island of Puerto Rico at on October 11. The earthquake measured 7.1 on the moment magnitude scale and IX (Violent) on the Mercalli intensity scale. The mainshock epicenter occurred off the northwestern coast of the island, somewhere along the Puerto Rico Trench.
Miss Dominican Republic is an annual national beauty pageant that selects the Dominican Republic's official representative to Miss Universe—one of the Big Four International beauty pageants.
The Miss Mundo Dominicana 2006 pageant was held on July 10, 2006. Only 16 candidates competed for the national crown. The chosen winner represented the Dominican Republic at the Miss World 2006. The runners-up could enter different small international pageants.
The 2003 Bingöl earthquake hit eastern Turkey with a moment magnitude of 6.4 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent) on 1 May at . The epicenter of this strike-slip earthquake was in Bingöl Province, 15 km north of Bingöl. At least 177 people were killed, and 625 buildings collapsed or suffered heavy damage in the affected region. Eighty-four of the fatalities occurred when a dormitory block collapsed in a boarding school in Celtiksuyu.
The Miss Mundo Dominicana 2005 pageant was held on July 11, 2005, with 28 candidates competing for the national crown. The winner, Elisa Abreu de los Santos, represented the Dominican Republic at the Miss World 2005.
The 1984 San Pedro Basin earthquake occurred on June 24 at with a moment magnitude of 6.7 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VII. The event occurred off the southern coast of the Dominican Republic and resulted in an estimated five fatalities.
The 2010 Oaxaca earthquake struck Oaxaca, Mexico on June 30, 2010, with an magnitude of 6.3. Many people in different cities left their beds and ran into the street, as the quake struck at 2:22 am.
Pedro José Borrell Bentz is an internationally recognized Dominican architect and archeologist who has earned several awards and is recognized for the transcendence in his architectural designs.
The 1985 Rapel Lake earthquake occurred on 8 April at with a moment magnitude of 7.2 and a maximum perceived intensity of VI (Strong). The shock was centered 75 kilometres (47 mi) southwest of Santiago, Chile, with a focal depth of 37.8 km (23 mi).
The 2002 Burica earthquake occurred on off the coast of Panama. It had a magnitude of 6.5. The epicenter was located off the southeastern coast of Burica Peninsula, close to the Costa Rica–Panama border. Some homes collapsed and at least 11 people were reported injured, both in Panama and in Costa Rica. The strongest intensity reached VII in Puerto Armuelles, Panama. It was felt with III (Weak) to IV (Light) around San Jose, Costa Rica. Shops in the center of Puerto Armuelles suffered from loss such as fallen merchandise and broken window glass. This earthquake occurred along the Panama Fracture Zone.
The 1906 Valparaíso earthquake hit Valparaíso, Chile, on August 16 at 19:55 local time. Its epicenter was offshore from the Valparaíso Region, and its magnitude was estimated at 8.2 . This earthquake occurred thirty minutes after the 1906 Aleutian Islands earthquake.
White Dominicans, also known as Caucasian Dominicans, are Dominican people of predominant or total European ancestry. The 2022 Dominican Republic census reported that 1,611,752 people or 18.7% of those 12 years old and above identify as white, 731,855 males and 879,897 females.
The 1983 Popayán earthquake occurred on 31 March in Popayán, Colombia. It had a moment magnitude of 5.6 with an epicenter south west of Popayán at a depth of 15 kilometers (9.3 mi). The earthquake killed 267 people and resulted in the passing of new laws requiring earthquake resistant building materials in zones at risk of tremors.
Tourism in the Dominican Republic is an important sector of the country's economy. More than 10 million tourists visited the Dominican Republic in 2023, making it the most popular tourist destination in the Caribbean and putting it in the top 5 overall in the Americas. The industry accounts for 11.6% of the nation's GDP and is a particularly important source of revenue in coastal areas of the country. The nation's tropical climate, white sand beaches, diverse mountainous landscape and colonial history attracts visitors from around the world. In 2022, the nation's tourism was named the best-performing nation since the height of the pandemic with over 5% visitors more in comparison to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
The Cathedral of St. Philip the Apostle in Puerto Plata Also known as Puerto Plata Cathedral, and as St. Philip the Apostle Cathedral is a cathedral of the Catholic Church that is located in Calle José del Carmen Ariza 36 of the city of Puerto Plata part of the province of the same name to the north of the island of Hispaniola and the Caribbean country of the Dominican Republic, It should not be confused with other cathedrals of the same name in Chile, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.
On 19 September 2022, a moment magnitude 7.6-7.7 earthquake struck between the Mexican states of Michoacán and Colima at 13:05:06 local time. The earthquake had a depth of 26.9 km (16.7 mi), resulting in a maximum intensity of VIII (Severe) on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale. The USGS reported the epicentre was 35 km (22 mi) southwest of the town of Aquila. Two people were killed and at least 35 others were injured across several states. A magnitude 6.8 aftershock struck on 22 September, causing three more deaths.
