Dominican Republic vs. Haiti
Geography
| Dominican Republic | Haiti | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti | Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Republic |
| Geographic coordinates | 19 00 N, 70 40 W | 19 00 N, 72 25 W |
| Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Central America and the Caribbean |
| Area | total: 48,670 sq km land: 48,320 sq km water: 350 sq km | total: 27,750 sq km land: 27,560 sq km water: 190 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly more than twice the size of New Jersey | slightly smaller than Maryland |
| Land boundaries | total: 376 km border countries (1): Haiti 376 km | total: 376 km border countries (1): Dominican Republic 376 km |
| Coastline | 1,288 km | 1,771 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: to depth of exploitation |
| Climate | tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall | tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds |
| Terrain | rugged highlands and mountains interspersed with fertile valleys | mostly rough and mountainous |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Pico Duarte 3,098 m lowest point: Lago Enriquillo -46 m mean elevation: 424 m | highest point: Pic la Selle 2,674 m lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m mean elevation: 470 m |
| Natural resources | nickel, bauxite, gold, silver, arable land | bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower, arable land |
| Land use | agricultural land: 51.5% (2018 est.) arable land: 16.6% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 10.1% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 24.8% (2018 est.) forest: 40.8% (2018 est.) other: 7.7% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 66.4% (2018 est.) arable land: 38.5% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 10.2% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 17.7% (2018 est.) forest: 3.6% (2018 est.) other: 30% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 3,070 sq km (2012) | 970 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding; periodic droughts | lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding and earthquakes; periodic droughts |
| Environment - current issues | water shortages; soil eroding into the sea damages coral reefs; deforestation | extensive deforestation (much of the remaining forested land is being cleared for agriculture and used as fuel); soil erosion; overpopulation leads to inadequate supplies of potable water and and a lack of sanitation; natural disasters |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban |
| Geography - note | shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti (eastern two-thirds makes up the Dominican Republic, western one-third is Haiti); the second largest country in the Antilles (after Cuba); geographically diverse with the Caribbean's tallest mountain, Pico Duarte, and lowest elevation and largest lake, Lago Enriquillo | shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic); it is the most mountainous nation in the Caribbean |
| Total renewable water resources | 23.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 14.022 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | coastal development is significant, especially in the southern coastal plains and the Cibao Valley, where population density is highest; smaller population clusters exist in the interior mountains (Cordillera Central) | fairly even distribution; largest concentrations located near coastal areas |
Source: CIA Factbook
