The Dominican Republic is located in the heart of the Caribbean and occupies the Eastern side of the Hispaniola Island. The Dominican Republic land area extends to 48.442 km² which 1,585 kilometers are coastal area. The Dominican Republic represents more than two thirds of the Hispaniola Island that shares with Haiti with 275 kilometers of border line.

Limits with the Atlantic Ocean to the North, East with Puerto Rico, South with the Caribbean Sea and to the West with the border of Haiti. The Island occupies a position almost equidistant between Cuba and Puerto Rico. The waters of ‘Canal del Viento’ separate the Dominican Republic from Cuba and the ‘Canal de la Mona’ separates from Puerto Rico.

The Dominican Republic is a fertile country which almost 80% is covered by mountain chains that goes from the Northwest to the Southeast. The Duarte Peak, 3,175 meters high, is the highest peak of the country and the Antilles.

The country has three main mountain chains:

• Central Chain: starts in Haiti and goes across the central area of the country and ends in the South in the town of San Cristobal.
  
• Northern Chain: Is parallel to the Central Chain separating the Cibao Valley from the coastal plains of the Atlantic. Here is the Diego de Ocampo Peak, the highest elevated peak of this chain.
  
• Oriental Chain: located in the East area of the Island, is the shortest and has the less altitude of the all chains.

                                     
Other important mountain chains are: Bahoruco and Neyba in the Southwest region. In general, the geography of the Dominican Republic is basically rough and rugged mountains mixed with fertile valleys.

The lowest point of the country is in the Enriquillo Lake, a salty water lake that is 46 meters bellow sea level located in the Southwest.

Dominican Republic has several rivers like Yaque del Norte, Yaque del Sur, Soco, Higuamo, Romana, Yuna and others.