🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti but the economic contrast is stark — the DR has a GDP of about $115 billion and is the Caribbean's largest economy. The population of 11 million enjoys a per capita income roughly 10 times Haiti's. Tourism is massive: Punta Cana alone receives more visitors than most Caribbean countries combined. The DR has produced more Major League Baseball players than any country outside the US — over 800 active and retired players. Santo Domingo, founded in 1496, is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the Americas.

Tourism generates about $9 billion annually, making it the country's top foreign exchange earner. Free trade zones produce textiles, cigars, and medical devices for export, primarily to the US. Remittances from the 2+ million Dominicans in the US contribute about $10 billion per year. Gold mining has become significant — the Pueblo Viejo mine is one of the largest in the Americas. GDP growth has been strong at 5-6% pre-pandemic.

The DR produces about 70% of the world's organic bananas and is the world's largest exporter of organic cocoa. The country's Lago Enriquillo is the lowest point in the Caribbean at 46 meters below sea level and home to American crocodiles. Dominican amber contains the most insect inclusions of any amber in the world — it inspired the mosquito-in-amber premise of Jurassic Park.

The DR is the Caribbean's growth engine, and the diversified economy (tourism, remittances, mining, manufacturing) provides resilience. The challenge is ensuring growth reaches beyond the resort zones.