Dominica

Coordinates: 15°25′N 61°20′W / 15.417°N 61.333°W / 15.417; -61.333

Dominica (/ˌdɒmɪˈniːkə/ DOM-i-NEE-kə;French: Dominique; Island Carib: Wai‘tu kubuli), officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island country in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its area is 750 square kilometres (290 sq mi) and the highest point is Morne Diablotins, at 1,447 metres (4,747 ft) elevation. The population was 72,301 at the 2014 census. The capital is Roseau, located on the leeward side of the island.

The island was originally inhabited by the Kalinago/Arawak and later colonised by the Europeans, predominately by the French, who arrived at the island on Sunday, 3 November 1493 ("Sunday" = "Domenica" in Italian). Great Britain took it over in 1763 after the Seven Years' War and gradually established English as the official language. The island republic gained independence in 1978.

Its name is pronounced with emphasis on the third syllable, related to its former Dominique. Dominica has been nicknamed the "Nature Isle of the Caribbean" for its unspoiled natural beauty. It is the youngest island in the Lesser Antilles, still being formed by geothermal-volcanic activity, as evidenced by the world's second-largest hot spring, Boiling Lake. The island has lush mountainous rainforests, and is the home of many rare plants, animals, and bird species. There are xeric areas in some of the western coastal regions, but heavy rainfall occurs inland. The Sisserou parrot (also known as the imperial amazon), is found only on Dominica and is the island's national bird and features on the national flag. Dominica's economy depends on tourism and agriculture.

Punta Cana

Punta Cana is part of the Punta Cana-Bávaro-Veron-Macao municipal district, in the municipality of Higüey, in La Altagracia Province, the easternmost province of the Dominican Republic. The area has beaches and balnearios which face both the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, and it has been a popular tourist destination since the 1970s.

Geography and climate

The Punta Cana area has an estimated population of 100,000, with an annual growth rate of 6%. To the north, it borders the village and beach of Cabeza de Toro, and the Bávaro and El Cortecito beaches. The nearest city, the 500-year-old Higüey, is 45 kilometres (28 mi) away, which takes about an hour to reach by car. European entrepreneurs, particularly Spanish hotel chains, own all but two of the over 50 megaresorts at the Punta Cana tourism destination.

The province’s 100-kilometre (62 mi) coastline tends to be mildly windy. The ocean waters are mainly shallows, with several natural marine pools in which visitors can bathe without danger. From north to south, the main beaches are Uvero Alto, Macao, Arena Gorda, Bávaro, El Cortecito, Las Corales and Cabeza de Toro, all north of the cape; and Cabo Engaño, Punta Cana and Juanillo south of the cape.

Dominican Republic

Coordinates: 19°00′N 70°40′W / 19.000°N 70.667°W / 19.000; -70.667

The Dominican Republic (ⁱ/dəˌmɪnᵻkən rᵻˈpʌblɪk/; Spanish: República Dominicana [reˈpuβlika ðominiˈkana]) is a country on the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western three-eighths of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands, along with Saint Martin, that are shared by two countries. Both by area and population the Dominican Republic is the second-largest Caribbean nation (after Cuba), with 48,445 square kilometres (18,705 sq mi) and nearly 10 million people, one million of whom live in the capital city Santo Domingo.

Bahia Principe

Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts is currently a division of resorts owned by Grupo Piñero, and founded in 1995 with the opening of the Bahía Príncipe San Juan in the Dominican Republic.

The company currently maintains a total of 24 five-star beach resorts: in Palma de Mallorca and Tenerife (Spain); Riviera Maya (Mexico); Samaná, La Romana, Punta Cana, and Puerto Plata (Dominican Republic); and Runaway Bay(Jamaica).

It also keeps travel and tour offices in Argentina, Miami, Florida, Portugal, and Russia.

Currently, the chain continues to expand with the aim of increasing the number of its establishments and thereby exceeding the 20,000 hotel rooms that it already boasts. The Bahia Principe brand classifies all five-star establishments with the name Grand Bahia Principe and four-star establishments with the name Bahia Principe. It also recently created a brand bringing together all the highest quality Grand Bahia Principe establishments, which are classified with the distinction of Luxury Bahia Principe Don Pablo Collection.

Mejia

Mejia, Mejía, Mexia, Mejias or Mejías may refer to:

See also