Dominican Republic and Haiti: Country Studies

Dominican Republic and Haiti: Country Studies
in height. The Procurrente de Barahona (Cape of Barahona)
extends southward from the Sierra de Baoruco and consists of
a series of terraces.
Drainage
The Dominican Republic has seven major drainage basins.
Five of these rise in the Cordillera Central and a sixth in the
Sierra de Yamasa. The seventh drainage system flows into the
Lago Enriquillo (Lake Enriquillo) from the Sierra de Neiba to
the north and the Sierra de Baoruco to the south. In general,
other rivers are either short or intermittent.
The Yaque del Norte is the most significant river in the country.
Some 296 kilometers long and with a basin area of 7,044
square kilometers, it rises near Pico Duarte at an elevation of
2,580 meters in the Cordillera Central. It empties into Bahia de
Monte Cristi on the northwest coast where it forms a delta. The
Yaque del Sur is the most important river on the southern
coast. It rises to an elevation of 2,707 meters in the southern
slopes of the Cordillera Central. Its upper course through the
mountains comprises 75 percent of its total length of some 183
kilometers. The basin area is 4,972 square kilometers. The river
forms a delta near its mouth in the Bahia de Neiba.
The Lago Enriquillo, the largest lake in the Antilles, lies in
the western part of the Hoya de Enriquillo. Its drainage basin
includes ten minor river systems and covers an area of more
than 3,000 square kilometers. The northern rivers of the system
are perennial and rise in the Sierra de Neiba, while the
southern rivers rise in the Sierra de Baoruco and are intermittent,
flowing only after heavy rainfall. The Lago Enriquillo
itself varies from 200 to 265 square kilometers. Its water level
oscillates because of the high evaporation rate, yet on the average
it is forty meters below sea level. The water in the lake is
saline.
Climate
The Dominican Republic has primarily a tropical climate,
with more diurnal and local than seasonal variations in temperature,
and with seasonal variability in the abundance of rainfall.
The average annual temperature is 25°C, ranging from 18°C at
an elevation of more than 1,200 meters to 28°C at an elevation
of ten meters. Highs of 40°C are common in protected valleys,
as are lows of 0°C in mountainous areas. In general, August is
the hottest month and January and February, the coldest.
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