Dominican Republic 2002

Yearbook 2002

Dominican Republic. On May 16, congressional and municipal elections were held in the Dominican Republic. The opposition party Partido Reformista Social Cristiano (PRSC) went strongly ahead and doubled the number of members in the House of Representatives. The ruling party Partido Revolucionario Dominicano (PRD) thus lost the majority it had since the 1998 elections, but at the same time took no less than 29 of the Senate’s 32 seats.

Despite the new power relations in the House of Representatives, the government is still trying to enforce constitutional amendments intended to lower the threshold for victory in presidential elections from 50% to 40%, and to enable the re-election of the president, which was banned by the previous constitutional changes in 1994. In the municipal elections, the PRD won in 104 of the country’s 125 municipalities.

According to Countryaah website, national day of Dominican Republic is every February 27. The leading person in Dominican politics for the past 40 years, JoaquĆ­n Balaguer, died July 14, 95 years old. He served as president for a total of 22 years during seven terms in 1966-78 and 1986-96.

Dominican Republic Border Countries Map

Dominican Republic Country Overview

Visas to
The Dominican Republic do not require a visa for Finnish citizens. Visa policies and rates are subject to change without notice depending on local authorities.

Exit
fee The exit fee is paid in person upon leaving the country.

Insurance
Everyone participating in the trip must have a valid travel insurance that covers medical expenses in the event of illness or other similar need. Please check the validity of your own insurance and the terms and conditions of the insurance cancellation cover.

Please pay attention to the special nature of your trip and check the coverage of the insurance in that respect as well. In many locations, the insurance must also be valid when moving at an altitude of more than 3,000 meters, in which case it also covers mountain sickness.

Many hiking or diving trips require more extensive insurance, which covers, for example, diving or moving on a glacier. Please check the contents of your insurance with your insurance company.

Vaccinations No vaccinations
are actually required in the Dominican Republic, but hepatitis A vaccination is recommended. Please always check the vaccination requirements at your health center or the vaccination advice of the tourist clinic

Currency: Dominican Republic Peso (DOP). You can take US dollars or euros as a backup. Dollars are often used directly as a means of payment. You can pay by credit card in major cities. Currency can be obtained from Finland by booking in advance.

Tips
Most often, restaurants expect 10% tip money.

Time difference to Finland
The Dominican Republic has a time difference of -9 hours in summer and -8 hours in winter.

Electricity In
The Dominican Republic, electricity is generally 110 V and you also need an American-style adapter.

Mobile phones
In general, mobile phones work well, please check the coverage of your subscription with your operator. Area Codes for Dominican Republic are + 1-809, + 1-829 and + 1-849.

Climate
The average temperature in the Dominican Republic is around +25 degrees all year round. Indeed, some call the island an endless summer island because of its sunny and mild climate. The driest season is winter, from November to April. The summer season is from May to August and the climate is a bit wetter and hotter. June-November is also a time when hurricanes may occur in the Caribbean.

Religion
The official main religion in the Dominican Republic is Catholicism.