Hispaniola
Steven Dutch, Professor Emeritus, Natural and Applied Sciences, Universityof Wisconsin - Green Bay
Hispaniola is the second largest island in the Caribbean, second only to Cuba. The large islands, Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica and Puerto Rico, are called the Greater Antilles. The remaining, much smaller islands, are called the Lesser Antilles. Hispaniola is shared by Haiti, which occupies the western 40% of the island, and the Dominican Republic, which occupies the eastern 60%. Hispaniola is the most populous Caribbean island.
The total area of Hispaniola is 76,142 sq. km. (29,418 sq. mi.), between South Carolina and West Virginia in size. The total population is 21.4 million, about equal to Florida. Haiti and the Dominican Republic are almost equal in population. Haiti has 11.4 million inhabitants and the Dominican Republic 10.9 million. Haiti's area is 27,750 sq. km. (10,710 sq. mi.), about the land area of Maryland. The Dominican Republic is 48,445 sq. km. (18,705 sq. mi.), about the same as Vermont and New Hampshire combined.
The highest elevation on Hispaniola, and indeed the entire Caribbean, is Pico Duarte in the Dominican Republic (3,098 m or 10,164 feet). It is high enough to get occasional light snow. The highest peak in Haiti is Pic la Selle (2,680 metres or 8,793 feet). Lago Enriquillo is unusual in that its surface is 46 m (151 ft) below sea level. The lake has no outlet and is saline, ranging from about like sea water to three times as salty. The lake is the lowest point in any island nation. The lake is located in a trough created by faults, one of which was responsible for the deadly 2010 earthquake.
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Created 13 February 2021, Last Update