1.
The DR does not has a homogenous climate or topography. You can find pretty much any climate or topography you want in the DR, with extreme ease and proximity to the major cities. Granted, pretty much anything north and east of the Central Mountain range is hot and humid and anything west is hotter and arid. However, in the Cordillera Central of the DR there are places where you can swear you are somewhere in Vermont or the Perinnies. Make a visit to a valley called "La Nevera", I think the names says it all.
2.
Comparing the entire DR to either central Mexico, Central Colombian, the Caracas area of Venezuela, the Sul State of Brazil, or the Rio de Plata region of Uruguay and northern Argentina in an economical sense is like comparing New York City or London to Alexandria, Virginia or Stratford-upon-Avon!
In other words,
apples to oranges. Those places are the most industrial, wealthiest, and most economically active regions of all of Latin America. Mexico City is the world's 30th largest economy on it's own and Mexico is among the few countries with an economy worth in the US$1 Trillion mark making it one of the top 10 biggest and most important economies worldwide. With the case of Sao Paulo, which is the epicenter of the modern Brazilian economy and especially, the Sul state, it's economy is valued at $500 billion!!!! With a population of lets say 20 million, that amounts to roughly US$25,000 per person. That's quite high, although the disparity in income explains for why there are poor people in Sao Paulo and extremely rich people. The issue in those regions of Latin America has more to do with the distribution of income more than any lack of anything, because those regions don't lack money, industry, whatever its there!
The situation with the DR is utterly different, given that the country is just recently beginning to accumulate some wealth on a national level and it's certainly a peripheral nation on a regional and global scale.
Please make sure that when comparing, you do take into account the realities of each region vs. the DR. Samething is true with various African countries or countries anywhere.
Also,
when comparing DR to African countries, please mention the country you are referring to in Africa. Africa is a
HUGE place and no two places are alike. There are countries in Africa with a very vibrant upper middle income economy and other places that are virtual hell holes. There are also countries with a great concentration of wealth around certain metropolises and other places where money is obviously needed. In short, comparing any country to "Africa" is
exploiting the stereotypes that continent has accrued in Europe and the Americas vs. the reality of that place. Africa is a continent with many countries, each country being radically different from the next. So please, refer to the country you are comparing the DR to in Africa.
Compared to Botswana, yes DR is backward. Compared to Sierra Leone, oh please! Compared to South Africa, well that depends where in South Africa because that country ranges from first world to fourth world depending where you are referring.
That's it, everything else is on the mark with personal biases based on personal preferences.
Good thread!
-NALs
