Capital: Santo Domingo Climate: Maritime semitropical, with an average yearly temperature of 80 F Currency: Dominican peso Ethnic groups: European - 16% African origin - 11% Mixed - 73% Government type: Representative Democracy Independence: February 27, 1844 (from Haiti) Language: Spanish Phone Code: International access code-809 Political parties and leaders: Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) - Leonel Fernandez Reyna Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC) Population: 8,950,034 (as of July, 2005) Religion Official: Roman Catholic (95%) Other - Protestant, Seventh Day Adventist, Baptist, and Mormon Tourism: In 2006, tourist arrivals increased by 16 percent with 4.4 million guests choosing the Dominican Republic as their top vacation spot. In addition, the number of visitors to the DR from the U.S. remains steady, with more than one million for the second consecutive year. The DR was also named “Caribbean's Number One Destination” in 2006, a title given by the World Tourism Organization and one that was owned by Puerto Rico for the last forty years.