The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti , making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries . Inhabited by Taínos since the seventh century, the territory of the Dominican Republic was reached by Christopher Columbus in 1492 and became the site of the first permanent European settlement in the Americas , namely Santo Domingo , the country's capital and Spain's first capital in the New World . In Santo Domingo stand, among other firsts in the Americas, the first university , cathedral , and castle , the latter two in the Ciudad Colonial area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site . The Dominican Republic has become the Caribbean's largest tourist destination; the country's year-round golf courses are among the top attractions. In this mountainous land is located the Caribbean's highest mountain, Pico Duarte , as is Lake Enriquillo , the Caribbean's largest lake and lowest elevation. Quisqueya, as Dominicans often call their country, has an average temperature of 26 °C (78.8 °F) and great biological diversity. Music and sport are of the highest importance in Dominican culture, with merengue as the national dance and song and baseball the favorite sport.