A country in the West Indies that occupies the E two-thirds of the Hispaniola island. The Dominican Republic's shores are washed by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and the Caribbean Sea to the south. The Mona Passage, a channel about 130 km wide, separates the country (and the Hispaniola) from Puerto Rico. The Dominican Republic is divided into 31 provinces. Additionally, the national capital, Santo Domingo, is contained within its own Distrito Nacional (National District). The provinces are divided into municipalities (municipios; singular municipio).