Yes, it is a countrie with about 8.5 million ppl and it shares the island with another countrie called Haiti. The Dominican Rep. has everything to offer that any city in the U.S.A. has. When it comes to tourism, I believe it has more bang for your buck than any other destination. It is not the cheapest place to go, but it is cheap(it also has some high end resorts, that has rooms that can go for as much as 2500.00 U.S. per night)and has very much to offer. Check it out.....I believe you'll like it!!!