At 48,445 square kilometers (18,705 sq. mi), Dominican Republic is the second largest Caribbean nation after Cuba. It sits pretty in the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region.

The country's coordinates (latitudes 17° and 20°N, and longitudes 68° and 72°W) place it well within the tropics. This allows it to boast the great rain forests of Dominica where flora and fauna thrives freely without a lot of human interruptions.

The Rain Forests of Dominica are spread in the following national parks;

• Morne Trois Piton National Park
• Morne Diablotin National Park

The best way to see the forest is on an aerial tram, or zip lining over the forest canopy. The rainforest of the country is so vast that it has led to the country being known as 'the Nature Island of the Caribbean'. It was also the first country to be named on the Green Globe 21 as an eco-tourism destination.

Within the ecosystem, you will find many water systems that include rivers, lagoons, lakes etc. They include;

• The Yaque del Norte
• Yuna River
• San Juan River
• Yarque Del Sur
• The Artibonito
• Lae Enriquillo
• Laguna de Rincón or Cabral
• Laguna de Oviedo

If you do nothing else in the Caribbean, make sure you get to explore the wonders of the Dominica Rain Forests. They hold so much promise in a world that is quickly cutting down its trees.