The Dominican Republic (Spanish República Dominicana) is an island nation located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. It includes the east and the center of the island, the western third belongs to the state of Haiti.
The nationals are called Dominicans in German. The Dominican Republic is not to be confused with the island of Dominica, which belongs to the Lesser Antilles and whose citizens are called Dominicans.
The name of the state is derived from its capital, Santo Domingo, which in turn is named after the founder of the Dominican Order, St. Dominic (Latin Dominicus; civil name: Domingo de Guzmán Garcés; b. c. 1170 in Caleruega near Burgos, Old Castile; † August 6, 1221 in Bologna, Italy).
Source: Wikipedia