Pico Duarte

Pico Duarte (Duarte Peak) is the highest peak in the Dominican Republic, the island of Hispaniola and possibly the Caribbean. It is just 85 km (53 mi) from the lowest point in the Cordillera Central range: Lago Enriquillo, the island's largest lake.

At approximately 3,100 m (10,170 ft) above sea level, it gives Hispaniola the 16th-highest elevation of any island in the world. However, it is slightly taller than La Pelona, its twin, which stands at 3,084 m (10,118 ft).

The mountain's elevation has been the subject of debate for decades. Until the mid-1990s, it was held to be 3,175 m (10,417 ft) high. In 2003, it was measured by a researcher using GPS technology, and it was found to be 3,098 m (10,164 ft) tall. The official elevation recorded by Dominican government agencies is 3,087 m (10,128 ft).

Cordillera Central / Massif du Nord

The Central Range, a series of parallel mountain chains known in the Dominican Republic as the Cordillera Central, spans the central part of the island of Hispaniola, extending from the southern coast of the Dominican Republic into northwestern Haiti, where it is known as the Massif du Nord (Northern Massif).

The Cordillera Central extends from the plains between San Cristóbal and Baní to the northwestern peninsula of Haiti. The Pico Duarte and Valle Nuevo massifs have the highest range elevations.

In Haitian territory, the range's general altitude varies from 600 - 1,200 m (1,970 - 3,970 ft). Dominican territory's crest line averages approximately 1,800 m (6,000 ft) asl.

José Armando Bermúdez National Park

José Armando Bermúdez National Park, a protected area of the Dominican Republic, spans the northern slopes and central portions of the Cordillera Central, protecting diverse flora and fauna species.

The National Park protects the Hispaniolan pine forests ecoregion of the Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests Biome.

Flora of significant biodiversity includes native trees, shrubs, and ferns such as:

• Hispaniolan pine (Pinus occidentalis) — endemic to Hispaniola

• Pale magnolia (Magnolia pallescens) — endemic to Hispaniola, IUCN Red List endangered species

• West Indian mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni) — endemic to the Caribbean and southern Florida

• Dominican butterfly bush (Buddleja domingensis) (syn. Buddleja calcicola) — endemic to Hispaniola

_{Topographical map of the Dominican Republic depicting the Cordillera Central, from the southern coast into northwestern Haiti}