On Friday morning, Pope Francis will meet with the Dominican President Danilo Medina at the Vatican.
The Dominican Republic is the second largest country in the Caribbean, after Cuba. It takes up nearly two thirds of island of Hispaniola, sharing it with Haiti, which takes up the other one third.
The country's population is estimated at 9.5 million people. The majority, about70 percent, is Catholic; while 18 percent identify as Protestant, another 11 percent have no religious affiliation.
The Dominican Republic is a representative democracy with a presidential system. Danilo Medina has been president since his election on August 16, 2012.
The two leaders are expected to talk about the relationships between the Holy See and the Dominican Republic, as well as the Church's role in the country.
Medina will be the third president from the Dominican Republic to travel to the Vatican to meet with a Pontiff. ;
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