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Catalina
	; Northern part of Catalina Island, with La Romana Province in background
Geography
	; Catalina Island, Dominican Republic (Dominican Republic)
Coordinates	18°21′36″N 69°00′17″W / 18.36°N 69.00472°W
Area	9.6 square kilometres (3.7 sq mi)
Country
	Dominican Republic
Province	La Romana
Largest city	Playa Punta Melilla (pop. 301)
Demographics
Population	301 (as of 2009)

This article refers to the island in the Dominican Republic, for the island off the California coast, see Santa Catalina Island, California

Catalina Island or Isla Catalina is a tropical island located 1.5 miles from the mainland on the south-east corner of the Dominican Republic, near La Altagracia and La Romana. It is a favorite destination for cruise ships. In particular, Costa Cruises has a private beach on the island. Their ships anchor offshore and transport passengers to shore via tender.

[edit] Geography

The island itself is only 9.6 square kilometers in size, and is a diverse preservation of eco-systems including sand dunes, mangroves, and reefs. Formed out of coral stone, the island contains three overlapping plateaus. The highest elevation on the island is only 60 feet above sea level. The seas around the Island are rich in wildlife, with many species of birds and tropical marine fish, and there are large areas where natural sandbars offshore bring the depth to just a few feet.

[edit] History

The island was baptized "Santa Catalina" by Christopher Columbus, who discovered it in May, 1494.

[edit] Recent events

On December 13, 2007, the Shipwreck of a 17th century merchant vessel has been found in a depth of 3 meters just off the island. It is probably William Kidd's Quedagh Merchant, also known as the Cara Merchant (Ships name found in Kidd's original testimony during his trial prior to his hanging on May 23, 1701.