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  Dominican Republic  
Flag of Dominican Republic
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 Geography
 People
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This page was last updated on 15 March, 2007


Map of Dominican Republic



Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Dominican Republic Top of Page
Background:
Definition Field Listing
Explored and claimed by Christopher COLUMBUS on his first voyage in 1492, the island of Hispaniola became a springboard for Spanish conquest of the Caribbean and the American mainland. In 1697, Spain recognized French dominion over the western third of the island, which in 1804 became Haiti. The remainder of the island, by then known as Santo Domingo, sought to gain its own independence in 1821, but was conquered and ruled by the Haitians for 22 years; it finally attained independence as the Dominican Republic in 1844. In 1861, the Dominicans voluntarily returned to the Spanish Empire, but two years later they launched a war that restored independence in 1865. A legacy of unsettled, mostly non-representative rule followed, capped by the dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas TRUJILLO from 1930-1961. Juan BOSCH was elected president in 1962, but was deposed in a military coup in 1963. In 1965, the United States led an intervention in the midst of a civil war sparked by an uprising to restore BOSCH. In 1966, Joaquin BALAGUER defeated BOSCH in an election to become president. BALAGUER maintained a tight grip on power for most of the next 30 years when international reaction to flawed elections forced him to curtail his term in 1996. Since then, regular competitive elections have been held in which opposition candidates have won the presidency. Former President (1996-2000) Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna won election to a second term in 2004 following a constitutional amendment allowing presidents to serve more than one term.
   Geography    Dominican Republic Top of Page
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
19 00 N, 70 40 W
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 48,730 sq km
land: 48,380 sq km
water: 350 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
total: 360 km
border countries: Haiti 360 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
1,288 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
territorial sea: 6 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Lago Enriquillo -46 m
highest point: Pico Duarte 3,175 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
nickel, bauxite, gold, silver
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 22.49%
permanent crops: 10.26%
other: 67.25% (2005)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
2,750 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding; periodic droughts
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
water shortages; soil eroding into the sea damages coral reefs; deforestation
Environment - international agreements:
Definition Field Listing
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti
   People    Dominican Republic Top of Page
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
9,183,984 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 32.6% (male 1,531,145/female 1,464,076)
15-64 years: 61.9% (male 2,902,098/female 2,782,608)
65 years and over: 5.5% (male 235,016/female 269,041) (2006 est.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing
total: 24.1 years
male: 24 years
female: 24.3 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
1.47% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
23.22 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
5.73 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
-2.79 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 28.25 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 30.58 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 25.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 71.73 years
male: 70.21 years
female: 73.33 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.83 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.7% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
88,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
7,900 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Dominican(s)
adjective: Dominican
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
mixed 73%, white 16%, black 11%
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
Spanish
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 84.7%
male: 84.6%
female: 84.8% (2003 est.)
   Government    Dominican Republic Top of Page
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: Dominican Republic
conventional short form: The Dominican
local long form: Republica Dominicana
local short form: La Dominicana
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
representative democracy
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
name: Santo Domingo
geographic coordinates: 18 28 N, 69 54 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
31 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 district* (distrito); Azua, Baoruco, Barahona, Dajabon, Distrito Nacional*, Duarte, El Seibo, Elias Pina, Espaillat, Hato Mayor, Independencia, La Altagracia, La Romana, La Vega, Maria Trinidad Sanchez, Monsenor Nouel, Monte Cristi, Monte Plata, Pedernales, Peravia, Puerto Plata, Salcedo, Samana, San Cristobal, San Jose de Ocoa, San Juan, San Pedro de Macoris, Sanchez Ramirez, Santiago, Santiago Rodriguez, Santo Domingo, Valverde
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
27 February 1844 (from Haiti)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Independence Day, 27 February (1844)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
28 November 1966; amended 25 July 2002
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
based on French civil codes; Criminal Procedures Code modified in 2004 to include important elements of an accusatory system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age, universal and compulsory; married persons regardless of age; note - members of the armed forces and national police cannot vote
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
chief of state: President Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna (since 16 August 2004); Vice President Rafael ALBURQUERQUE de Castro (since 16 August 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna (since 16 August 2004); Vice President Rafael ALBURQUERQUE de Castro (since 16 August 2004)
cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second consecutive term); election last held 16 May 2004 (next to be held in May 2008)
election results: Leonel FERNANDEZ elected president; percent of vote - Leonel FERNANDEZ 57.1%, Rafael Hipolito MEJIA Dominguez 33.7%, Eduardo ESTRELLA 8.7%
Legislative branch:
Definition Field Listing
bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate or Senado (32 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Camara de Diputados (178 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 16 May 2006 (next to be held in May 2008); House of Representatives - last held 16 May 2006 (next to be held in May 2008)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PLD 22, PRD 6, PRSC 4; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PLD 96, PRD 60, PRSC 22
Judicial branch:
Definition Field Listing
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are appointed by the National Judicial Council comprised of the president, the leaders of both chambers of congress, the president of the Supreme Court, and an additional non-governing party congressional representative)
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
Dominican Liberation Party or PLD [Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna]; Dominican Revolutionary Party or PRD [Ramon ALBURQUERQUE]; National Progressive Front [Vincent CASTILLO, Pelegrin CASTILLO]; Social Christian Reformist Party or PRSC [Enrique ANTUN]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
Citizen Participation Group (Participacion Ciudadania); Collective of Popular Organizations or COP; Foundation for Institution-Building and Justice (FINJUS)
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
ACP, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (suspended), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador Flavio Dario ESPINAL Jacobo
chancery: 1715 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-6280
FAX: [1] (202) 265-8057
consulate(s) general: Anchorage, Boston, Chicago, Mayaguez (Puerto Rico), Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador Hans H. HERTELL
embassy: corner of Calle Cesar Nicolas Penson and Calle Leopoldo Navarro, Santo Domingo
mailing address: Unit 5500, APO AA 34041-5500
telephone: [1] (809) 221-2171
FAX: [1] (809) 686-7437
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
a centered white cross that extends to the edges divides the flag into four rectangles - the top ones are blue (hoist side) and red, and the bottom ones are red (hoist side) and blue; a small coat of arms featuring a shield supported by an olive branch (left) and a palm branch (right) is at the center of the cross; above the shield a blue ribbon displays the motto, DIOS, PATRIA, LIBERTAD (God, Fatherland, Liberty), and below the shield, REPUBLICA DOMINICANA appears on a red ribbon
   Economy    Dominican Republic Top of Page
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
The Dominican Republic is a Caribbean representative democracy that enjoyed strong GDP growth until 2003. Although the country has long been viewed primarily as an exporter of sugar, coffee, and tobacco, in recent years the service sector has overtaken agriculture as the economy's largest employer due to growth in tourism and free trade zones. Growth turned negative in 2003 with reduced tourism, a major bank fraud, and limited growth in the US economy (the source of about 80% of export revenues), but recovered in 2004-06. With the help of strict fiscal targets agreed in the 2004 renegotiation of an IMF standby loan, President FERNANDEZ has stabilized the country's financial situation. Although the economy continues to grow at a respectable rate, high unemployment and inflation remain important challenges. The country suffers from marked income inequality; the poorest half of the population receives less than one-fifth of GNP, while the richest 10% enjoys nearly 40% of national income. The Dominican Republic's development prospects improved with the ratification of the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) in September 2005.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$73.74 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
Definition Field Listing
$19.91 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
7.2% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$8,000 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 11.2%
industry: 30.6%
services: 58.2% (2005 est.)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3.896 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 17%
industry: 24.3%
services: 58.7% (1998 est.)
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
16% (2006 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
25%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: 2.1%
highest 10%: 37.9% (1998)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
Definition Field Listing
47.4 (1998)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
8.2% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
15.5% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $5.852 billion
expenditures: $5.947 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.1 billion (2006 est.)
Public debt:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
45.6% of GDP (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
sugarcane, coffee, cotton, cocoa, tobacco, rice, beans, potatoes, corn, bananas; cattle, pigs, dairy products, beef, eggs
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining, textiles, cement, tobacco
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
15.02 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
13.96 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2004)
Oil - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
12 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
127,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA bbl/day
Oil - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
129,900 bbl/day (2003)
Natural gas - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
130 million cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
130 million cu m (2004 est.)
Current account balance:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$-1.124 billion (2006 est.)
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$6.495 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
ferronickel, sugar, gold, silver, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, meats, consumer goods
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
US 78.9%, Netherlands 2.4%, Mexico 1.9% (2005)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$11.39 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
US 50%, Colombia 6.2%, Mexico 5.8% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$2.106 billion (2006 est.)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$8.634 billion (2006 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
$571.6 million (2004)
Currency (code):
Definition Field Listing
Dominican peso (DOP)
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
Dominican pesos per US dollar - 33.406 (2006), 30.409 (2005), 42.12 (2004), 30.831 (2003), 18.61 (2002)
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
calendar year
   Communications    Dominican Republic Top of Page
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
894,500 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3.623 million (2005)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
general assessment: NA
domestic: relatively efficient system based on island-wide microwave radio relay network
international: country code - 1-809; 1 coaxial submarine cable; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 120, FM 56, shortwave 4 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
25 (2003)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.do
Internet hosts:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
91,895 (2006)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
938,300 (2005)
   Transportation    Dominican Republic Top of Page
Airports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
33 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 14
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 19
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 10 (2006)
Railways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 517 km
standard gauge: 375 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 142 km 0.762-m gauge
note: additional 1,226 km operated by sugar companies in 1.076 m, 0.889 m, and 0.762-m gauges (2005)
Roadways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 12,600 km
paved: 6,224 km
unpaved: 6,376 km (1999)
Merchant marine:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 1,587 GRT/1,165 DWT
by type: cargo 1 (2006)
Ports and terminals:
Definition Field Listing
Boca Chica, Puerto Plata, Rio Haina, Santo Domingo
   Military    Dominican Republic Top of Page
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing
Army, Navy, Air Force
Military service age and obligation:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
Manpower available for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 2,133,142
females age 18-49: 2,032,840 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 1,671,493
females age 18-49: 1,536,257 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 91,699
females age 18-49: 87,550 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0.9% (2006 est.)
   Transnational Issues    Dominican Republic Top of Page
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
Haitian migrants cross the porous border into the Dominican Republic to find work; illegal migrants from the Dominican Republic cross the Mona Passage each year to Puerto Rico to find better work
Illicit drugs:
Definition Field Listing
transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; has become a transshipment point for ecstasy from the Netherlands and Belgium destined for US and Canada; substantial money laundering activity; Colombian narcotics traffickers favor the Dominican Republic for illicit financial transactions; significant amphetamine consumption

This page was last updated on 15 March, 2007


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