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| The World Factbook |
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Dominican Republic |
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Flag
Description:
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
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Introduction |
Dominican Republic |
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Background:
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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. |
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Geography |
Dominican Republic |
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Location:
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Caribbean, eastern two-thirds
of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North
Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti |
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Geographic coordinates:
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19 00 N, 70 40 W |
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Map references:
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Central America and the
Caribbean |
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Area:
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total: 48,730 sq km
land: 48,380 sq km
water: 350 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly more than twice the
size of New Hampshire |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 360 km
border countries: Haiti 360 km |
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Coastline:
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1,288 km |
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Maritime claims:
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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
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Climate:
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tropical maritime; little
seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall |
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Terrain:
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rugged highlands and
mountains with fertile valleys interspersed |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Lago
Enriquillo -46 m
highest point: Pico Duarte 3,175 m |
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Natural resources:
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nickel, bauxite, gold, silver
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Land use:
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arable land: 22.49%
permanent crops: 10.26%
other: 67.25% (2005) |
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Irrigated land:
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2,750 sq km (2003) |
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Natural hazards:
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lies in the middle of the
hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional
flooding; periodic droughts |
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Environment - current issues:
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water shortages; soil eroding
into the sea damages coral reefs; deforestation |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping,
Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
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Geography - note:
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shares island of Hispaniola
with Haiti |
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People |
Dominican Republic |
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Population:
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9,183,984 (July 2006 est.)
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Age structure:
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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.)
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Median age:
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total: 24.1 years
male: 24 years
female: 24.3 years (2006 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.47% (2006 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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23.22 births/1,000 population
(2006 est.) |
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Death rate:
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5.73 deaths/1,000 population
(2006 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-2.79 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2006 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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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.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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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.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population:
71.73 years
male: 70.21 years
female: 73.33 years (2006 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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2.83 children born/woman
(2006 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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1.7% (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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88,000 (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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7,900 (2003 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Dominican(s)
adjective: Dominican |
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Ethnic groups:
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mixed 73%, white 16%, black
11% |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 95% |
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Languages:
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Spanish |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and
over can read and write
total population: 84.7%
male: 84.6%
female: 84.8% (2003 est.) |
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Government |
Dominican Republic |
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Country name:
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conventional long form:
Dominican Republic
conventional short form: The Dominican
local long form: Republica Dominicana
local short form: La Dominicana |
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Government type:
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representative democracy |
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Capital:
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name: Santo Domingo
geographic coordinates: 18 28 N, 69 54 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time) |
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Administrative divisions:
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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 |
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Independence:
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27 February 1844 (from Haiti)
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 27 February
(1844) |
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Constitution:
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28 November 1966; amended 25
July 2002 |
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Legal system:
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based on French civil codes;
Criminal Procedures Code modified in 2004 to include important elements of
an accusatory system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age, universal
and compulsory; married persons regardless of age
note: members of the armed forces and national police cannot vote
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Executive branch:
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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 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 (PLD) 57.1%, Rafael Hipolito MEJIA Dominguez (PRD) 33.7%,
Eduardo ESTRELLA (PRSC) 8.7% |
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Legislative branch:
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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 (150 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 16 May 2002 (next to be held in May
2006); House of Representatives - last held 16 May 2002 (next to be held in
May 2006)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - PRD 29, PLD 2, PRSC 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by
party - NA; seats by party - PRD 73, PLD 41, PRSC 36 |
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Judicial branch:
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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) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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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 ATUN] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Citizen Participation Group (Participacion
Ciudadania); Collective of Popular Organizations or COP; Foundation for
Institution-Building and Justice (FINJUS) |
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International organization participation:
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ACP, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO
(suspended), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent),
ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), PCA,
RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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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)
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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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 |
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Flag description:
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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 |
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Economy |
Dominican Republic |
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Economy - overview:
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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 and 2005. 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, unemployment
remains an important challenge. 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. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$67.44 billion (2005 est.)
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$18.15 billion (2005 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
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9.3% (2005 est.) |
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
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$7,500 (2005 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 11.2%
industry: 30.6%
services: 58.2% (2003) |
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Labor force:
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2.3 million-2.6 million (2000
est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture: 17%
industry: 24.3%
services: 58.7% (1998 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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17% (2005 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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25% |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 2.1%
highest 10%: 37.9% (1998) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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47.4 (1998) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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4.2% (2005 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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24.1% of GDP (2005 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $5.322
billion
expenditures: $5.485 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.1
billion (2005) |
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Public debt:
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45.5% of GDP (2005 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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sugarcane, coffee, cotton,
cocoa, tobacco, rice, beans, potatoes, corn, bananas; cattle, pigs, dairy
products, beef, eggs |
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Industries:
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tourism, sugar processing,
ferronickel and gold mining, textiles, cement, tobacco |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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2% (2001 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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12.6 billion kWh (2003) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 92%
hydro: 7.6%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0.4% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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11.71 billion kWh (2003) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2003) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2003) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2003) |
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Oil - consumption:
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128,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
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Oil - exports:
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NA bbl/day |
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Oil - imports:
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129,900 bbl/day (2003) |
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Natural gas - production:
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0 cu m (2003 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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300 million cu m (2003 est.)
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Natural gas - imports:
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NA cu m |
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Current account balance:
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$-143 million (2005 est.)
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Exports:
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$5.818 billion f.o.b. (2005
est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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ferronickel, sugar, gold,
silver, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, meats, consumer goods |
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Exports - partners:
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US 79%, Netherlands 2.4%,
Mexico 1.9% (2005) |
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Imports:
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$9.747 billion f.o.b. (2005
est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton
and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals |
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Imports - partners:
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US 50.2%, Colombia 6.2%,
Mexico 5.8% (2005) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$1.853 billion (2005 est.)
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Debt - external:
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$7.687 billion (2005 est.)
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$571.6 million (2004) |
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Currency (code):
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Dominican peso (DOP) |
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Currency code:
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DOP |
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Exchange rates:
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Dominican pesos per US dollar
- 30.409 (2005), 42.12 (2004), 30.831 (2003), 18.61 (2002), 16.952 (2001)
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |
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Communications |
Dominican Republic |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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894,500 (2005) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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3.623 million (2005) |
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Telephone system:
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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) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 120, FM 56, shortwave 4
(1998) |
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Radios:
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1.44 million (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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25 (2003) |
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Televisions:
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770,000 (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.do |
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Internet hosts:
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91,895 (2006) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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24 (2000) |
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Internet users:
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938,300 (2005) |
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Transportation |
Dominican Republic |
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Airports:
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33 (2006) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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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) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 19
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 10 (2006) |
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Railways:
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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) |
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Roadways:
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total: 12,600 km
paved: 6,224 km
unpaved: 6,376 km (1999) |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 1 ship (1000
GRT or over) 1,587 GRT/1,165 DWT
by type: cargo 1 (2006) |
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Ports and terminals:
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Boca Chica, Puerto Plata, Rio
Haina, Santo Domingo |
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Military |
Dominican Republic |
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Military branches:
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Army, Navy, Air Force |
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Military service age and obligation:
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18 years of age for voluntary
military service (2001) |
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Manpower available for military service:
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males age 18-49:
2,133,142
females age 18-49: 2,032,840 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males age 18-49:
1,671,493
females age 18-49: 1,536,257 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower reaching military service age annually:
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males age 18-49:
91,699
females age 18-49: 87,550 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$0 (2002 est.) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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0% (2002 est.) |
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Transnational Issues |
Dominican Republic |
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Disputes - international:
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increasing numbers of illegal
migrants from the Dominican Republic cross the Mona Passage each year to
Puerto Rico to find work |
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Illicit drugs:
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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
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This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
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