from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Dominican Republic
Introduction
Background: 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
Location: Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of
Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North
Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti
Geographic 19 00 N, 70 40 W
coordinates:
Map Central America and the Caribbean
references:
Area: total: 48,730 sq km
land: 48,380 sq km
water: 350 sq km
Area - slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire
comparative:
Land total: 360 km
boundaries: border countries: Haiti 360 km
Coastline: 1,288 km
Maritime territorial sea: 6 nm
claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the
continental margin
Climate: tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature
variation; seasonal variation in rainfall
Terrain: rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys
interspersed
Elevation lowest point: Lago Enriquillo -46 m
extremes: highest point: Pico Duarte 3,175 m
Natural nickel, bauxite, gold, silver
resources:
Land use: arable land: 22.49%
permanent crops: 10.26%
other: 67.25% (2005)
Irrigated 2,750 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to
hazards: severe storms from June to October; occasional
flooding; periodic droughts
Environment - water shortages; soil eroding into the sea damages
current coral reefs; deforestation
issues:
Environment - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
international Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
agreements: Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life
Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti
note:
People
Population: 9,183,984 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 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: total: 24.1 years
male: 24 years
female: 24.3 years (2006 est.)
Population 1.47% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 23.22 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 5.73 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration -2.79 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: 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 total: 28.25 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 30.58 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 25.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 71.73 years
expectancy at male: 70.21 years
birth: female: 73.33 years (2006 est.)
Total 2.83 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 1.7% (2003 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 88,000 (2003 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - 7,900 (2003 est.)
deaths:
Nationality: noun: Dominican(s)
adjective: Dominican
Ethnic groups: mixed 73%, white 16%, black 11%
Religions: Roman Catholic 95%
Languages: Spanish
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 84.7%
male: 84.6%
female: 84.8% (2003 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Dominican Republic
conventional short form: The Dominican
local long form: Republica Dominicana
local short form: La Dominicana
Government representative democracy
type:
Capital: 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 31 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1
divisions: 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: 27 February 1844 (from Haiti)
National Independence Day, 27 February (1844)
holiday:
Constitution: 28 November 1966; amended 25 July 2002
Legal system: based on French civil codes; Criminal Procedures Code
modified in 2004 to include important elements of an
accusatory system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age, universal and compulsory; married
persons regardless of age
note: members of the armed forces and national police
cannot vote
Executive chief of state: President Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna (since
branch: 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%
Legislative bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional
branch: 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
Judicial Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are appointed by
branch: 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 Dominican Liberation Party or PLD [Leonel FERNANDEZ
parties and Reyna]; Dominican Revolutionary Party or PRD [Ramon
leaders: ALBURQUERQUE]; National Progressive Front [Vincent
CASTILLO, Pelegrin CASTILLO]; Social Christian
Reformist Party or PRSC [Enrique ATUN]
Political Citizen Participation Group (Participacion Ciudadania);
pressure Collective of Popular Organizations or COP; Foundation
groups and for Institution-Building and Justice (FINJUS)
leaders:
International ACP, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt
organization (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO
participation: (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
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Flavio Dario ESPINAL
representation Jacobo
in the US: 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 chief of mission: Ambassador Hans H. HERTELL
representation embassy: corner of Calle Cesar Nicolas Penson and Calle
from the US: Leopoldo Navarro, Santo Domingo
mailing address: Unit 5500, APO AA 34041-5500
telephone: [1] (809) 221-2171
FAX: [1] (809) 686-7437
Flag a centered white cross that extends to the edges
description: 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
Economy - The Dominican Republic is a Caribbean representative
overview: 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.
GDP $67.44 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $18.15 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 9.3% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $7,500 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 11.2%
composition by industry: 30.6%
sector: services: 58.2% (2003)
Labor force: 2.3 million-2.6 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: 17%
by occupation: industry: 24.3%
services: 58.7% (1998 est.)
Unemployment 17% (2005 est.)
rate:
Population 25%
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: 2.1%
income or highest 10%: 37.9% (1998)
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 47.4 (1998)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 4.2% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 24.1% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $5.322 billion
expenditures: $5.485 billion; including capital
expenditures of $1.1 billion (2005)
Public debt: 45.5% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - sugarcane, coffee, cotton, cocoa, tobacco, rice, beans,
products: potatoes, corn, bananas; cattle, pigs, dairy products,
beef, eggs
Industries: tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining,
textiles, cement, tobacco
Industrial 2% (2001 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 12.6 billion kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 92%
production by hydro: 7.6%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0.4% (2001)
Electricity - 11.71 billion kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 0 bbl/day (2003)
production:
Oil - 128,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: 129,900 bbl/day (2003)
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 300 million cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Natural gas - NA cu m
imports:
Current $-143 million (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $5.818 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - ferronickel, sugar, gold, silver, coffee, cocoa,
commodities: tobacco, meats, consumer goods
Exports - US 79%, Netherlands 2.4%, Mexico 1.9% (2005)
partners:
Imports: $9.747 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals
commodities: and pharmaceuticals
Imports - US 50.2%, Colombia 6.2%, Mexico 5.8% (2005)
partners:
Reserves of $1.853 billion (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $7.687 billion (2005 est.)
external:
Economic aid - $571.6 million (2004)
recipient:
Currency Dominican peso (DOP)
(code):
Currency code: DOP
Exchange Dominican pesos per US dollar - 30.409 (2005), 42.12
rates: (2004), 30.831 (2003), 18.61 (2002), 16.952 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 894,500 (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 3.623 million (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: NA
system: 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 AM 120, FM 56, shortwave 4 (1998)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 1.44 million (1997)
Television 25 (2003)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 770,000 (1997)
Internet .do
country code:
Internet 91,895 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 24 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 938,300 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 33 (2006)
Airports - total: 14
with paved over 3,047 m: 3
runways: 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 - total: 19
with unpaved 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
runways: 914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 10 (2006)
Railways: 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: total: 12,600 km
paved: 6,224 km
unpaved: 6,376 km (1999)
Merchant total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 1,587 GRT/1,165 DWT
marine: by type: cargo 1 (2006)
Ports and Boca Chica, Puerto Plata, Rio Haina, Santo Domingo
terminals:
Military
Military Army, Navy, Air Force
branches:
Military 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
service age
and
obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 2,133,142
available for females age 18-49: 2,032,840 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 1,671,493
for military females age 18-49: 1,536,257 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 91,699
reaching females age 18-49: 87,550 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $0 (2002 est.)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 0% (2002 est.)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - increasing numbers of illegal migrants from the
international: Dominican Republic cross the Mona Passage each year to
Puerto Rico to find work
Illicit drugs: 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