Map of Dominican Republic | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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Background: The Dominican Republic has had a legacy of unsettled mostly non-representative rule for much of the 20th century.


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Location: Caribbean, in the northern Caribbean Sea, about halfway between Cuba and Puerto Rico

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total area total: 48,730 km²
Land: 48,380 km²

Land boundaries: total 275 km, Haiti 275 km

Coastline: 1,288 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or the outer edge of continental margin
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 6 nm

Climate: tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall

Terrain: rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed

Elevation

Natural resources: nickel, bauxite, gold, silver

Land use
Arable land: 23%
Permanent crops: 7%
Meadows and pastures: 43%
Forest and woodland: 13%
Other: 14%

Irrigated land: 2,250 km² (1989)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: subject to occasional hurricanes (July to October)

Geography
Note: shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti (eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic, western one-third is Haiti)


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Population: 7,826,075 (July 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 1.8% (1994 est.)

Nationality: noun:Dominican(s)

Ethnic groups: white 16%, black 11%, mixed 73%

Languages: Spanish

Religions: Roman Catholic 95%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.8% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 24.87 births/1000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 6.2 deaths/1000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.63 migrant(s)/1000 population (1994 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: water shortages; soil eroding into the sea damages coral reefs; deforestation

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 51.5 deaths/1000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 68.35 years
Male: 66.22 years
Female: 70.6 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.8 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Total population: 83%
Male: 85%
Female: 82%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: conventional short form: none
Local long form:

Government type: republic

Capital: Santo Domingo

Administrative divisions: 29 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 district* (distrito; Azua, Baoruco, Barahona, Dajabon, Distrito Nacional*, Duarte, Elias Pina, El Seibo, 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, Sanchez Ramirez, San Cristobal, San Juan, San Pedro De Macoris, Santiago, Santiago Rodriguez, Valverde

Dependent areas

Independence: 27 February 1844 (from Haiti)

National holiday: Independence Day, 27 February (1844)

Constitution: 28 November 1966

Legal system: based on French civil codes

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory or married persons regardless of age
Note: members of the armed forces and police cannot vote

Executive branch: chief of state and head of government:President Joaquin BALAGUER Ricardo (since 16 August 1986, fifth elected term began 16 August 1990; Vice President Carlos A. MORALES Troncoso (since 16 August 1986; election last held 16 May 1990 (next to be held May 1994; results - Joaquin BALAGUER (PRSC) 35.7%, Juan BOSCH Gavino (PLD) 34.4%, Jose Francisco PENA Gomez (PRD) 22.9%

Legislative branch: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police
Senate Senado: elections last held 16 May 1990 (next to be held May 1994); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (30 total) PRSC 16, PLD 12, PRD 2
Chamber of Deputies Camara de Diputados: elections last held 16 May 1990 (next to be held May 1994); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (120 total) PLD 44, PRSC 41, PRD 33, PRI 2

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACP, CARICOM (observer), ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), LORCS, NAM (guest), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Robert S. PASTORINO
From the us chancery: 1715 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
From the us telephone: (809) 541-2,171 and 541-8,100
From the us fax: (809) 686-7,437
From the us consulates general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Mayaguez (Puerto Rico), Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
From the us consulates: Charlotte Amalie (Virgin Islands), Detroit, Houston, Jacksonville, Minneapolis, Mobile, Ponce (Puerto Rico), and San Francisco
From the us embassy: corner of Calle Cesar Nicolas Penson and Calle Leopoldo Navarro, Santo Domingo
From the us mailing address: Unit 5,500, Santo Domingo; APO AA 34,041-0008

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, the bottom ones are red (hoist side) and blue; a small coat of arms is at the center of the cross

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Rapid growth of free trade zones has led to a substantial expansion of manufacturing for export, especially of wearing apparel. Over the past decade, tourism has also increased in importance and is a major earner of foreign exchange and a source of new jobs. Agriculture remains a key sector of the economy. The principal commercial crop is sugarcane, followed by coffee, cotton, cocoa, and tobacco. Domestic industry is based on the processing of agricultural products, oil refining, minerals, and chemicals. Unemployment is officially reported at about 30%, but there is considerable underemployment. Growth fell to a moderate 3% in 1993 because of power shortages in industry and political uncertainty which slowed down foreign investment.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 3% (1993 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 18% of GDP and employs 49% of labor force; sugarcane is the most important commercial crop, followed by coffee, cotton, cocoa, and tobacco; food crops - rice, beans, potatoes, corn, bananas; animal output - cattle, hogs, dairy products, meat, eggs; not self-sufficient in food

Industries: tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining, textiles, cement, tobacco

Industrial production growth rate: -0.1% (1991; accounts for 14% of GDP

Labor force: 2.3 million to 2.6 million
By occupation agriculture: 49%
By occupation services: 33%
By occupation industry: 18% (1986)

Unemployment rate: 30% (1993 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues:$1.4 billion

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $769 million (f.o.b., 1993)
Commodities: ferronickel, sugar, gold, coffee, cocoa
Partners: US 56%, EC 22%, Puerto Rico 8% (1991)

Imports: $2.2 billion (c.i.f., 1993 est.)
Commodities: foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals
Partners: US 50%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $4.7 billion (1993 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Dominican pesos (RD$) per US$1 - 12.841 (January 1994), 12.679 (1993), 12.774 (1992), 12.692 (1991), 8.525 (1990), 6.340 (1989)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 5 billion kWh

Electricity consumption
Per capita: 660 kWh (1992)

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: exchange rate conversion - $110 million, 0.7% of GDP (1993 est.)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 36
Usable: 31
With permanentsurface runways: 12
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 4
With runways 1220-2439 m: 8

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil 96 km; petroleum products 8 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,587 GRT/1,165 DWT

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe