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, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total area total: 48,730 km²
Land: 48,380 km²
Comparative: slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire

Land boundaries: total 275 km, Haiti 275 km

Coastline: 1,288 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the 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

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: 7,511,263 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 1.17% (1995 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Dominican(s)
Adjective: Dominican

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

Languages: Spanish

Religions: Roman Catholic 95%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 35% (female 1,288,210; male 1,336,162)
15-64 years: 61% (female 2,246,791; male 2,312,555)
65 years and over: 4% (female 178,388; male 149,157) (July 1995 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.17% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 23.92 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 6.15 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: -6.04 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: water shortages; soil eroding into the sea damages coral reefs; deforestation
Current issues natural hazards: occasional hurricanes (July to October)
Current issues international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 49.5 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 68.73 years
Male: 66.57 years
Female: 70.99 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.72 children born/woman (1995 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: Dominican Republic
Conventional short form: none
Local long form: Republica Dominicana
Local short form: none

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, sixth elected term began 16 August 1994); Vice President Jacinto PEYNADO (since 16 August 1994) election last held 16 May 1994 (next to be held May 1996); results - Joaquin BALAGUER (PRSC) 42.6%, Juan BOSCH Gavino (PLD) 13.2%, Jose Francisco PENA Gomez (PRD) 41.9%, Jacobo MAJLUTA (PRI) 2.3%
Cabinet: Cabinet; nominated by the president

Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional)
Senate Senado: elections last held 16 May 1994 (next to be held May 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (30 total) PRSC 15, PLD 1, PRD 14
Chamber of Deputies Camara de Diputados: elections last held 16 May 1994 (next to be held May 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (120 total) PLD 13, PRSC 50, PRD 57

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, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), NAM (guest), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Jose del Carmen ARIZA Gomez
In the us chancery: 1715 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 332-6,280
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 265-8,057
In the us consulates general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Mayaguez (Puerto Rico), Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
In the us consulates: Charlotte Amalie (Virgin Islands), Detroit, Houston, Jacksonville, Minneapolis, Mobile, and Ponce (Puerto Rico)
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Donna Jean HRINAK
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
From the us telephone: [1] (809) 541-2,171, 8,100
From the us FAX: [1] (809) 686-7,437

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: The Dominican economy showed some signs of slippage in 1994, although its overall performance in recent years has been relatively strong. After posting an increase of nearly 8% in 1992, GDP growth fell to 3% in 1993 and 1994 as mining output decreased and erosion of real wages caused private consumption to decline. A pre-election boost in government spending in early 1994 led to the first government deficit in four years and bumped inflation up to 14% for the year. Continued dynamism in construction and the services sector, especially tourism, should keep the economy growing in 1995. Tourism, agriculture, and manufacturing for export remain key sectors of the economy. Domestic industry is based on the processing of agricultural products, oil refining, and chemicals.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 2.9% (1994 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 15% of GDP and employs 49% of labor force; commercial crops - sugarcane, 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: 3.4% (1994; 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% (1994 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $1.8 billion
Expenditures: $2.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994 est.)

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: $585 million (f.o.b., 1994)
Commodoties: ferronickel, sugar, gold, coffee, cocoa
Partners: US 52%, EC 23%, Puerto Rico 9%, Asia 7% (1992)

Imports: $2.5 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.)
Commodoties: foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals
Partners: US 60% (1993)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $4.3 billion (1994 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Dominican pesos (RD$) per US$1 - 13.258 (January 1995), 13.160 (1994), 12.679 (1993), 12.774 (1992), 12.692 (1991), 8.525 (1990)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 5.4 billion kWh
Consumption per capita: 651 kWh (1993)

Electricity consumption

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: 190,000 telephones; relatively efficient domestic system based on islandwide microwave radio relay network
Local: NA
Intercity: islandwide microwave radio relay network
International: 1 coaxial submarine cable; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $116 million, 1.4% of GDP (1994)

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
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 5
With paved runways under 914 m: 16
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2438 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6

Airports with paved runways
Over 3047 m: 2
2438 to 3047 m: 1
15-24 to 2437 m: 4
914 to 1523 m: 5
Under 914 m: 16

Airports with unpaved runways
2438 to 3047 m: 1
15-24 to 2438 m: 1
914 to 1523 m: 6

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil 96 km; petroleum products 8 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: total: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