Map of Dominican Republic | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: A legacy of unsettled mostly non-representative rule for much of the 20th century was brought to an end in 1996 when free and open elections ushered in a new government.


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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

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
Extremes lowest point: Lago Enriquillo -46 m
Extremes highest point: Pico Duarte 3,175 m

Natural resources:

Land use
Arable land: 23%
Permanent crops: 7%
Permanent pastures: 43%
Forests 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


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Population:
Growth rate:

Nationality
Noun: Dominican(s)
Adjective: Dominican

Ethnic groups:

Languages: Spanish

Religions: Roman Catholic 95%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years:
15-64 years:
65 years and over:

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate:

Birth rate:

Death rate:

Net migration rate:

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)
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
International agreements note: Shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti (eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic, western one-third is Haiti)

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
All ages:

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 69.06 years (196 est.); 68.73 years (1995 est.)
Male: 66.89 years (1996 est.); 66.57 years (1995 est.)
Female: 71.34 years (1996 est.); 70.99 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate:

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
Definition: age 15 and over that can read and write (1995 est.)
Total population: 82.1%
Male: 82%
Female: 82.2%

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 Garrigoza (since 16 August 1994); president is elected for a four-year term by direct vote; election last held 16 May 1994 (next to be held 16 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), judges are elected by the Senate

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACP, Caricom (observer), ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, 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, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation

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: Economic reforms launched in late 1994 contributed to exchange rate stabilization, reduced inflation, and relatively strong GDP growth in 1995. Output growth was concentrated in the tourism and free trade zone (ftz) sectors while sugar and non-ftz manufacturing declined last year. Drought in early 1995 hurt agricultural production but favorable world prices for export commodities helped mitigate the impact. Sugar refining was devastated by a disastrous harvest resulting from the drought and ongoing problems at the state-owned sugar company. Unreliable electric supplies continue to hamper expansion in manufacturing; small and medium-sized retail firms also suffer due to the dismal power situation. A presidential election scheduled for May 1996 could lead to increased government spending before and in the immediate aftermath of the vote, raising the potential for rising inflation and increased pressure on the Dominican peso.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: Accounts for 13% of GDP and employs 50% 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:

Industrial production growth rate: Growth rate 6.3% (1995 est.), 3.4% (1994; accounts for 32% of GDP

Labor force: 2.3 million to 2.6 million
By occupation Agriculture: 50%
By occupation Services: 32%
By occupation Industry: 18% (1991 est.)

Unemployment rate:

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.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: Calendar year

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:
Commodities:
Partners:

Imports
Total value:
Commodities:
Partners: U.S. 60% (1993)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $4.6 billion (1994)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Dominican pesos (RD$) per US$1_13.589 (December 1995), 13.617 (1995), 13.160 (1994), 12.676 (1993), 12.774 (1992), 12.692 (1991), 8.525 (1990)


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Electricity
Capacity: 1,450,000 kW
Production: 5.4 billion kWh
Consumption per capita: 651 kWh (1993)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system: 190,000 telephones (1987 est.); 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

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: 31
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 6
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With paved runways under 914 m: 14
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4 (1995 est.)

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: Transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the U.S. and Europe