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

top of page


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.


top of page


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

Geographic coordinates: 19 00 N, 70 40 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 48,730 km²
Land: 48,380 km²
Water: 350 km²
Comparative: slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire

Land boundaries
Total: 275 km
Border countries: (1) 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: nickel, bauxite, gold, silver

Land use
Arable land: 21%
Permanent crops: 9%
Permanent pastures: 43%
Forests and woodland: 12%
Other: 15% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 2,300 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: 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)


top of page


Population: 7,998,766 (July 1998 est.)
Growth rate: 1.63% (1998 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% (male 1,435,698; female 1,382,377)
15-64 years: 60% (male 2,452,310; female 2,379,991)
65 years and over: 5% (male 165,602; female 182,788) (July 1998 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.63% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 26.42 births/1000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 5.73 deaths/1000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: -4.37 migrant(s)/1000 population (1998 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: water shortages; soil eroding into the sea damages coral reefs; deforestation
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Desertification, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection
International agreements signed but not ratified: Climate Change, Law of the Sea

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 44.26 deaths/1000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 69.73 years
Male: 67.53 years
Female: 72.04 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.06 children born/woman (1998 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
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 82.1%
Male: 82%
Female: 82.2% (1995 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


top of page


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; married persons regardless of age
Note: members of the armed forces and police cannot vote

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna (since 16 August 1996); Vice President Jaime David FERNANDEZ Mirabal (since 16 August 1996); note_the president is both the chief of state and head of government: ead of
Government: President Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna (since 16 August 1996); Vice President Jaime David FERNANDEZ Mirabal (since 16 August 1996); note_the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the president
Elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year term; election last held 16 May 1996; runoff election held 30 June 1996 (next to be held 16 May 2000)
Election results: President FERNANDEZ elected to his first term; percent of vote_Leonel FERNANDEZ (PLD) 51.25%, Jose Francisco PENA Gomez (PRD) 48.75%

Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate or Senado (30 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (120 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Elections: Senate_last held 30 May 1994 (next to be held NA May 1998); Chamber of Deputies_last held 16 May 1994 (next to be held NA May 1998)
Election results: Senate_percent of vote by party_NA; seats by party_PRSC 15, PLD 1, PRD 14; Chamber of Deputies_percent of vote by party_NA; seats by party - PLD 13, PRSC 50, PRD 57

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema), judges are elected by a Council made up of legislative and executive members with the president presiding

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, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), NAM (guest), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Bernardo VEGA Boyrie
In the us chancery: 1715 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 332-6,280, 6,281
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, Mobile, and Ponce (Puerto Rico)
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant)
From the us embassy: corner of Calle Cesar Nicolas Penson and Calle Leopoldo Navarro, Santo Domingo
From the us mailing address: Unit 5,500, APO AA 34,041
From the us telephone: [1] (809) 221-2,171, 221-8,100
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


top of page


Economy overview: Economic reforms launched in late 1994 contributed to exchange rate stabilization, reduced inflation, and strong GDP growth in 1995-96. In 1996, there was increased mineral and petroleum exploration, and a new investment law that allows for repatriation of capital dividends has drawn more investment to the island. Upon coming to power in August 1996, President FERNANDEZ nevertheless inherited a trouble-ridden economy hampered by a pressured peso, a large external debt, nearly bankrupt state-owned enterprises, and a manufacturing sector hindered by daily power outages. In December, FERNANDEZ presented a bold economic reform package_including such reforms as the devaluation of the peso, income tax cuts, a 50% increase in sales taxes, reduced import tariffs, and increased gasoline prices_in an attempt to create a market-oriented economy that can compete internationally. Even though reforms are moving ahead at a slow pace, the economy grew vigorously in 1997, with tourism and telecommunications leading the advance. The government is working to increase electric generating capacity, a key to continued economic growth.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 7% (1997 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $4,700 (1997 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 15%
Industry: 22%
Services: 63% (1995)

Agriculture products: sugarcane, coffee, cotton, cocoa, tobacco, rice, beans, potatoes, corn, bananas; cattle, pigs, dairy products, meat, eggs

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

Industrial production growth rate: 6.3% (1995 est.)

Labor force: 2.3 million to 2.6 million
By occupation agriculture: 50%
By occupation services and government: 32%
By occupation industry: 18% (1991 est.)

Unemployment rate: 30% (1996 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $2 billion
Expenditures: $2 billion, including capital expenditures of $994 million (1996 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: total value:$815 million (f.o.b., 1996)
Commodoties: ferronickel, sugar, gold, coffee, cocoa
Partners: US 45%, EU 34%, Canada, Japan, Puerto Rico (1995)

Imports: total value:$3.7 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
Commodoties: foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals
Partners: US 44%, EU 16%, Venezuela 11%, Netherlands Antilles, Mexico, Japan (1995)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $3.6 billion (1997)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Dominican pesos (RD$) per US$1_14.332 (December 1997), 14.265 (1997), 13.775 (1996), 13.597 (1995), 13.160 (1994), 12.676 (1993)


top of page


Electricity
Capacity: 1.447 million kW (1995)
Production: 6.5 billion kWh (1995)
Consumption per capita: 865 kWh (1995)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones: 190,000 (1987 est.)

Telephone system
Domestic: relatively efficient system based on islandwide microwave radio relay network
International: 1 coaxial submarine cable; satellite earth station_1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 36 (1997 est.)
With paved runways total: 14
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 5
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil 96 km; petroleum products 8 km

Railways
Total: 757 km
Standard gauge: 375 km 1.435-m gauge (Central Romana Railroad)
Narrow gauge: 142 km 0.762-m gauge (Dominica Government Railway); 240 km operated by sugar companies in various gauges (0.558-m, 0.762-m, 1.067-m gauges) (1995)

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: total:1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,587 GRT/1,165 DWT (1997 est.)

Ports and terminals


top of page


Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs