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
Comparative: slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire

Land boundaries

Coastline: 1288 km

Maritime claims

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

Irrigated land: 2,300 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding; periodic droughts

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


top of page


Population: 8,442,533 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 1.64% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: 25% (1999 est.)

Nationality

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: 1.64% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 25.15 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 4.72 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: -4.04 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 35.93 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 3 children born/woman (2000 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

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


top of page


Country name

Government type: representative democracy

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

Executive branch

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 (149 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

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

Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Democracy Party or APD [Maximilano Rabelais PUIG Miller Nelsida MARMOLEJOS Vicente BENGOA]; Anti-Imperialist Patriotic Union or UPA [Ignacio RODRIGUEZ Chiappini]; Democratic Quisqueyan Party or PQD [Elias WESSIN Chavez]; Democratic Union or UD [Fernando ALVAREZ Bogaert]; Dominican Communist Party or PCD [Narciso ISA Conde]; Dominican Liberation Party or PLD [Jose Tomas PEREZ]; Dominican Revolutionary Party or PRD [Hatuey DE CAMPS]; Dominican Worker's Party or PTD [Ivan RODRIGUEZ]; Independent Revolutionary Party or PRI [leader NA]; Liberal Party of the Dominican Republic or PLRD [Andres Van Der HORST]; National Progressive Force or FNP [Pelegrin CASTILLO]; National Veterans and Civilian Party or PNVC [Juan Rene BEAUCHAMPS Javier]; Popular Christian Party or PPC [Rogelio DELGADO Bogaert]; Social Christian Reformist Party or PRSC [Joaquin BALAGUER Ricardo]

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 (observer) OAS OPANAL OPCW PCA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCL WFTU WHO 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 and 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: In December 1996 incoming President FERNANDEZ presented a bold reform package for this Caribbean economy - including 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 most reforms are stalled in the legislature - including the intellectual property rights bill social security reform and a new electricity law first submitted in 1993 - the economy has grown vigorously under FERNANDEZ's administration. Construction tourism and telecommunications are leading the advance. The government is working to increase electric generating capacity a key to continued economic growth; the state electricity company was finally privatized following numerous delays. The continuation of this vigorous growth in 2000 will depend on the policies adopted by the new administration.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 8.3% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $5,400 (1999 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: sugarcane coffee cotton cocoa tobacco rice beans potatoes corn bananas; cattle pigs dairy products beef 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 services and government: 58.7%
By occupation industry: 24.3%
By occupation agriculture: 17% (1998 est.)

Unemployment rate: 13.8% (1999 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 25% (1999 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 5.1% (1999)

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: $5.1 billion (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: ferronickel sugar gold silver coffee cocoa tobacco meats
Partners: US 61.6% Belgium 11.1% Asia 5.9% Canada 2.9% (1998 est.)

Imports: $8.2 billion (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: foodstuffs petroleum cotton and fabrics chemicals and pharmaceuticals
Partners: US 56% Venezuela 23% Mexico 9% Japan 4% (1999 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $3.7 billion (1999 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Dominican pesos (RD$) per US$1 - 16.161 (January 2000) 16.033 (1999) 15.267 (1998) 14.265 (1997) 13.775 (1996) 13.597 (1995)


top of page


Electricity
Production: 8.476 billion kWh (1998)
Consumption: 7.883 billion kWh (1998)
Exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Imports: 0 kWh (1998)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones
Main lines in use: 569,000 (1995)
Mobile cellular: 33,000 (1995)

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet
Service providers isps: 1 (1999)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $180 million (FY98)
Percent of gdp: 1.1% (FY98)

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: 28 (1999 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil 96 km; petroleum products 8 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


top of page


Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

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