|
Background:
|
 E xplored
and claimed by Columbus on his first voyage in 1492, the
island of Hispaniola became a springboard for Spanish conquest
of the Caribbean and the American mainland. In 1697, Spain
recognized French dominion over the western third of the
island, which in 1804 became Haiti. The remainder of the
island, by then known as Santo Domingo, sought to gain its own
independence in 1821, but was conquered and ruled by the
Haitians for 22 years; it finally attained independence as the
Dominican Republic in 1844. A legacy of unsettled, mostly
non-representative, rule for much of its subsequent history
was brought to an end in 1966 when Joaquin BALAGUER became
president. He maintained a tight grip on power for most of the
next 30 years when international reaction to flawed elections
forced him to curtail his term in 1996. Since then, regular
competitive elections have been held in which opposition
candidates have won the presidency. The Dominican economy has
had one of the fastest growth rates in the hemisphere over the
past decade. |
|
Location:
|
Caribbean,
eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the
Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti |
|
Map references:
|
Central
America and the Caribbean |
|
Area:
|
total:
48,730 sq km
land: 48,380 sq km
water: 350 sq km |
|
Area - comparative:
|
slightly more
than twice the size of New Hampshire |
|
Land boundaries:
|
total: 360
km
border countries: Haiti 360 km |
|
Coastline:
|
1,288 km |
|
Maritime claims - as described in UNCLOS 1982 (see Notes and
Definitions):
|
territorial
sea: 6 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the
continental margin
contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 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
highest point: Pico Duarte 3,175 m |
|
Natural resources:
|
nickel, bauxite,
gold, silver |
|
Land use:
|
arable land:
21.08%
permanent crops: 9.92%
other: 69% (1998 est.) |
|
Irrigated land:
|
2,590 sq km (1998
est.) |
|
Natural hazards:
|
lies in the
middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from
June to October; occasional flooding; periodic droughts |
|
Environment - current issues:
|
water shortages;
soil eroding into the sea damages coral reefs; deforestation |
|
Environment - international agreements:
|
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine
Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
|
Geography - note:
|
shares island of
Hispaniola with Haiti |
|
Population:
|
8,833,634 (July
2004 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years:
33.3% (male 1,502,062; female 1,435,135)
15-64 years: 61.4% (male 2,767,880; female 2,658,861)
65 years and over: 5.3% (male 219,230; female 250,466)
(2004 est.) |
|
Median age:
|
total:
23.7 years
male: 23.5 years
female: 23.9 years (2004 est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
1.33% (2004 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
23.6 births/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
7.1 deaths/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
|
Net migration rate:
|
-3.22 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
|
Sex ratio:
|
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total:
33.28 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 30.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 35.75 deaths/1,000 live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total
population: 67.63 years
male: 65.98 years
female: 69.35 years (2004 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
2.5% (2001 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|
130,000 (2001
est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
|
7,800 (2001 est.) |
|
Nationality:
|
noun:
Dominican(s)
adjective: Dominican |
|
Ethnic groups:
|
white 16%, black
11%, mixed 73% |
|
Religions:
|
Roman Catholic
95% |
|
Languages:
|
Spanish |
|
Literacy:
|
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 84.7%
male: 84.6%
female: 84.8% (2003 est.) |
|
Country name:
|
conventional
long form: Dominican Republic
conventional short form: none
local long form: Republica Dominicana
local short form: none |
|
Government type:
|
representative
democracy |
|
Capital:
|
Santo Domingo |
|
Administrative divisions:
|
31 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 Jose de Ocoa, San Juan, San Pedro de Macoris, Santiago,
Santiago Rodriguez, Santo Domingo, Valverde |
|
Independence:
|
27 February 1844
(from Haiti) |
|
National holiday:
|
Independence Day,
27 February (1844) |
|
Constitution:
|
28 November 1966 |
|
Legal system:
|
based on French
civil codes; undergoing modification in 2004 towards an
accusatory system |
|
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 Rafael Hipolito MEJIA Dominguez (since 16
August 2000); Vice President Milagros ORTIZ-BOSCH (since 16
August 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state
and head of government
head of government: President Rafael Hipolito MEJIA
Dominguez (since 16 August 2000); Vice President Milagros
ORTIZ-BOSCH (since 16 August 2000); 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 terms; election last
held 16 May 2000 (next to be held 16 May 2004)
election results: Raphael Hipolito MEJIA Dominguez
elected president; percent of vote - Rafael Hipolito MEJIA
Dominguez (PRD) 49.87%, Danilo MEDINA (PLD) 24.95%, Joaquin
BALAGUER (PRSC) 24.6% |
|
Legislative branch:
|
bicameral
National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate
or Senado (32 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
serve four-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara
de Diputados (150 seats; members are elected by popular vote
to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 16 May 2002 (next to be
held NA May 2006); Chamber of Deputies - last held 16 May 2002
(next to be held NA May 2006)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - PRD 29, PLD 2, PRSC 1; Chamber of
Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
PRD 73, PLD 41, PRSC 36 |
|
Judicial branch:
|
Supreme Court or
Corte Suprema (judges are elected by a Council made up of
members of the legislative and executive branches with the
president presiding) |
|
Political parties and leaders:
|
Dominican
Liberation Party or PLD [Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna]; Dominican
Revolutionary Party or PRD [Hatuey DE CAMPS]; Social Christian
Reformist Party or PRSC [Eduardo ESTRELLA] |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders:
|
Collective of
Popular Organizations or COP; Citizen Participation Group (Participacion
Ciudadania) |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US:
|
chief of
mission: Ambassador Hugo GUILIANI Cury
consulate(s): Mobile and Ponce (Puerto Rico)
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Jacksonville,
Mayaguez (Puerto Rico), Miami, New Orleans, New York,
Philadelphia, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
FAX: [1] (202) 265-8057
telephone: [1] (202) 332-6280
chancery: 1715 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
|
Diplomatic representation from the US:
|
chief of
mission: Ambassador Hans H. HERTELL
embassy: corner of Calle Cesar Nicolas Penson and Calle
Leopoldo Navarro, Santo Domingo
mailing address: Unit 5500, APO AA 34041-5500
telephone: [1] (809) 221-2171
FAX: [1] (809) 686-7437 |
|
Economy - overview:
|
The
Dominican Republic is a Caribbean representative democracy
which enjoyed GDP growth of more than 7% in 1998-2000. Growth
subsequently plummeted as part of the global economic
slowdown. Although the country has long been viewed primarily
as an exporter of sugar, coffee, and tobacco, in recent years
the service sector has overtaken agriculture as the economy's
largest employer, due to growth in tourism and free trade
zones. The country suffers from marked income inequality; the
poorest half of the population receives less than one-fifth of
GNP, while the richest 10% enjoys nearly 40% of national
income. Growth turned negative in 2003 with reduced tourism, a
major bank fraud, and limited growth in the US economy, the
source of 87% of export revenues. Resumption of a badly needed
IMF loan was slowed due to government repurchase of electrical
power plants. |
|
GDP:
|
purchasing
power parity - $52.16 billion (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
-1.8%
(2003 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing
power parity - $6,000 (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture:
11%
industry: 34%
services: 55% (2001) |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
25% |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
21.2%
(2003 est.) |
|
Labor force:
|
2.3
million - 2.6 million (2000 est.) |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
services
and government 58.7%, industry 24.3%, agriculture 17% (1998
est.) |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
15.5%
(2003 est.) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues:
$2.9 billion
expenditures: $3.2 billion, including capital
expenditures of $1.1 billion (2001 est.) |
|
Industries:
|
tourism,
sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining, textiles,
cement, tobacco |
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
2%
(2001 est.) |
|
Electricity - production:
|
9.186
billion kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil
fuel: 92%
hydro: 7.6%
other: 0.4% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
8.543
billion kWh (2001) |
|
Oil - production:
|
0
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption:
|
129,000
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Agriculture - products:
|
sugarcane,
coffee, cotton, cocoa, tobacco, rice, beans, potatoes, corn,
bananas; cattle, pigs, dairy products, beef, eggs |
|
Exports:
|
$5.524
billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
|
Exports - commodities:
|
ferronickel,
sugar, gold, silver, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, meats, consumer
goods |
|
Exports - partners:
|
US
85.3%, Canada 1.6%, UK 1.6% (2002) |
|
Imports:
|
$7.911
billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
|
Imports - commodities:
|
foodstuffs,
petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals |
|
Imports - partners:
|
US
51.1%, Venezuela 9.1%, Mexico 4.8% (2002) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$6.5
billion (2003 est.) |
|
Economic aid - recipient:
|
$239.6
million (1995) |
|
Currency:
|
Dominican
peso (DOP) |
|
Currency code:
|
DOP |
|
Exchange rates:
|
Dominican
pesos per US dollar - 30.83 (2003), 18.61 (2002), 16.95
(2001), 16.42 (2000), 16.03 (1999) |
|
Fiscal year:
|
calendar
year |
|
Telephones - main lines in use:
|
909,000 (2002) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular:
|
1,700,600 (2002) |
|
Telephone system:
|
general
assessment: NA
domestic: relatively efficient system based on
island-wide microwave radio relay network
international: country code - 1-809; 1 coaxial
submarine cable; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
(Atlantic Ocean) |
|
Radio broadcast stations:
|
AM 120, FM 56,
shortwave 4 (1998) |
|
Television broadcast stations:
|
25 (2003) |
|
Internet country code:
|
.do |
|
Internet hosts:
|
45,508 (2002) |
|
Internet users:
|
300,000 (2002) |
|
Railways:
|
total:
1,503 km
standard gauge: 375 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 142 km 0.762-m gauge
note: additional 986 km operated by sugar companies in
1.076-m, 0.889-m, and 0.762-m gauges (2002) |
|
Highways:
|
total:
12,600 km
paved: 6,224 km
unpaved: 6,376 km (1999) |
|
Waterways:
|
none |
|
Pipelines:
|
crude oil 96 km;
petroleum products 8 km |
|
Ports and harbors:
|
Barahona, La
Romana, Manzanillo, Puerto Plata, San Pedro de Macoris, Santo
Domingo |
|
Merchant marine:
|
total: 3
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 11,230 GRT/17,011 DWT
foreign-owned: Pakistan 1, Singapore 1
registered in other countries: 1 (2003 est.)
by type: cargo 1, petroleum tanker 2 |
|
Airports:
|
31 (2003 est.) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total: 13
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 1 (2003 est.) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways:
|
total: 18
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 10 (2003 est.) |
|
Military branches:
|
Army, Navy, Air
Force |
|
Military manpower - military age:
|
18 years of age
(2004 est.) |
|
Military manpower - availability:
|
males age
15-49: 2,354,800 (2004 est.) |
|
Military manpower - fit for military service:
|
males age
15-49: 1,474,978 (2004 est.) |
|
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
|
males:
90,434 (2004 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
$180 million
(1998) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
1.1% (1998) |
|
Disputes - international:
|
despite efforts
to control illegal migration, destitute Haitians fleeing
poverty and violence continue to cross into the Dominican
Republic; illegal migration of Dominicans and other nationals
across the Mona Passage to Puerto Rico has increased in the
last year |
|
Illicit drugs:
|
transshipment
point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe;
has become a transshipment point for ecstasy from the
Netherlands and Belgium destined for US and Canada;
substantial money-laundering activity; Colombian narcotics
traffickers favor the Dominican Republic for illicit financial
transactions |
|