| 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. |
| 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
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:
275 km
border countries: Haiti 275 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
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 sq km (1993
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; Hurricane Georges damage |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life
Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
| Geography
- note: |
shares island of
Hispaniola with Haiti (eastern two-thirds is the Dominican
Republic, western one-third is Haiti) |
| Population: |
8,581,477 (July
2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
34.11% (male 1,495,477; female 1,431,406)
15-64 years: 60.99% (male 2,664,679; female
2,569,398)
65 years and over: 4.9% (male 199,240; female
221,277) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
1.63% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
24.77
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
4.7 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-3.81 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
34.67
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 73.44 years
male: 71.34 years
female: 75.64 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
2.97 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
2.8% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
130,000 (1999
est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
4,900 (1999 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Dominican(s)
adjective: Dominican |
| Ethnic
groups: |
white 16%, black
11%, mixed 73% |
| Religions: |
Roman Catholic
95% |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 82.1%
male: 82%
female: 82.2% (1995 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 |
| 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 |
| Independence: |
27 February 1844
(from Haiti) |
| National
holiday: |
Independence Day,
27 February (1844) |
| Constitution: |
28 November 1966 |
| Legal
system: |
based on French
civil codes |
| 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 term;
election last held 16 May 2000 (next to be held NA 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 (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)
elections: Senate - last held 16 May 1998 (next
to be held NA May 2002); Chamber of Deputies - last held 16
May 1998 (next to be held NA May 2002)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - PRD 24, PLD 3, PRSC 3; Chamber
of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party
- PRD 83, PLD 49, PRSC 17 |
| 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 [Joaquin BALAGUER Ricardo] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
Collective of
Popular Organizations or COP |
| 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, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Roberto Bienvenido
SALADIN-SELIN
chancery: 1715 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC
20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-6280
FAX: [1] (202) 265-8057
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Mayaguez
(Puerto Rico), Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia,
San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
consulate(s): Houston, Jacksonville, Mobile,
and Ponce (Puerto Rico) |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Charles T. MANATT
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 |
| 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 |
| Economy
- overview: |
The Dominican
economy experienced dramatic growth over the last decade,
even though the economy was hit hard by Hurricane Georges in
1998. 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 ten percent enjoy
40% of national income. In December 2000, the new MEJIA
administration passed broad new tax legislation which it
hopes will provide enough revenue to offset rising oil
prices and to service foreign debt. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $48.3 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
8% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $5,700 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
11.3%
industry: 32.2%
services: 56.5% (1999 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
25% (1999 est.) |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
1.6%
highest 10%: 39.6% (1989) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
7.9% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
2.3 million - 2.6
million |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
services and
government 58.7%, industry 24.3%, agriculture 17% (1998
est.) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
13.8% (1999 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$2.3 billion
expenditures: $2.9 billion, including capital
expenditures of $867 million (1999 est.) |
| Industries: |
tourism, sugar
processing, ferronickel and gold mining, textiles, cement,
tobacco |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
8% (2000 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
7.29 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
87.19%
hydro: 12.4%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0.41% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
6.78 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
sugarcane,
coffee, cotton, cocoa, tobacco, rice, beans, potatoes, corn,
bananas; cattle, pigs, dairy products, beef, eggs |
| Exports: |
$5.8 billion
(f.o.b., 2000) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
ferronickel,
sugar, gold, silver, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, meats |
| Exports
- partners: |
US 66.1%,
Netherlands 7.8%, Canada 7.6%, Russia 7.4%, UK 4.5% (1999
est.) |
| Imports: |
$9.6 billion
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
foodstuffs,
petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals |
| Imports
- partners: |
US 25.7%,
Venezuela 9.2%, Mexico 4%, Japan 3%, Panama 2.6% (1999 est.) |
| Debt
- external: |
$4.7 billion
(2000 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$239.6 million
(1995) |
| Currency: |
Dominican peso (DOP) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Dominican pesos
per US dollar - 16.888 (January 2001), 16.415 (2000), 16.033
(1999), 15.267 (1998), 14.265 (1997), 13.775 (1996) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
709,000 (1997) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
130,149 (1997) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: NA
domestic: relatively efficient system based on
islandwide microwave radio relay network
international: 1 coaxial submarine cable;
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 120, FM 56,
shortwave 4 (1998) |
| Radios: |
1.44 million
(1997) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
25 (1997) |
| Televisions: |
770,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.do |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
24 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
25,000 (1999) |
| Railways: |
total:
757 km
standard gauge: 375 km 1.435-m gauge (Central
Romana Railroad)
narrow gauge: 142 km 0.762-m gauge (Dominican
Republic Government Railway)
note: 240 km operated by sugar companies in
various gauges (0.558-m, 0.762-m, 1.067-m gauges) (2000) |
| Highways: |
total:
12,600 km
paved: 6,224 km
unpaved: 6,376 km (1996) |
| Pipelines: |
crude oil 96 km;
petroleum products 8 km |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Barahona, La
Romana, Puerto Plata, San Pedro de Macoris, Santo Domingo |
| Merchant
marine: |
total:
1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,587 GRT/1,165 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
13
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
16
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 10 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Army, Navy, Air
Force, National Police |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
18 years of age |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 2,281,035 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 1,430,776 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males:
87,404 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$180 million
(FY98) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
1.1% (FY98) |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
| 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 |
|
