Dominican Republic (2006) | Europa Island (2002) | |
Administrative divisions | 31 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 district* (distrito); Azua, Baoruco, Barahona, Dajabon, Distrito Nacional*, Duarte, El Seibo, Elias Pina, 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, San Cristobal, San Jose de Ocoa, San Juan, San Pedro de Macoris, Sanchez Ramirez, Santiago, Santiago Rodriguez, Santo Domingo, Valverde | - |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 32.6% (male 1,531,145/female 1,464,076)
15-64 years: 61.9% (male 2,902,098/female 2,782,608) 65 years and over: 5.5% (male 235,016/female 269,041) (2006 est.) |
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Agriculture - products | sugarcane, coffee, cotton, cocoa, tobacco, rice, beans, potatoes, corn, bananas; cattle, pigs, dairy products, beef, eggs | - |
Airports | 33 (2006) | 1 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 14
over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2006) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 19
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 10 (2006) |
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) |
Area | total: 48,730 sq km
land: 48,380 sq km water: 350 sq km |
total: 28 sq km
land: 28 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire | about 0.16 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | Explored and claimed by Christopher 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. In 1861, the Dominicans voluntarily returned to the Spanish Empire, but two years later they launched a war that restored independence in 1865. A legacy of unsettled, mostly non-representative rule followed, capped by the dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas TRUJILLO from 1930-1961. Juan BOSCH was elected president in 1962, but was deposed in a military coup in 1963. In 1965, the United States led an intervention in the midst of a civil war sparked by an uprising to restore BOSCH. In 1966, Joaquin BALAGUER defeated BOSCH in an election to become president. BALAGUER 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. Former President (1996-2000) Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna won election to a second term in 2004 following a constitutional amendment allowing presidents to serve more than one term. | A French possession since 1897, the island is heavily wooded; it is the site of a small military garrison that staffs a weather station. |
Birth rate | 23.22 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | - |
Budget | revenues: $5.322 billion
expenditures: $5.485 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.1 billion (2005) |
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Capital | name: Santo Domingo
geographic coordinates: 18 28 N, 69 54 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
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Climate | tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall | tropical |
Coastline | 1,288 km | 22.2 km |
Constitution | 28 November 1966; amended 25 July 2002 | - |
Country name | conventional long form: Dominican Republic
conventional short form: The Dominican local long form: Republica Dominicana local short form: La Dominicana |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Europa Island local long form: none local short form: Ile Europa |
Death rate | 5.73 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | - |
Debt - external | $7.687 billion (2005 est.) | - |
Dependency status | - | possession of France; administered by a high commissioner of the Republic, resident in Reunion |
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 |
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Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Flavio Dario ESPINAL Jacobo
chancery: 1715 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-6280 FAX: [1] (202) 265-8057 consulate(s) general: Anchorage, Boston, Chicago, Mayaguez (Puerto Rico), Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico) |
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Disputes - international | increasing numbers of illegal migrants from the Dominican Republic cross the Mona Passage each year to Puerto Rico to find work | claimed by Madagascar |
Economic aid - recipient | $571.6 million (2004) | - |
Economy - overview | The Dominican Republic is a Caribbean representative democracy that enjoyed strong GDP growth until 2003. 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. Growth turned negative in 2003 with reduced tourism, a major bank fraud, and limited growth in the US economy (the source of about 80% of export revenues), but recovered in 2004 and 2005. With the help of strict fiscal targets agreed in the 2004 renegotiation of an IMF standby loan, President FERNANDEZ has stabilized the country's financial situation. Although the economy continues to grow at a respectable rate, unemployment remains an important challenge. 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. The Dominican Republic's development prospects improved with the ratification of the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) in September 2005. | no economic activity |
Electricity - consumption | 11.71 billion kWh (2003) | - |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2003) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2003) | - |
Electricity - production | 12.6 billion kWh (2003) | - |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Lago Enriquillo -46 m
highest point: Pico Duarte 3,175 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 24 m |
Environment - current issues | water shortages; soil eroding into the sea damages coral reefs; deforestation | NA |
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 |
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Ethnic groups | mixed 73%, white 16%, black 11% | - |
Exchange rates | Dominican pesos per US dollar - 30.409 (2005), 42.12 (2004), 30.831 (2003), 18.61 (2002), 16.952 (2001) | - |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna (since 16 August 2004); Vice President Rafael ALBURQUERQUE de Castro (since 16 August 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna (since 16 August 2004); Vice President Rafael ALBURQUERQUE de Castro (since 16 August 2004) cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the president elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held 16 May 2004 (next to be held in May 2008) election results: Leonel FERNANDEZ elected president; percent of vote - Leonel FERNANDEZ (PLD) 57.1%, Rafael Hipolito MEJIA Dominguez (PRD) 33.7%, Eduardo ESTRELLA (PRSC) 8.7% |
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Exports | NA bbl/day | - |
Exports - commodities | ferronickel, sugar, gold, silver, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, meats, consumer goods | - |
Exports - partners | US 79%, Netherlands 2.4%, Mexico 1.9% (2005) | - |
Fiscal year | calendar year | - |
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 featuring a shield supported by an olive branch (left) and a palm branch (right) is at the center of the cross; above the shield a blue ribbon displays the motto, DIOS, PATRIA, LIBERTAD (God, Fatherland, Liberty), and below the shield, REPUBLICA DOMINICANA appears on a red ribbon | the flag of France is used |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 11.2%
industry: 30.6% services: 58.2% (2003) |
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GDP - real growth rate | 9.3% (2005 est.) | - |
Geographic coordinates | 19 00 N, 70 40 W | 22 20 S, 40 22 E |
Geography - note | shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti | wildlife sanctuary |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2.1%
highest 10%: 37.9% (1998) |
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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 | - |
Imports | 129,900 bbl/day (2003) | - |
Imports - commodities | foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals | - |
Imports - partners | US 50.2%, Colombia 6.2%, Mexico 5.8% (2005) | - |
Independence | 27 February 1844 (from Haiti) | - |
Industrial production growth rate | 2% (2001 est.) | - |
Industries | tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining, textiles, cement, tobacco | - |
Infant mortality rate | total: 28.25 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 30.58 deaths/1,000 live births female: 25.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 4.2% (2005 est.) | - |
International organization participation | ACP, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (suspended), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO | - |
Irrigated land | 2,750 sq km (2003) | 0 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are appointed by the National Judicial Council comprised of the president, the leaders of both chambers of congress, the president of the Supreme Court, and an additional non-governing party congressional representative) | - |
Labor force | 2.3 million-2.6 million (2000 est.) | - |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 17%
industry: 24.3% services: 58.7% (1998 est.) |
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Land boundaries | total: 360 km
border countries: Haiti 360 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 22.49%
permanent crops: 10.26% other: 67.25% (2005) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (mangrove forests and woodlands) (1998 est.) |
Languages | Spanish | - |
Legal system | based on French civil codes; Criminal Procedures Code modified in 2004 to include important elements of an accusatory system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | the laws of France, where applicable, apply |
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 House of Representatives 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 in May 2006); House of Representatives - last held 16 May 2002 (next to be held in May 2006) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRD 29, PLD 2, PRSC 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRD 73, PLD 41, PRSC 36 |
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Life expectancy at birth | total population: 71.73 years
male: 70.21 years female: 73.33 years (2006 est.) |
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Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 84.7% male: 84.6% female: 84.8% (2003 est.) |
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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 | Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about one-half of the way from southern Madagascar to southern Mozambique |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Africa |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 6 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 1,587 GRT/1,165 DWT
by type: cargo 1 (2006) |
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Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of France |
Military branches | Army, Navy, Air Force | - |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $0 (2002 est.) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 0% (2002 est.) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 27 February (1844) | - |
Nationality | noun: Dominican(s)
adjective: Dominican |
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Natural hazards | lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding; periodic droughts | NA |
Natural resources | nickel, bauxite, gold, silver | NEGL |
Net migration rate | -2.79 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | - |
Political parties and leaders | Dominican Liberation Party or PLD [Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna]; Dominican Revolutionary Party or PRD [Ramon ALBURQUERQUE]; National Progressive Front [Vincent CASTILLO, Pelegrin CASTILLO]; Social Christian Reformist Party or PRSC [Enrique ATUN] | - |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Citizen Participation Group (Participacion Ciudadania); Collective of Popular Organizations or COP; Foundation for Institution-Building and Justice (FINJUS) | - |
Population | 9,183,984 (July 2006 est.) | no indigenous inhabitants
note: there is a small French military garrison and a few meteorologists; visited by scientists (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 25% | - |
Population growth rate | 1.47% (2006 est.) | - |
Ports and harbors | - | none; offshore anchorage only |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 120, FM 56, shortwave 4 (1998) | - |
Railways | total: 517 km
standard gauge: 375 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 142 km 0.762-m gauge note: additional 1,226 km operated by sugar companies in 1.076 m, 0.889 m, and 0.762-m gauges (2005) |
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Religions | Roman Catholic 95% | - |
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: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
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Suffrage | 18 years of age, universal and compulsory; married persons regardless of age
note: members of the armed forces and national police cannot vote |
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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) |
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Telephones - main lines in use | 894,500 (2005) | - |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 3.623 million (2005) | - |
Television broadcast stations | 25 (2003) | - |
Terrain | rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed | low and flat |
Total fertility rate | 2.83 children born/woman (2006 est.) | - |
Unemployment rate | 17% (2005 est.) | - |
Waterways | - | none |