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Compare Dominican Republic (2006) - Solomon Islands (2003)
Compare Dominican Republic (2006) z Solomon Islands (2003)
| Dominican Republic (2006) | Solomon Islands (2003) | |
 |  | |
| 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 | 9 provinces and 1 capital territory*; Central, Choiseul (Lauru), Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell/Bellona, Temotu, Western |
| 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.) |
0-14 years: 42.9% (male 111,333; female 107,062)
15-64 years: 54% (male 139,072; female 135,721) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 7,754; female 8,248) (2003 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | sugarcane, coffee, cotton, cocoa, tobacco, rice, beans, potatoes, corn, bananas; cattle, pigs, dairy products, beef, eggs | cocoa beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs; timber; fish |
| Airports | 33 (2006) | 32 (2002) |
| 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) |
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) |
| 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: 30
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 20 (2002) |
| Area | total: 48,730 sq km
land: 48,380 sq km water: 350 sq km |
total: 28,450 sq km
land: 27,540 sq km water: 910 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire | slightly smaller than Maryland |
| 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. | The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the 1890s. Some of the bitterest fighting of World War II occurred on these islands. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence two years later. Ethnic violence, government malfeasance, and endemic crime have undermined stability and civil society. |
| Birth rate | 23.22 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 32.45 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $5.322 billion
expenditures: $5.485 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.1 billion (2005) |
revenues: $38 million
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001) |
| 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) |
Honiara |
| Climate | tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall | tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather |
| Coastline | 1,288 km | 5,313 km |
| Constitution | 28 November 1966; amended 25 July 2002 | 7 July 1978 |
| 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: Solomon Islands former: British Solomon Islands |
| Currency | - | Solomon Islands dollar (SBD) |
| Death rate | 5.73 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 4.12 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Debt - external | $7.687 billion (2005 est.) | $137 million (2001 est.) |
| 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 |
the US does not have an embassy in Solomon Islands (embassy closed July 1993); the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon Islands |
| 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) |
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Colin BECK
chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 599-6192, 6193 FAX: [1] (212) 661-8925 |
| Disputes - international | increasing numbers of illegal migrants from the Dominican Republic cross the Mona Passage each year to Puerto Rico to find work | none |
| Economic aid - recipient | $571.6 million (2004) | $28 million mainly from Japan, Australia, China, and NZ (2001 est.) |
| 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. | The bulk of the population depends on agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of their livelihood. Most manufactured goods and petroleum products must be imported. The islands are rich in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead, zinc, nickel, and gold. However, severe ethnic violence, the closing of key business enterprises, and an empty government treasury have led to serious economic disarray, indeed near collapse. Tanker deliveries of crucial fuel supplies (including those for electrical generation) have become sporadic due to the government's inability to pay and attacks against ships. Telecommunications are threatened by the nonpayment of bills and by the lack of technical and maintenance staff many of whom have left the country. |
| Electricity - consumption | 11.71 billion kWh (2003) | 29.76 million kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2003) | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2003) | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production | 12.6 billion kWh (2003) | 32 million kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Lago Enriquillo -46 m
highest point: Pico Duarte 3,175 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m |
| Environment - current issues | water shortages; soil eroding into the sea damages coral reefs; deforestation | deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying |
| 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 |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
| Ethnic groups | mixed 73%, white 16%, black 11% | Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Micronesian 1.5%, European 0.8%, Chinese 0.3%, other 0.4% |
| Exchange rates | Dominican pesos per US dollar - 30.409 (2005), 42.12 (2004), 30.831 (2003), 18.61 (2002), 16.952 (2001) | Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - NA (2002), NA (2001), 5.09 (2000), 4.84 (1999), 4.82 (1998) |
| 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% |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir John LAPLI (since NA 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister Sir Allan KEMAKEZA (since 17 December 2001); Deputy Prime Minister Snyder RINI (since 17 December 2001) cabinet: Cabinet consists of 20 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of Parliament elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of Parliament for up to five years; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by Parliament; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of Parliament |
| Exports | NA bbl/day | NA (2001) |
| Exports - commodities | ferronickel, sugar, gold, silver, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, meats, consumer goods | timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa |
| Exports - partners | US 79%, Netherlands 2.4%, Mexico 1.9% (2005) | Japan 21.2%, China 18.8%, South Korea 16.3%, Philippines 8.9%, Thailand 7.6%, Singapore 4.1% (2002) |
| Fiscal year | calendar 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 | divided diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is blue with five white five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern; the lower triangle is green |
| GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $800 million (2001 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 11.2%
industry: 30.6% services: 58.2% (2003) |
agriculture: 42%
industry: 11% services: 47% (2000 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2001 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 9.3% (2005 est.) | -10% (2001 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 19 00 N, 70 40 W | 8 00 S, 159 00 E |
| Geography - note | shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti | strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea |
| Highways | - | total: 1,360 km
paved: 34 km unpaved: 1,326 km (1999 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2.1%
highest 10%: 37.9% (1998) |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| 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) | NA (2001) |
| Imports - commodities | foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals | food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals |
| Imports - partners | US 50.2%, Colombia 6.2%, Mexico 5.8% (2005) | Australia 31.3%, Singapore 19.7%, New Zealand 5.1%, Fiji 4.6%, Papua New Guinea 4.5% (2002) |
| Independence | 27 February 1844 (from Haiti) | 7 July 1978 (from UK) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 2% (2001 est.) | NA% |
| Industries | tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining, textiles, cement, tobacco | fish (tuna), mining, timber |
| 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.) |
total: 22.88 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 26.03 deaths/1,000 live births female: 19.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 4.2% (2005 est.) | 1.8% (2001 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 | ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 1 (2000) |
| Irrigated land | 2,750 sq km (2003) | NA sq km |
| 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) | Court of Appeal |
| Labor force | 2.3 million-2.6 million (2000 est.) | 26,842 |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 17%
industry: 24.3% services: 58.7% (1998 est.) |
agriculture 75%, industry 5%, services 20% (2000 est.) |
| 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: 1.5%
permanent crops: 0.64% other: 97.86% (1998 est.) |
| Languages | Spanish | Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca; English is official but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population
note: 120 indigenous languages |
| 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 | English common law, which is widely disregarded |
| 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 |
unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members elected from single-member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 5 December 2001 (next to be held not later than December 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - PAP 40%, SIACC 40%, PPP 20%; seats by party - PAP 16, SIACC 13, PPP 2, SILP 1, independents 18 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 71.73 years
male: 70.21 years female: 73.33 years (2006 est.) |
total population: 72.1 years
male: 69.64 years female: 74.68 years (2003 est.) |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 84.7% male: 84.6% female: 84.8% (2003 est.) |
definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
| Location | Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti | Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea |
| Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Oceania |
| 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 |
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
continental shelf: 200 NM 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) |
none (2002 est.) |
| Military branches | Army, Navy, Air Force | no regular military forces; Solomon Islands National Reconnaissance and Surveillance Force; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $0 (2002 est.) | $NA |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 0% (2002 est.) | NA% |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 27 February (1844) | Independence Day, 7 July (1978) |
| Nationality | noun: Dominican(s)
adjective: Dominican |
noun: Solomon Islander(s)
adjective: Solomon Islander |
| Natural hazards | lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding; periodic droughts | typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity |
| Natural resources | nickel, bauxite, gold, silver | fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel |
| Net migration rate | -2.79 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 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] | Association of Independents [Snyder RINI]; People's Alliance Party or PAP [Allan KEMAKEZA]; People's Progressive Party or PPP [Mannaseh Damukana SOGAVARE]; Solomon Islands Alliance for Change Coalition or SIACC [Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU]; Solomon Islands Labor Party or SILP [Joses TUHANUKU]
note: in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid coalitions |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | Citizen Participation Group (Participacion Ciudadania); Collective of Popular Organizations or COP; Foundation for Institution-Building and Justice (FINJUS) | NA |
| Population | 9,183,984 (July 2006 est.) | 509,190 (July 2003 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 25% | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 1.47% (2006 est.) | 2.83% (2003 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | - | Aola Bay, Honiara, Lofung, Noro, Viru Harbor, Yandina |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 120, FM 56, shortwave 4 (1998) | AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0 (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) |
0 km |
| Religions | Roman Catholic 95% | Anglican 45%, Roman Catholic 18%, United (Methodist/Presbyterian) 12%, Baptist 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 7%, other Protestant 5%, indigenous beliefs 4% |
| 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.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age, universal and compulsory; married persons regardless of age
note: members of the armed forces and national police cannot vote |
21 years of age; universal |
| 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) |
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 894,500 (2005) | 8,000 (1997) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 3.623 million (2005) | 658 (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations | 25 (2003) | 0 (1997) |
| Terrain | rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed | mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls |
| Total fertility rate | 2.83 children born/woman (2006 est.) | 4.34 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 17% (2005 est.) | NA% |
| Waterways | - | none |
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