Compare Dominican Republic (2008) - Virgin Islands (2005)

Compare Dominican Republic (2008) z Virgin Islands (2005)

	Dominican Republic (2008)	Virgin Islands (2005)

Administrative divisions	31 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 district* (distrito); Azua, Bahoruco, 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	none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three islands at the second order; Saint Croix, Saint John, Saint Thomas
Age structure	0-14 years: 32.1% (male 1,532,813/female 1,477,033) 15-64 years: 62.2% (male 2,971,620/female 2,851,207) 65 years and over: 5.7% (male 247,738/female 285,407) (2007 est.)	0-14 years: 23.1% (male 12,676/female 12,421) 15-64 years: 66.2% (male 34,069/female 37,918) 65 years and over: 10.7% (male 5,125/female 6,499) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products	sugarcane, coffee, cotton, cocoa, tobacco, rice, beans, potatoes, corn, bananas; cattle, pigs, dairy products, beef, eggs	fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle
Airports	34 (2007)	2 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 15 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2007)	total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 19 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 11 (2007)	-
Area	total: 48,730 sq km land: 48,380 sq km water: 350 sq km	total: 352 sq km land: 349 sq km water: 3 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire	twice 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 1930-61. 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.	During the 17th century, the archipelago was divided into two territorial units, one English and the other Danish. Sugarcane, produced by slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish portion, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848.
Birth rate	22.91 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)	14.2 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget	revenues: $7.014 billion expenditures: $6.985 billion (2007 est.)	revenues: $560 expenditures: NA (2003)
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)	Charlotte Amalie
Climate	tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall	subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season September to November
Coastline	1,288 km	188 km
Constitution	28 November 1966; amended 25 July 2002	Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954
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: United States Virgin Islands conventional short form: Virgin Islands former: Danish West Indies
Death rate	5.32 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)	6.26 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external	$8.842 billion (31 December 2007 est.)	NA
Dependency status	-	organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between the Virgin Islands and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador P. Robert FANNIN 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	none (territory of the US)
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)	none (territory of the US)
Disputes - international	Haitian migrants cross the porous border into the Dominican Republic to find work; illegal migrants from the Dominican Republic cross the Mona Passage each year to Puerto Rico to find better work	none
Economic aid - recipient	$76.99 million (2005)	NA
Economy - overview	The Dominican Republic has enjoyed strong GDP growth since 2005, with double digit growth in 2006. In 2007, exports were bolstered by the nearly 50% increase in nickel prices; however, prices are expected to fall in 2008, contributing to a slowdown in GDP growth for the year. 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 economy is highly dependent upon the US, the source of nearly 80% of exports, and remittances represent about a tenth of GDP, equivalent to almost half of exports and three-quarters of tourism receipts. With the help of strict fiscal targets agreed to in the 2004 renegotiation of an IMF standby loan, President FERNANDEZ has stabilized the country's financial situation, lowereing inflation to less than 6%. A fiscal expansion is expected for 2008 prior to the elections in May and for Tropical Storm Noel reconstruction. Although the economy is growing at a respectable rate, high unemployment and underemployment 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 Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) came into force in March 2007, which should boost investment and exports and diminishes losses to the Asian garment industry.	Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for 80% of GDP and employment. The islands normally host 2 million visitors a year. The manufacturing sector consists of petroleum refining, textiles, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and watch assembly. The agricultural sector is small, with most food being imported. International business and financial services are a small but growing component of the economy. One of the world's largest petroleum refineries is at Saint Croix. The islands are subject to substantial damage from storms. The government is working to improve fiscal discipline, to support construction projects in the private sector, to expand tourist facilities, to reduce crime, and to protect the environment.
Electricity - consumption	8.791 billion kWh (2005)	962.6 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2005)	0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2005)	0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - production	12.22 billion kWh (2005)	1.035 billion kWh (2002)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Lago Enriquillo -46 m highest point: Pico Duarte 3,175 m	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Crown Mountain 474 m
Environment - current issues	water shortages; soil eroding into the sea damages coral reefs; deforestation	lack of natural freshwater resources
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, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea	-
Ethnic groups	mixed 73%, white 16%, black 11%	black 76.2%, white 13.1%, Asian 1.1%, other 6.1%, mixed 3.5% (2000 census)
Exchange rates	Dominican pesos per US dollar - 33.113 (2007), 33.406 (2006), 30.409 (2005), 42.12 (2004), 30.831 (2003)	the US dollar is used
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 consecutive 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 57.1%, Rafael Hipolito MEJIA Dominguez 33.7%, Eduardo ESTRELLA 8.7%	chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001) head of government: Governor Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (since 5 January 1999) cabinet: NA elections: US president and vice president elected on the same ticket for four-year terms; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 5 November 2002 (next to be held November 2006) election results: Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL reelected governor; percent of vote - Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (Democrat) 50.5%, John de JONGH 24.4%
Exports	0 bbl/day (2004)	NA
Exports - commodities	ferronickel, sugar, gold, silver, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, meats, consumer goods	refined petroleum products
Exports - partners	US 72.7%, UK 3.2%, Belgium 2.4% (2006)	US, Puerto Rico
Fiscal year	calendar year	1 October - 30 September
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	white, with a modified US coat of arms in the center between the large blue initials V and I; the coat of arms shows a yellow eagle holding an olive branch in one talon and three arrows in the other with a superimposed shield of vertical red and white stripes below a blue panel
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 11.5% industry: 28.3% services: 60.2% (2007 est.)	agriculture: 1% industry: 19% services: 80% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita	-	purchasing power parity - $17,200 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	7.2% (2007 est.)	2% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates	19 00 N, 70 40 W	18 20 N, 64 50 W
Geography - note	shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti	important location along the Anegada Passage - a key shipping lane for the Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the Caribbean
Highways	-	total: 1,257 km paved: 1,192 km unpaved: 65 km note: the only US possession where driving on the left side of the road is practiced (2003)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 1.4% highest 10%: 41.1% (2004)	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; significant amphetamine consumption	-
Imports	116,700 bbl/day (2004)	NA
Imports - commodities	foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals	crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials
Imports - partners	US 46.9%, Venezuela 8.4%, Colombia 6.3%, Mexico 5.7% (2006)	US, Puerto Rico
Independence	27 February 1844 (from Haiti)	-
Industrial production growth rate	5.5% (2007 est.)	NA%
Industries	tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining, textiles, cement, tobacco	tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics
Infant mortality rate	total: 27.94 deaths/1,000 live births male: 30.05 deaths/1,000 live births female: 25.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)	total: 8.03 deaths/1,000 live births male: 9.11 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	5.8% (2007 est.)	2.2% (2003)
International organization participation	ACP, Caricom (observer), FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (suspended), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO	Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU
Irrigated land	2,750 sq km (2003)	NA
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)	US District Court of the Virgin Islands (under Third Circuit jurisdiction); Territorial Court (judges appointed by the governor for 10-year terms)
Labor force	3.986 million (2007 est.)	48,900 (2003 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture: 17% industry: 24.3% services: 58.7% (1998 est.)	agriculture 1%, industry 19%, services 80% (2003 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: 11.76% permanent crops: 2.94% other: 85.3% (2001)
Languages	Spanish	English 74.7%, Spanish or Spanish Creole 16.8%, French or French Creole 6.6%, other 1.9% (2000 census)
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	based on US laws
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 (178 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 16 May 2006 (next to be held in May 2008); House of Representatives - last held 16 May 2006 (next to be held in May 2008) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PLD 22, PRD 6, PRSC 4; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PLD 96, PRD 60, PRSC 22	unicameral Senate (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms) elections: last held 6 November 2002 (next to be held 2 November 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Democratic Party 10, ICM 2, independent 3 note: the Virgin Islands elects one non-voting representative to the US House of Representatives; election last held 6 November 2002 (next to be held 2 November 2004); results - Donna M. CHRISTIAN-CHRISTENSON (Democrat) reelected
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 73.07 years male: 71.34 years female: 74.87 years (2007 est.)	total population: 78.91 years male: 75.08 years female: 82.96 years (2005 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 87% male: 86.8% female: 87.2% (2002 census)	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	Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
Map references	Central America and the Caribbean	Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims	measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines 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	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine	total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 1,587 GRT/1,165 DWT by type: cargo 1 registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2007)	-
Military - note	-	defense is the responsibility of the US
Military branches	Army, Navy, Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Dominicana, FAD) (2007)	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	0.8% (2006)	-
National holiday	Independence Day, 27 February (1844)	Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US), 27 March (1917)
Nationality	noun: Dominican(s) adjective: Dominican	noun: Virgin Islander(s) adjective: Virgin Islander
Natural hazards	lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding; periodic droughts	several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes
Natural resources	nickel, bauxite, gold, silver	sun, sand, sea, surf
Net migration rate	-2.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)	-8.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 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 ANTUN]	Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM [Usie RICHARDS]; Republican Party [Gary SPRAUVE]
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	9,365,818 (July 2007 est.)	108,708 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line	42.2% (2004)	NA%
Population growth rate	1.5% (2007 est.)	-0.07% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors	-	Charlotte Amalie, Limetree Bay
Radio broadcast stations	AM 120, FM 56, shortwave 4 (1998)	AM 6, FM 17, shortwave 0 (2004)
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 (2006)	-
Religions	Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%	Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7%
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.038 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.042 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.868 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2007 est.)	at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2005 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	18 years of age; universal; note - island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
Telephone system	general assessment: relatively efficient system based on island-wide microwave radio relay network domestic: fixed telephone line density is about 10 per 100 persons; multiple providers of mobile cellular service with a subscribership of roughly 50 per 100 persons international: country code - 1-809; landing point for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and US; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)	general assessment: modern system with total digital switching, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay domestic: full range of services available international: country code - 1-340; 2 submarine cable connections (Taino Carib, Americas-1); satellite earth stations - NA
Telephones - main lines in use	897,000 (2006)	69,400 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular	4.606 million (2006)	41,000 (2002)
Television broadcast stations	25 (2003)	16 (2004)
Terrain	rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed	mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land
Total fertility rate	2.81 children born/woman (2007 est.)	2.19 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate	15.5% (2007 est.)	9.3% (2003 est.)

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