Dominican Republic

§1. Dominican Republic Introduction

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 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. 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 Dominican economy posted high growth rates from the
  mid-1990s until extensive bank frauds revealed in 2003 destabilized
  national finances. An IMF standby loan helped re-establish growth and
  improve oversight of the banking sector. In 2005 the country ratified
  CAFTA-DR, the free trade agreement with the US and five Central American
  countries.

§2. Dominican Republic Geography

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 km²
  land: 48,380 km²
  water: 350 km²

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:
  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

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: 22.49%
  permanent crops: 10.26%
  other: 67.25% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  2,590 km² (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

§3. Dominican Republic People

Population:
  9,183,984 (July 2006 est.)

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.)

Median age:
  total: 24.1 years
  male: 24 years
  female: 24.3 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  1.47% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  23.22 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  5.73 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  -2.79 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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: 0.87 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

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.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 71.73 years
  male: 70.21 years
  female: 73.33 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  2.83 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  1.7% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  88,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  7,900 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
  noun: Dominican(s)
  adjective: Dominican

Ethnic groups:
  mixed 73%, white 16%, black 11%

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.)

§4. Dominican Republic Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: Dominican Republic
  conventional short form: The Dominican
  local long form: Republica Dominicana
  local short form: La Dominicana

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, 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

Independence:
  27 February 1844 (from Haiti)

National holiday:
  Independence Day, 27 February (1844)

Constitution:
  28 November 1966; amended 25 July 2002

Legal system:
  based on French civil codes; undergoing modification in 2004 toward an
  accusatory system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
  18 years of age, universal and compulsory; married persons regardless of
  age
  note: members of the armed forces and national police cannot vote

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); 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 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%

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 in May 2006);
    Chamber of Deputies - 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; 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 appointed by a the National
  Judicial Council comprised of the president, the leaders of both chambers
  of congress, the president of the Supreme Court, and an opposition or
  non-governing party member)

Political parties and leaders:
  Dominican Liberation Party or PLD [Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna]; Dominican
  Revolutionary Party or PRD [Vicente Sanchez BARET]; 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 (FINJUS)

International organization participation:
  ACP, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM,
  IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO
  (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIF, OPANAL,
  OPCW (signatory), PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO,
  WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

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, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Juan
    (Puerto Rico)

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) 221-5511
  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 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

§5. Dominican Republic Economy

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.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $60 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $17.63 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  6.5% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $6,600 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 10.7%
  industry: 31.5%
  services: 57.8% (2003)

Labor force:
  2.3 million-2.6 million (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 17%, industry 24.3%, services and government 58.7% (1998 est.)

Unemployment rate:
  17% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  25%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: 2.1%
  highest 10%: 37.9% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
  47.4 (1998)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  4.3% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
  25.4% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $5.322 billion
  expenditures: $5.485 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.1
    billion (2005)

Public debt:
  51.4% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
  sugarcane, coffee, cotton, cocoa, tobacco, rice, beans, potatoes, corn,
  bananas; cattle, pigs, dairy products, beef, eggs

Industries:
  tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining, textiles, cement,
  tobacco

Industrial production growth rate:
  2% (2001 est.)

Electricity - production:
  12.6 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  11.71 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  0 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - consumption:
  128,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  129,900 bbl/day (2003)

Natural gas - production:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  300 million m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
  NA m³

Current account balance:
  $-383 million (2005 est.)

Exports:
  $5.818 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  ferronickel, sugar, gold, silver, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, meats, consumer
  goods

Exports - partners:
  US 80%, South Korea 2.1%, Canada 1.9% (2004)

Imports:
  $9.747 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Imports - partners:
  US 48.1%, Venezuela 13.4%, Colombia 4.8%, Mexico 4.8% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $850 million (31 December 2005)

Debt - external:
  $7.907 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $571.6 million (2004)

Currency (code):
  Dominican peso (DOP)

Exchange rates:
  Dominican pesos per US dollar - 30.409 (2005), 42.12 (2004), 30.831 (2003),
  18.61 (2002), 16.952 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Dominican Republic Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  936,200 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  2,534,100 (2004)

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:
  81,598 (2005)

Internet users:
  800,000 (2005)

§7. Dominican Republic Transportation

Airports:
  32 (2005)

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 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 19
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 5
  under 914 m: 10 (2005)

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 (2004)

Roadways:
  total: 12,600 km
  paved: 6,224 km
  unpaved: 6,376 km (1999)

Merchant marine:
  total: 1 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,587 GRT/1,165 DWT
  by type: cargo 1 (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  Boca Chica, Puerto Plata, Rio Haina, Santo Domingo

§8. Dominican Republic Military

Military branches:
  Army, Navy, Air Force

Military service age and obligation:
  18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
  males age 18-49: 2,108,197 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 18-49: 1,420,693 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
  males: 91,597 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $0 (2002 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  0% (2002 est.)

§9. Dominican Republic Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  increasing numbers of illegal migrants from the Dominican Republic cross
  the Mona Passage each year to Puerto Rico to find work

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


<Factbook 2006>
