DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
@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
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - MAJOR CITIES
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Latitude, Internat'l Time
Population Longitude Phone Code Zone
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SANTO DOMINGO 1,410,000 18.30N, 69.57W 809- GMT-4
Santiago 285,000 19.30N, 70.40W 809- GMT-4
La Romana 101,000 18.27N, 68.57W 809- GMT-4
San Pedro de Macoris 90,000 18.30N, 69.18W 809- GMT-4
San Fran. de Macoris 84,000 19.19N, 70.15W 809- GMT-4
La Vega 64,000 19.15N, 70.33W 809- GMT-4
San Juan 50,000 18.49N, 71.12W 809- GMT-4
Barahona 50,000 18.13N, 71.07W 809- GMT-4
Puerto Plata 46,000 19.48N, 70.41W 809- GMT-4
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Area:
total area: 48,730 sq km
land area: 48,380 sq km
comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire
Land boundaries: total 275 km, Haiti 275 km
Coastline: 1,288 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
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation;
seasonal variation in rainfall
Terrain: rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys
interspersed
Natural resources: nickel, bauxite, gold, silver
Land use:
arable land: 23%
permanent crops: 7%
meadows and pastures: 43%
forest and woodland: 13%
other: 14%
Irrigated land: 2,250 sq km (1989)
Environment:
current issues: water shortages; soil eroding into the sea damages
coral reefs; deforestation
natural hazards: occasional hurricanes (July to October)
international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Marine
Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Law of the Sea
Note: shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti (eastern two-thirds is
the Dominican Republic, western one-third is Haiti)
@Dominican Republic:People
Population: 7,511,263 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 35% (female 1,288,210; male 1,336,162)
15-64 years: 61% (female 2,246,791; male 2,312,555)
65 years and over: 4% (female 178,388; male 149,157) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.17% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 23.92 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 6.15 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -6.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 49.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 68.73 years
male: 66.57 years
female: 70.99 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.72 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Dominican(s)
adjective: Dominican
Ethnic divisions: white 16%, black 11%, mixed 73%
Religions: Roman Catholic 95%
Languages: Spanish
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population: 83%
male: 85%
female: 82%
Labor force: 2.3 million to 2.6 million
by occupation: agriculture 49%, services 33%, industry 18% (1986)
@Dominican Republic:Government
Names:
conventional long form: Dominican Republic
conventional short form: none
local long form: Republica Dominicana
local short form: none
Digraph: DR
Type: republic
Capital: Santo Domingo
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 or married persons
regardless of age
note: members of the armed forces and police cannot vote
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President Joaquin BALAGUER
Ricardo (since 16 August 1986, sixth elected term began 16 August
1994); Vice President Jacinto PEYNADO (since 16 August 1994) election
last held 16 May 1994 (next to be held May 1996); results - Joaquin
BALAGUER (PRSC) 42.6%, Juan BOSCH Gavino (PLD) 13.2%, Jose Francisco
PENA Gomez (PRD) 41.9%, Jacobo MAJLUTA (PRI) 2.3%
cabinet: Cabinet; nominated by the president
Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional)
Senate (Senado): elections last held 16 May 1994 (next to be held May
1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (30 total) PRSC
15, PLD 1, PRD 14
Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados): elections last held 16 May
1994 (next to be held May 1998); results - percent of vote by party
NA; seats - (120 total) PLD 13, PRSC 50, PRD 57
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)
Political parties and leaders:
major parties: Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC), Joaquin
BALAGUER Ricardo; Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), (vacant following
retirement of Juan BOSCH Gavino); Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD),
Jose Franciso PENA Gomez; Independent Revolutionary Party (PRI),
Jacobo MAJLUTA
minor parties: National Veterans and Civilian Party (PNVC), Juan Rene
BEAUCHAMPS Javier; Liberal Party of the Dominican Republic (PLRD),
Andres Van Der HORST; Democratic Quisqueyan Party (PQD), Elias WESSIN
Chavez; National Progressive Force (FNP), Marino VINICIO Castillo;
Popular Christian Party (PPC), Rogelio DELGADO Bogaert; Dominican
Communist Party (PCD), Narciso ISA Conde; Dominican Workers' Party
(PTD), Ivan RODRIGUEZ; Anti-Imperialist Patriotic Union (UPA), Ignacio
RODRIGUEZ Chiappini; Alliance for Democracy Party (APD), Maximilano
Rabelais PUIG Miller, Nelsida MARMOLEJOS, Vicente BENGOA; Democratic
Union (UD), Fernando ALVAREZ Bogaert
note: in 1983 several leftist parties, including the PCD, joined to
form the Dominican Leftist Front (FID); however, they still retain
individual party structures
Other political or pressure groups: Collective of Popular Organzations
(COP), leader NA
Member of: ACP, CARICOM (observer), ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, GATT,
IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), NAM
(guest), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU,
WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jose del Carmen ARIZA Gomez
chancery: 1715 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-6280
FAX: [1] (202) 265-8057
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Mayaguez (Puerto
Rico), Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and
San Juan (Puerto Rico)
consulate(s): Charlotte Amalie (Virgin Islands), Detroit, Houston,
Jacksonville, Minneapolis, Mobile, and Ponce (Puerto Rico)
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Donna Jean HRINAK
embassy: corner of Calle Cesar Nicolas Penson and Calle Leopoldo
Navarro, Santo Domingo
mailing address: Unit 5500, Santo Domingo; APO AA 34041
telephone: [1] (809) 541-2171, 8100
FAX: [1] (809) 686-7437
Flag: a centered white cross that extends to the edges, divides the
flag into four rectangles - the top ones are blue (hoist side) and
red, 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 showed some signs of slippage in 1994,
although its overall performance in recent years has been relatively
strong. After posting an increase of nearly 8% in 1992, GDP growth
fell to 3% in 1993 and 1994 as mining output decreased and erosion of
real wages caused private consumption to decline. A pre-election boost
in government spending in early 1994 led to the first government
deficit in four years and bumped inflation up to 14% for the year.
Continued dynamism in construction and the services sector, especially
tourism, should keep the economy growing in 1995. Tourism,
agriculture, and manufacturing for export remain key sectors of the
economy. Domestic industry is based on the processing of agricultural
products, oil refining, and chemicals.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $24 billion (1994
est.)
National product real growth rate: 2.9% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $3,070 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 14% (1994)
Unemployment rate: 30% (1994 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $1.8 billion
expenditures: $2.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1994 est.)
Exports: $585 million (f.o.b., 1994)
commodities: ferronickel, sugar, gold, coffee, cocoa
partners: US 52%, EC 23%, Puerto Rico 9%, Asia 7% (1992)
Imports: $2.5 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.)
commodities: foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and
pharmaceuticals
partners: US 60% (1993)
External debt: $4.3 billion (1994 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 3.4% (1994); accounts for 14% of
GDP
Electricity:
capacity: 1,450,000 kW
production: 5.4 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 651 kWh (1993)
Industries: tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining,
textiles, cement, tobacco
Agriculture: accounts for 15% of GDP and employs 49% of labor force;
commercial crops - sugarcane, coffee, cotton, cocoa, and tobacco; food
crops - rice, beans, potatoes, corn, bananas; animal output - cattle,
hogs, dairy products, meat, eggs; not self-sufficient in food
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for South American drugs destined
for the US and Europe
Economic aid:
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY85-89), $575 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-89), $655 million
Currency: 1 Dominican peso (RD$) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: Dominican pesos (RD$) per US$1 - 13.258 (January
1995), 13.160 (1994), 12.679 (1993), 12.774 (1992), 12.692 (1991),
8.525 (1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Dominican Republic:Transportation
Railroads:
total: 1,655 km (in numerous segments; includes 4 different gauges
from 0.558-m narrow gauge to 1.435-m standard gauge)
Highways:
total: 12,000 km
paved: 5,800 km
unpaved: gravel or improved earth 5,600 km; unimproved earth 600 km
Pipelines: crude oil 96 km; petroleum products 8 km
Ports: Barahona, La Romana, Puerto Plata, San Pedro de Macoris, Santo
Domingo
Merchant marine:
total: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,587 GRT/1,165 DWT
Airports:
total: 36
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 2
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 5
with paved runways under 914 m: 16
with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 6
@Dominican Republic:Communications
Telephone system: 190,000 telephones; relatively efficient domestic
system based on islandwide microwave radio relay network
local: NA
intercity: islandwide microwave radio relay network
international: 1 coaxial submarine cable; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean)
earth station
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 120, FM 0, shortwave 6
radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: 18
televisions: NA
@Dominican Republic:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 2,008,597; males fit for
military service 1,266,812; males reach military age (18) annually
79,769 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $116 million, 1.4% of
GDP (1994)
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