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.
Geography
Dominican Republic
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 sq km
land: 48,380 sq km water: 350 sq km
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:
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
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
total: 3.39 cu km/yr
(32%/2%/66%) per capita: 381 cu m/yr (2000)
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, Wetlands signed, but not
ratified: Law of the Sea
total: 24.7 years
male: 24.6 years female: 24.8 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.495% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
22.65 births/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Death rate:
5.3 deaths/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
-2.4 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04
male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64
years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86
male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2008
est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 26.93
deaths/1,000 live births male: 29.01 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 24.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.39
years male: 71.61 years female: 75.24 years (2008
est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.78 children born/woman (2008
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.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A,
and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and
malaria water contact disease: leptospirosis (2008)
Nationality:
noun: Dominican(s)
adjective: Dominican
Ethnic groups:
mixed 73%, white 16%, black 11%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%
Languages:
Spanish
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write total population: 87% male:
86.8% female: 87.2% (2002 census)
Government
Dominican Republic
Country name:
conventional long form:
Dominican Republic conventional short form: The Dominican
local long form: Republica Dominicana local short
form: La Dominicana
Government type:
democratic republic
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)
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
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;
Criminal Procedures Code modified in 2004 to include important elements of
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)
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%
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 2010); House of Representatives -
last held 16 May 2006 (next to be held in May 2010) 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
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)
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]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Citizen Participation Group
(Participacion Ciudadania); Collective of Popular Organizations or COP;
Foundation for Institution-Building and Justice (FINJUS)
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)
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
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
Economy
Dominican Republic
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 three-fourths 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, lowering 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 diminishs
losses to the Asian garment industry.
foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton
and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals
Imports - partners:
US 46.9%, Venezuela 8.4%,
Colombia 6.3%, Mexico 5.7% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
$76.99 million (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$2.525 billion (31 December
2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$8.842 billion (31 December
2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$10.67 billion (2006 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$59 million (2006 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Currency (code):
Dominican peso (DOP)
Currency code:
DOP
Exchange rates:
Dominican pesos per US dollar -
33.113 (2007), 33.406 (2006), 30.409 (2005), 42.12 (2004), 30.831 (2003)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications
Dominican Republic
Telephones - main lines in use:
897,000 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
4.606 million (2006)
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)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 120, FM 56, shortwave 4
(1998)
Radios:
1.44 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
25 (2003)
Televisions:
770,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.do
Internet hosts:
81,218 (2007)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
24 (2000)
Internet users:
1.232 million (2006)
Transportation
Dominican Republic
Airports:
34 (2007)
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)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 19 1,524
to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 11
(2007)
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)
Roadways:
total: 12,600 km
paved: 6,224 km unpaved: 6,376 km (1999)
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)
Ports and terminals:
Boca Chica, Caucedo, Puerto
Plata, Rio Haina, Santo Domingo
Military
Dominican Republic
Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force (Fuerza
Aerea Dominicana, FAD) (2007)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary
military service (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49:
2,440,203 females age 16-49: 2,326,694 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49:
2,020,490 females age 16-49: 1,883,875 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 16-49: 96,971
females age 16-49: 93,116 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.8% (2006)
Transnational Issues
Dominican Republic
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
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
Dominican Republic; substantial money laundering activity; Colombian narcotics
traffickers favor the Dominican Republic for illicit financial
transactions; significant amphetamine consumption
