1992 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1992 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation
Coastline
1,288 km
Comparative area
slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire
Contiguous zone
24 nm
Continental shelf
outer edge of continental margin or 200 nm
Disputes
none
Environment
subject to occasional hurricanes (July to October); deforestation
Exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Land area
48,380 km2
Land boundaries
275 km; Haiti 275 km
Land use
arable land 23%; permanent crops 7%; meadows and pastures 43%; forest and woodland 13%; other 14%; includes irrigated 4%
Natural resources
nickel, bauxite, gold, silver
Note
shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)
Terrain
rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed
Territorial sea
6 nm
Total area
48,730 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
26 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate
7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Ethnic divisions
mixed 73%, white 16%, black 11%
Infant mortality rate
56 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Labor force
2,300,000 to 2,600,000; agriculture 49%, services 33%, industry 18% (1986)
Languages
Spanish
Life expectancy at birth
66 years male, 70 years female (1992)
Literacy
83% (male 85%, female 82%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Nationality
noun - Dominican(s); adjective - Dominican
Net migration rate
-1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Organized labor
12% of labor force (1989 est.)
Population
7,515,892 (July 1992), growth rate 1.9% (1992)
Religions
Roman Catholic 95%
Total fertility rate
3.0 children born/woman (1992)
Government
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
Capital
Santo Domingo
Chamber of Deputies
last held 16 May 1990 (next to be held May 1994); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (120 total) PLD 44, PRSC 41, PRD 33, PRI 2
Chief of State and Head of Government
President Joaquin BALAGUER Ricardo (since 16 August 1986, fifth elected term began 16 August 1990); Vice President Carlos A. MORALES Troncoso (since 16 August 1986)
Communists
an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 members in several legal and illegal factions; effectiveness limited by ideological differences, organizational inadequacies, and severe funding shortages
Constitution
28 November 1966
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Jose del Carmen ARIZA Gomez; Chancery at 1715 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 332-6280; there are Dominican Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Mayaguez (Puerto Rico), Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Consulates in Charlotte Amalie (Virgin Islands), Detroit, Houston, Jacksonville, Minneapolis, Mobile, Ponce (Puerto Rico), and San Francisco US: Ambassador Robert S. PASTORINO; Embassy at the corner of Calle Cesar Nicolas Penson and Calle Leopoldo Navarro, Santo Domingo (mailing address is APO AA 34041-0008); telephone (809) 5412171
Executive branch
president, vice president, Cabinet
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
Independence
27 February 1844 (from Haiti)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)
Legal system
based on French civil codes
Legislative branch
bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional) consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Senado) and lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados)
Long-form name
Dominican Republic (no short-form name)
Major parties
Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC), Joaquin BALAGUER Ricardo; Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD), Jose Franciso PENA Gomez; Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), Juan BOSCH Gavino; Independent Revolutionary Party (PRI), Jacobo MAJLUTA
Member of
ACP, CARICOM (observer), ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM (guest), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
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
National holiday
Independence Day, 27 February (1844)
Note
in 1983 several leftist parties, including the PCD, joined to form the Dominican Leftist Front (FID); however, they still retain individual party structures
President
last held 16 May 1990 (next to be held May 1994); results - Joaquin BALAGUER (PRSC) 35.7%, Juan BOSCH Gavino (PLD) 34.4%
Senate
last held 16 May 1990 (next to be held May 1994); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (30 total) PRSC 16, PLD 12, PRD 2
Suffrage
universal and compulsory at age 18 or if married; members of the armed forces and police cannot vote
Type
republic
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 15% of GDP and employs 49% of labor force; sugarcane is the most important commercial crop, followed by 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
Budget
revenues NA; expenditures $1.1 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (1992 est.)
Currency
Dominican peso (plural - pesos); 1 Dominican peso (RD$) = 100 centavos
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY85-89), $575 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $655 million
Electricity
2,133,000 kW capacity; 4,410 million kWh produced, 597 kWh per capita (1991)
Exchange rates
Dominican pesos (RD$) per US$1 - 12.609 (January 1992), 12.692 (1991), 8.525 (1990), 6.340 (1989), 6.113 (1988), 3.845 (1987)
Exports
$775 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.) commodities: sugar, coffee, cocoa, gold, ferronickel partners: US 60%, EC 19%, Puerto Rico 8% (1990)
External debt
$4.7 billion (1991 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
exchange rate conversion - $7 billion, per capita $950; real growth rate -2% (1991 est.)
Imports
$1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals partners: US 50%
Industrial production
growth rate NA; accounts for 20% of GDP
Industries
tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining, textiles, cement, tobacco
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
9% (1991 est.)
Overview
The economy is largely dependent on trade; imported components average 60% of the value of goods consumed in the domestic market. Rapid growth of free trade zones has established a significant expansion of manufacturing for export, especially wearing apparel. Over the past decade, tourism has also increased in importance and is a major earner of foreign exchange and a source of new jobs. Agriculture remains a key sector of the economy. The principal commercial crop is sugarcane, followed by coffee, cotton, cocoa, and tobacco. Domestic industry is based on the processing of agricultural products, durable consumer goods, minerals, and chemicals. Unemployment is officially reported at about 30%, but there is considerable underemployment. A fiscal austerity program has brought inflation under control, but in 1991 the economy contracted for a second straight year.
Unemployment rate
30% (1991 est.)
Communications
Airports
36 total, 30 usable; 12 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 9 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
23 major transport aircraft
Highways
12,000 km total; 5,800 km paved, 5,600 km gravel and improved earth, 600 km unimproved
Merchant marine
1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,587 GRT/1,165 DWT
Pipelines
crude oil 96 km; petroleum products 8 km
Ports
Santo Domingo, Haina, San Pedro de Macoris, Puerto Plata
Railroads
1,655 km total in numerous segments; 4 different gauges from 0.558 m to 1.435 m
Telecommunications
relatively efficient domestic system based on islandwide microwave relay network; 190,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 120 AM, no FM, 18 TV, 6 shortwave; 1 coaxial submarine cable; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $70 million, 1% of GDP (1990)
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 2,013,294; 1,271,772 fit for military service; 80,117 reach military age (18) annually