1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 48,730 km2 land area: 48,380 km2 comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire
Climate
tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation
Coastline
1,288 km
Environment
subject to occasional hurricanes (July to October); deforestation
International disputes
none
Irrigated land
2,250 km2 (1989)
Land boundaries
total 275 km, Haiti 275 km
Land use
arable land: 23% permanent crops: 7% meadows and pastures: 43% forest and woodland: 13% other: 14%
Location
in the northern Caribbean Sea, about halfway between Cuba and Puerto Rico
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean, Standard Time Zones of the World
Maritime claims
contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or the outer edge of continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 6 nm
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
People and Society
Birth rate
25.68 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate
6.38 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Ethnic divisions
mixed 73%, white 16%, black 11%
Infant mortality rate
53.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Labor force
2,300,000 to 2,600,000 by occupation: agriculture 49%, services 33%, industry 18% (1986)
Languages
Spanish
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 67.98 years male: 65.87 years female: 70.21 years (1993 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 83% male: 85% female: 82%
Nationality
noun: Dominican(s) adjective: Dominican
Net migration rate
-0.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Population
7,683,940 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate
1.86% (1993 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 95%
Total fertility rate
2.89 children born/woman (1993 est.)
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)
Constitution
28 November 1966
Digraph
DR
Diplomatic representation in US
chief of mission: Ambassador Jose del Carmen ARIZA Gomez chancery: 1715 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 332-6280 consulates general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Mayaguez (Puerto Rico), Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Juan (Puerto Rico) consulates: Charlotte Amalie (Virgin Islands), Detroit, Houston, Jacksonville, Minneapolis, Mobile, Ponce (Puerto Rico), and San Francisco
Executive branch
president, vice president, Cabinet
FAX
(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
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)
Major parties
Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC), Joaquin BALAGUER Ricardo; Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), Juan BOSCH Gavino; Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD), Jose Franciso PENA Gomez; 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, LAIA (observer), LORCS, NAM (guest), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, 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; Alliance for Democracy Party (APD), Maximilano Rabelais PUIG Miller, Nelsida MARMOLEJOS, Vicente BENGOA note: in 1983 several leftist parties, including the PCD, joined to form the Dominican Leftist Front (FID); however, they still retain individual party structures
Names
conventional long form: Dominican Republic conventional short form: none local long form: Republica Dominicana local short form: none
National holiday
Independence Day, 27 February (1844)
Other political or pressure groups
Collective of Popular Organzations (COP), leader NA
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
18 years of age; universal and compulsory or married persons regardless of age note: members of the armed forces and police cannot vote
Type
republic
US diplomatic representation
chief of mission: Ambassador Robert S. PASTORINO embassy: corner of Calle Cesar Nicolas Penson and Calle Leopoldo Navarro, Santo Domingo mailing address: APO AA 34041-0008 telephone: (809) 541-2171 and 541-8100
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 $1.4 billion; expenditures $1.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993 est.)
Currency
1 Dominican peso (RD$) = 100 centavos
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY85-89), $575 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $655 million
Electricity
2,283,000 kW capacity; 5,000 million kWh produced, 660 kWh per capita (1992)
Exchange rates
Dominican pesos (RD$) per US$1 - 12.7 (1992), 12.692 (1991), 8.525 (1990), 6.340 (1989), 6.113 (1988)
Exports
$600 million (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: ferronickel, sugar, gold, coffee, cocoa partners: US 60%, EC 19%, Puerto Rico 8% (1990)
External debt
$4.7 billion (1992 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Illicit drugs
transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US
Imports
$2 billion (c.i.f., 1992 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals partners: US 50%
Industrial production
growth rate -1.5% (1991); accounts for 20% of GDP
Industries
tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining, textiles, cement, tobacco
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
6% (1992 est.)
National product
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $8.4 billion (1992 est.)
National product per capita
$1,120 (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate
5% (1992 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, oil refining, minerals, and chemicals. Unemployment is officially reported at about 30%, but there is considerable underemployment.
Unemployment rate
30% (1992 est.)
Communications
Airports
total: 36 usable: 30 with permanent-surface runways: 12 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 8
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 - $110 million, 0.7% of GDP (1993 est.)
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 2,064,244; fit for military service 1,302,644; reach military age (18) annually 80,991 (1993 est.)