1995 Edition

Area

total area: 48,730 sq km land area: 48,380 sq km comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire

Climate

tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall

Coastline

1,288 km

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

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

2,250 sq km (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

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

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

Natural resources

nickel, bauxite, gold, silver

Note

shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti (eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic, western one-third is Haiti)

Terrain

rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed

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.)

Birth rate

23.92 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate

6.15 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Ethnic divisions

white 16%, black 11%, mixed 73%

Infant mortality rate

49.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Labor force

2.3 million to 2.6 million by occupation: agriculture 49%, services 33%, industry 18% (1986)

Languages

Spanish

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 68.73 years male: 66.57 years female: 70.99 years (1995 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 83% male: 85% female: 82%

Nationality

noun: Dominican(s) adjective: Dominican

Net migration rate

-6.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Population

7,511,263 (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate

1.17% (1995 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 95%

Total fertility rate

2.72 children born/woman (1995 est.)

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 (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

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: [1] (202) 332-6280

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

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)

[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

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)

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

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

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

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

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 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

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

Budget

revenues: $1.8 billion expenditures: $2.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994 est.)

Currency

1 Dominican peso (RD$) = 100 centavos

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

Electricity

capacity: 1,450,000 kW production: 5.4 billion kWh consumption per capita: 651 kWh (1993)

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)

Exports

$585 million (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: ferronickel, sugar, gold, coffee, cocoa partners: US 52%, EC 23%, Puerto Rico 9%, Asia 7% (1992)

External debt

$4.3 billion (1994 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe

Imports

$2.5 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals partners: US 60% (1993)

Industrial production

growth rate 3.4% (1994); accounts for 14% of GDP

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

14% (1994)

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $24 billion (1994 est.)

National product per capita

$3,070 (1994 est.)

National product real growth rate

2.9% (1994 est.)

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.

Unemployment rate

30% (1994 est.)

Radio

broadcast stations: AM 120, FM 0, shortwave 6 radios: NA

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

Television

broadcast stations: 18 televisions: NA

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

Highways

total: 12,000 km paved: 5,800 km unpaved: gravel or improved earth 5,600 km; unimproved earth 600 km

Merchant marine

total: 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

Barahona, La Romana, Puerto Plata, San Pedro de Macoris, Santo Domingo

Railroads

total: 1,655 km (in numerous segments; includes 4 different gauges from 0.558-m narrow gauge to 1.435-m standard gauge)

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $116 million, 1.4% of GDP (1994) ________________________________________________________________________ ECUADOR

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.)