2009 Edition

Background

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.

Area

total: 48,670 sq km country comparison to the world: 131 land: 48,320 sq km water: 350 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire

Climate

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

Coastline

1,288 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Lago Enriquillo -46 m highest point: Pico Duarte 3,175 m

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

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 3.39 cu km/yr (32%/2%/66%) per capita: 381 cu m/yr (2000)

Geographic coordinates

19 00 N, 70 40 W

Geography - note

shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti

Irrigated land

2,750 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

total: 360 km border countries: Haiti 360 km

Land use

arable land: 22.49% permanent crops: 10.26% other: 67.25% (2005)

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

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

Natural hazards

lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding; periodic droughts

Natural resources

nickel, bauxite, gold, silver

Terrain

rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed

Total renewable water resources

21 cu km (2000)

Age structure

0-14 years: 31.4% (male 1,543,141/female 1,488,016) 15-64 years: 62.7% (male 3,087,351/female 2,960,319) 65 years and over: 5.9% (male 264,476/female 306,751) (2009 est.)

Birth rate

22.39 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 83

Death rate

5.28 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 182

Education expenditures

3.6% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 126

Ethnic groups

mixed 73%, white 16%, black 11%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 51

HIV/AIDS - deaths

4,100 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 48

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

62,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 59

Infant mortality rate

total: 25.96 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 83 male: 28 deaths/1,000 live births female: 23.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Languages

Spanish

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 73.7 years country comparison to the world: 99 male: 71.88 years female: 75.6 years (2009 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 87% male: 86.8% female: 87.2% (2002 census)

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 (2009)

Median age

total: 24.9 years male: 24.8 years female: 25.1 years (2009 est.)

Nationality

noun: Dominican(s) adjective: Dominican

Net migration rate

-2.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 141

Population

9,650,054 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 85

Population growth rate

1.489% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 91

Religions

Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 12 years male: 12 years female: 13 years (2004)

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 (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.76 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 79

Urbanization

urban population: 69% of total population (2008) rate of urbanization: 2.6% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

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

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)

Constitution

28 November 1966; amended 25 July 2002

Country name

conventional long form: Dominican Republic conventional short form: The Dominican local long form: Republica Dominicana local short form: La Dominicana

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Roberto SALADIN chancery: 1715 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-6280

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

FAX

[1] (202) 265-8057 consulate(s) general: Anchorage, Boston, Chicago, Mayaguez (Puerto Rico), Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Sun Valley (California)

[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

Government type

democratic republic

Independence

27 February 1844 (from Haiti)

International organization participation

ACP, BCIE, Caricom (observer), FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (suspended), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), PCA, RG, SICA (associated member), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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)

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

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 February (1844)

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)

Suffrage

18 years of age, universal and compulsory; married persons regardless of age; note - members of the armed forces and national police cannot vote

Agriculture - products

sugarcane, coffee, cotton, cocoa, tobacco, rice, beans, potatoes, corn, bananas; cattle, pigs, dairy products, beef, eggs

Budget

revenues: $7.46 billion expenditures: $9.027 billion (2008 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

19.95% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 39 15.83% (31 December 2007)

Current account balance

-$4.436 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 155 -$2.068 billion (2007 est.)

Debt - external

$11.42 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 81 $10.21 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

49.9 (2005) country comparison to the world: 25 47.4 (1998)

Economy - overview

The Dominican Republic has enjoyed strong GDP growth since 2005 and continued to post sound gains through mid-2008. The global recession, however, had a significant impact on GDP growth in the latter half of the year as tourism and remittances, two of the Dominican Republic's most important economic contributors, showed signs of slowing. The economy is highly dependent upon the US, the destination for about two-thirds of exports. Remittances from the US amount to about a tenth of GDP, equivalent to almost half of exports and three-quarters of tourism receipts. The country has long been viewed primarily as an exporter of sugar, coffee, and tobacco but in recent years the service sector has overtaken agriculture as the economy's largest employer due to growth in tourism and free trade zones. Although 2007 saw inflation around 6%, the rate grew to over 12% in 2008. High food prices, driven by the effects of consecutive tropical storms on agricultural products, and education prices were significant contributors to the jump. The effects of the global financial crisis and the US recession are projected to negatively affect GDP growth in 2009 with a rebound expected in 2010. 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 reduce losses to the Asian garment industry.

Electricity - consumption

12.7 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 76

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - production

14.02 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 80

Exchange rates

Dominican pesos (DOP) per US dollar - 34.775 (2008 est.), 33.113 (2007), 33.406 (2006), 30.409 (2005), 42.12 (2004)

Exports

$6.95 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 99 $7.16 billion (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities

ferronickel, sugar, gold, silver, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, meats, consumer goods

Exports - partners

US 58.1%, Haiti 9.3%, Netherlands 2.9% (2008)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 10.8% industry: 22.9% services: 66.3% (2008 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$8,200 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 119 $7,900 (2007 est.) $7,400 (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

5.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 78 8.5% (2007 est.) 10.7% (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$44.44 billion (2008 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$78.19 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 76 $74.25 billion (2007 est.) $68.43 billion (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1.5% highest 10%: 38.7% (2005)

Imports

$16.1 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 77 $13.6 billion (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities

foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Imports - partners

US 39.2%, Venezuela 7.7%, Mexico 5.4%, Colombia 4.9% (2008)

Industrial production growth rate

1.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 119

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

10.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 155 6.1% (2007 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

19.4% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 117

Labor force

4.119 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 86

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 14.6% industry: 22.3% services: 63.1% (2005)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Natural gas - consumption

470 million cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 96

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 188

Natural gas - imports

470 million cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 61

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 188

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 186

Oil - consumption

119,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 72

Oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 190

Oil - imports

116,200 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 63

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 181

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl country comparison to the world: 179

Population below poverty line

42.2% (2004)

Public debt

37.4% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 62 61.1% of GDP (2004 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$2.288 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 106 $2.562 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$59 million (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 80

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$15.59 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 70 $12.71 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$17.37 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 62 $15.92 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of money

$3.619 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 62 $4.074 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money

$5.902 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 61 $5.631 billion (31 December 2007)

Unemployment rate

14.1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 149 15.6% (2007 est.)

Internet country code

.do

Internet hosts

280,457 (2009) country comparison to the world: 56

Internet users

2.147 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 68

Radio broadcast stations

AM 120, FM 56, shortwave 4 (1998)

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 75 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) (2008)

Telephones - main lines in use

985,700 (2008) country comparison to the world: 82

Telephones - mobile cellular

7.21 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 70

Television broadcast stations

25 (2003)

Airports

35 (2009) country comparison to the world: 108

Airports - with paved runways

total: 16 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 1 (2009)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 19 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 17 (2009)

Merchant marine

total: 1 country comparison to the world: 149 by type: cargo 1 registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals

Boca Chica, Caucedo, Puerto Plata, Rio Haina, Santo Domingo

Railways

total: 1,784 km country comparison to the world: 77 standard gauge: 375 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 1,368 km 1.076-m, 0.889-m, and 0.762-m gauges note: 1,226 km operated by sugar companies in 1.076 m, 0.889 m, and 0.762-m gauges (2008)

Roadways

total: 19,705 km country comparison to the world: 110 paved: 9,872 km unpaved: 9,833 km (2002)

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: 2,056,774 females age 16-49: 1,921,836 (2009 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 97,766 female: 93,922 (2009 est.)

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Dominicana, FAD) (2009)

Military expenditures

0.8% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 147

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service (2007)

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 Canada; substantial money laundering activity in particular by Colombian narcotics traffickers; significant amphetamine consumption (2008) page last updated on November 11, 2009

Trafficking in persons

current situation: the Dominican Republic is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor; a large number of Dominican women are trafficked into prostitution and sexual exploitation in Western Europe, Australia, Central and South America, and Caribbean destinations; a significant number of women, boys, and girls are trafficked within the country for sexual exploitation and domestic servitude tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - for a second consecutive year, the Dominican Republic is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to show evidence of increasing efforts to combat human trafficking, particularly in terms of not adequately investigating and prosecuting public officials who may be complicit with trafficking activity, and inadequate government efforts to protect trafficking victims; the government has taken measures to reduce demand for commercial sex acts with children through criminal prosecutions (2008)