Dominican Republic




                                 Geography


Location:
     Caribbean, 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
Area:
total area:
     48,730 sq km
land area:
     48,380 sq km
comparative area:
     slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire
Land boundaries:
     total 275 km, Haiti 275 km
Coastline:
     1,288 km
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
International disputes:
     none
Climate:
     tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal
     variation in rainfall
Terrain:
     rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed
Natural resources:
     nickel, bauxite, gold, silver
Land use:
arable land:
     23%
permanent crops:
     7%
meadows and pastures:
     43%
forest and woodland:
     13%
other:
     14%
Irrigated land:
     2,250 sq km (1989)
Environment:
current issues:
     water shortages; soil eroding into the sea damages coral reefs;
     deforestation




natural hazards:
     subject to 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
Note:
     shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti (eastern two-thirds is the
     Dominican Republic, western one-third is Haiti)


                                  People


Population:
     7,826,075 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     1.8% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     24.87 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     6.2 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     -0.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     51.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     68.35 years
male:
     66.22 years
female:
     70.6 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     2.8 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
     Dominican(s)
adjective:
     Dominican
Ethnic divisions:
     white 16%, black 11%, mixed 73%
Religions:
     Roman Catholic 95%
Languages:
     Spanish
Literacy:
     age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
     83%
male:
     85%
female:
     82%
Labor force:
     2.3 million to 2.6 million




by occupation:
     agriculture 49%, services 33%, industry 18% (1986)


                                Government


Names:
conventional long form:
conventional short form:
     none
local long form:
     Republica Dominicana
local short form:
     none
Digraph:
     DR
Type:
     republic
Capital:
     Santo Domingo
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
Independence:
     27 February 1844 (from Haiti)
National holiday:
     Independence Day, 27 February (1844)
Constitution:
     28 November 1966
Legal system:
     based on French civil codes
Suffrage:
     18 years of age; universal and compulsory or married persons
     regardless of age
note:
     members of the armed forces and police cannot vote
Executive branch:
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); election last held 16 May 1990 (next
     to be held May 1994); results - Joaquin BALAGUER (PRSC) 35.7%, Juan
     BOSCH Gavino (PLD) 34.4%, Jose Francisco PENA Gomez (PRD) 22.9%
cabinet:
     Cabinet; nominated by the president
Legislative branch:
     bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional)
Senate (Senado):
     elections 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




Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados):
     elections 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
Judicial branch:
     Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)
Political parties and leaders:
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
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
Other political or pressure groups:
     Collective of Popular Organzations (COP), leader NA
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, WMO, WTO
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
FAX:
     (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, Ponce (Puerto Rico), and San Francisco
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:
     Unit 5500, Santo Domingo; APO AA 34041-0008
telephone:
     (809) 541-2171 and 541-8100
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


                                  Economy


Overview:
     Rapid growth of free trade zones has led to a substantial expansion of
     manufacturing for export, especially of 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. Growth fell to a
     moderate 3% in 1993 because of power shortages in industry and
     political uncertainty which slowed down foreign investment.
National product:
     GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $23 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
     3% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
     $3,000 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     8% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
     30% (1993 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
     $1.4 billion
expenditures:
     $1.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993 est.)
Exports:
     $769 million (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities:
     ferronickel, sugar, gold, coffee, cocoa
partners:
     US 56%, EC 22%, Puerto Rico 8% (1991)
Imports:
     $2.2 billion (c.i.f., 1993 est.)
commodities:
     foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and
     pharmaceuticals
partners:
     US 50%




External debt:
     $4.7 billion (1993 est.)
Industrial production:
     growth rate -0.1% (1991); accounts for 14% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
     2,283,000 kW
production:
     5 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
     660 kWh (1992)
Industries:
     tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining, textiles,
     cement, tobacco
Agriculture:
     accounts for 18% 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
Illicit drugs:
     transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and
     Europe
Economic aid:
recipient:
     US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY85-89), $575 million; Western
     (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $655
     million
Currency:
     1 Dominican peso (RD$) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates:
     Dominican pesos (RD$) per US$1 - 12.841 (January 1994), 12.679 (1993),
     12.774 (1992), 12.692 (1991), 8.525 (1990), 6.340 (1989)
Fiscal year:
     calendar year


                              Communications


Railroads:
     1,655 km total in numerous segments; 4 different gauges from 0.558 m
     to 1.435 m
Highways:
total:
     12,000 km
paved:
     5,800 km
unpaved:
     gravel or improved earth 5,600 km; unimproved earth 600 km
Pipelines:
     crude oil 96 km; petroleum products 8 km
Ports:
     Santo Domingo, Haina, San Pedro de Macoris, Puerto Plata
Merchant marine:
     1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,587 GRT/1,165 DWT




Airports:
total:
     36
usable:
     31
with permanent-surface runways:
     12
with runways over 3,659 m:
     0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
     4
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
     8
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


                              Defense Forces


Branches:
     Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police
Manpower availability:
     males age 15-49 2,114,606; fit for military service 1,333,049; reach
     military age (18) annually 81,919 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
     exchange rate conversion - $110 million, 0.7% of GDP (1993 est.)