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- #CARD:Dominican Republic:Geography
- #IMAGE 49 66 TWPCX \maps\Dominicr.PCX
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK Click Here for MAP
- Dominican Republic
- Geography
-
-
- 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
- Area:
- total area:
- 48,730 km2
- land area:
- 48,380 km2
- 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
- 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 km2 (1989)
- Environment:
- subject to occasional hurricanes (July to October); deforestation
- Note:
- shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti (western one-third is Haiti, eastern
- two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)
-
- #ENDCARD
- #CARD:Dominican Republic:People
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Dominican Republic
- People
-
-
- Population:
- 7,683,940 (July 1993 est.)
- Population growth rate:
- 1.86% (1993 est.)
- Birth rate:
- 25.68 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
- Death rate:
- 6.38 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
- Net migration rate:
- -0.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
- Infant mortality rate:
- 53.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth:
- total population:
- 67.98 years
- male:
- 65.87 years
- female:
- 70.21 years (1993 est.)
- Total fertility rate:
- 2.89 children born/woman (1993 est.)
- Nationality:
- noun:
- Dominican(s)
- adjective:
- Dominican
- Ethnic divisions:
- mixed 73%, white 16%, black 11%
- Religions:
- Roman Catholic 95%
- Languages:
- Spanish
- Literacy:
- age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
- total population:
- 83%
- male:
- 85%
- female:
- 82%
- Labor force:
- 2,300,000 to 2,600,000
- by occupation:
- agriculture 49%, services 33%, industry 18% (1986)
-
- #ENDCARD
- #CARD:Dominican Republic:Government
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Dominican Republic
- Government
-
-
- Names:
- conventional long form:
- Dominican Republic
- 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)
- Constitution:
- 28 November 1966
- Legal system:
- based on French civil codes
- National holiday:
- Independence Day, 27 February (1844)
- 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
- Suffrage:
- 18 years of age; universal and compulsory or married persons regardless of
- age
- note:
- members of the armed forces and police cannot vote
-
- #ENDCARD
- #CARD:Dominican Republic:Government
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Dominican Republic
- Government
- Elections:
- 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
- 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
- Executive branch:
- president, vice president, Cabinet
- 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)
- Judicial branch:
- Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)
- Leaders:
- 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)
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
-
- #ENDCARD
- #CARD:Dominican Republic:Economy
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Dominican Republic
- Economy
-
-
- 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.
- National product:
- GDP - exchange rate conversion - $8.4 billion (1992 est.)
- National product real growth rate:
- 5% (1992 est.)
- National product per capita:
- $1,120 (1992 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices):
- 6% (1992 est.)
- Unemployment rate:
- 30% (1992 est.)
- Budget:
- revenues $1.4 billion; expenditures $1.8 billion, including capital
- expenditures of $NA (1993 est.)
- Exports:
- $600 million (f.o.b., 1992)
- commodities:
- ferronickel, sugar, gold, coffee, cocoa
- partners:
- US 60%, EC 19%, Puerto Rico 8% (1990)
- Imports:
- $2 billion (c.i.f., 1992 est.)
- commodities:
- foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals
- partners:
- US 50%
- External debt:
- $4.7 billion (1992 est.)
- Industrial production:
- growth rate -1.5% (1991); accounts for 20% of GDP
- Electricity:
- 2,283,000 kW capacity; 5,000 million kWh produced, 660 kWh per capita (1992)
- Industries:
- tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining, textiles, cement,
- tobacco
- 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
- Illicit drugs:
- transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US
- Economic aid:
- 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
-
- #ENDCARD
- #CARD:Dominican Republic:Economy
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Dominican Republic
- Economy
- Exchange rates:
- Dominican pesos (RD$) per US$1 - 12.7 (1992), 12.692 (1991), 8.525 (1990),
- 6.340 (1989), 6.113 (1988)
- Fiscal year:
- calendar year
-
- #ENDCARD
- #CARD:Dominican Republic:Communications
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Dominican Republic
- Communications
-
-
- Railroads:
- 1,655 km total in numerous segments; 4 different gauges from 0.558 m to
- 1.435 m
- Highways:
- 12,000 km total; 5,800 km paved, 5,600 km gravel and improved earth, 600 km
- unimproved
- 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:
- 30
- 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
-
- #ENDCARD
- #CARD:Dominican Republic:Defense Forces
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Dominican Republic
- Defense Forces
-
-
- Branches:
- Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police
- 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.)
- Defense expenditures:
- exchange rate conversion - $110 million, 0.7% of GDP (1993 est.)
-
- #ENDCARD
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