Dominican Republic

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

Highways

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

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

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 2,114,606; fit for military service 1,333,049; reach military age (18) annually 81,919 (1994 est.)

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

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

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: 2,283,000 kW production: 5 billion kWh consumption per capita: 660 kWh (1992)

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)

Exports

$769 million (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: ferronickel, sugar, gold, coffee, cocoa partners: US 56%, EC 22%, Puerto Rico 8% (1991)

External debt

$4.7 billion (1993 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Illicit drugs

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

Imports

$2.2 billion (c.i.f., 1993 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals partners: US 50%

Industrial production

growth rate -0.1% (1991); accounts for 14% of GDP

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

8% (1993 est.)

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $23 billion (1993 est.)

National product per capita

$3,000 (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate

3% (1993 est.)

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.

Unemployment rate

30% (1993 est.)

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: 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

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, 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 (eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic, western one-third is Haiti)

Terrain

rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed

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 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

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

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

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

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)

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, 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

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

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: Unit 5500, Santo Domingo; APO AA 34041-0008 telephone: (809) 541-2171 and 541-8100

Birth rate

24.87 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate

6.2 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Ethnic divisions

white 16%, black 11%, mixed 73%

Infant mortality rate

51.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 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: 68.35 years male: 66.22 years female: 70.6 years (1994 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

-0.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population

7,826,075 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

1.8% (1994 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 95%

Total fertility rate

2.8 children born/woman (1994 est.)