The 1996 CIA World Factbook page on Dominican Republic

From: The CIA'sTHE WORLD FACTBOOK 1996

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Dominican Republic

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Map

Location: 19 00 N, 70 40 W -- Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti

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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, the bottom ones are red (hoist side) and blue; a small coat of arms is at the center of the cross

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Geography

Location: Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti
Geographic coordinates: 19 00 N, 70 40 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
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
border country: Haiti 275 km
Coastline: 1,288 km
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
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall
Terrain: rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed
lowest point: Lago Enriquillo -46 m
highest point: Pico Duarte 3,175 m
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: 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
Geographic note: shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti (eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic, western one-third is Haiti)

People

Population: 8,088,881 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 34% (male 1,401,322; female 1,355,530)
15-64 years: 62% (male 2,541,356; female 2,460,509)
65 years and over: 4% (male 156,238; female 173,926) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.73% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 23.51 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 5.66 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
all ages: 1.03 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 47.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.06 years
male: 66.89 years
female: 71.34 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.66 children born/woman (1996 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 (1995 est.)
total population: 82.1%
male: 82%
female: 82.2%

Government

Name of country:
conventional long form: Dominican Republic
conventional short form: none
local long form: Republica Dominicana
local short form: none
Data code: DR
Type of government: 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; 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, sixth elected term began 16 August 1994); Vice President Jacinto PEYNADO Garrigoza (since 16 August 1994); president is elected for a four-year term by direct vote; election last held 16 May 1994 (next to be held 16 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 was nominated by the president
Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional)
Senate (Senado): elections last held 16 May 1994 (next to be held NA May 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (30 total) PRSC 15, PLD 1, PRD 14
Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados): elections last held 16 May 1994 (next to be held NA May 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (120 total) PLD 13, PRSC 50, PRD 57
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema), judges are elected by the Senate
Political parties and leaders:
major parties: Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC), Joaquin BALAGUER Ricardo; Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), Lidio CADET; 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
Other political or pressure groups: Collective of Popular Organizations (COP)
International organization participation: ACP, Caricom (observer), ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, 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, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
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
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, Mobile, and Ponce (Puerto Rico)
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, APO AA 34041
telephone: [1] (809) 221-2171, 221-8100
FAX: [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

Economy

Economic overview: Economic reforms launched in late 1994 contributed to exchange rate stabilization, reduced inflation, and relatively strong GDP growth in 1995. Output growth was concentrated in the tourism and free trade zone (ftz) sectors while sugar and non-ftz manufacturing declined last year. Drought in early 1995 hurt agricultural production but favorable world prices for export commodities helped mitigate the impact. Sugar refining was devastated by a disastrous harvest resulting from the drought and ongoing problems at the state-owned sugar company. Unreliable electric supplies continue to hamper expansion in manufacturing; small and medium-sized retail firms also suffer due to the dismal power situation. A presidential election scheduled for May 1996 could lead to increased government spending before and in the immediate aftermath of the vote, raising the potential for rising inflation and increased pressure on the Dominican peso.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $26.8 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: 3.5% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $3,400 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: 13%
industry: 32%
services: 55% (1995)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.5% (1995)
Labor force: 2.3 million to 2.6 million
by occupation: agriculture 50%, services and government 32%, industry 18% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate: 30% (1995 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $1.8 billion
expenditures: $2.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994 est.)
Industries: tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining, textiles, cement, tobacco
Industrial production growth rate: 6.3% (1995 est.)
Electricity:
capacity: 1,450,000 kW
production: 5.4 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 651 kWh (1993)
Agriculture: sugarcane, coffee, cotton, cocoa, tobacco, rice, beans, potatoes, corn, bananas; cattle, pigs, dairy products, meat, eggs
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe
Exports: $837.7 million (f.o.b., 1995)
commodities: ferronickel, sugar, gold, coffee, cocoa
partners: US 47.5%, EC 22%, Puerto Rico 8.4%, Asia 6.7% (1994)
Imports: $2.867 billion (f.o.b., 1995)
commodities: foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals
partners: US 60% (1993)
External debt: $4.6 billion (1994)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $21 million (1993)
Currency: 1 Dominican peso (RD$) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: Dominican pesos (RD$) per US$1 - 13.589 (December 1995), 13.617 (1995), 13.160 (1994), 12.676 (1993), 12.774 (1992), 12.692 (1991)
Fiscal year: calendar year

Transportation

Railways:
total: 757 km
standard gauge: 375 km 1.435-m gauge (Central Romana Railroad)
narrow gauge: 142 km 0.762-m gauge (Dominica Government Railway); 240 km operated by sugar companies in various gauges (0.558-m, 0.762-m, 1.067-m gauges) (1995)
Highways:
total: 11,931 km
paved: 5,766 km
unpaved: 6,165 km (1987 est.)
Pipelines: crude oil 96 km; petroleum products 8 km
Ports: Barahona, La Romana, Puerto Plata, San Pedro de Macoris, Santo Domingo
Merchant marine:
total: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,587 GRT/1,165 DWT (1995 est.)
Airports:
total: 31
with paved runways over 3 047 m: 2
with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 6
with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 3
with paved runways under 914 m: 14
with unpaved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 1
with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 1
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 4 (1995 est.)

Communications

Telephones: 190,000 (1987 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: relatively efficient system based on islandwide microwave radio relay network
international: 1 coaxial submarine cable; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 120, FM 0, shortwave 6
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 18 (1987 est.)
Televisions: 728,000 (1993 est.)

Defense

Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49: 2,212,012
males fit for military service: 1,391,472
males reach military age (18) annually: 83,611 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $116 million, 1.4% of GDP (1994)

Dominican Republic

Original publicaton at http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/nsolo/wfb-all.htm (June 17, 1997).