Dominican Republic

Broadcast media

combination of state-owned and privately-owned broadcast media; 1 state-owned television network and a number of private TV networks; networks operate repeaters to extend signals throughout country; combination of state-owned and privately-owned radio stations; more than 300 radio stations operating (2007)

Internet country code

.do

Internet hosts

283,298 (2010) country comparison to the world: 60

Internet users

2.701 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 68

Telephone system

general assessment: relatively efficient system based on island-wide microwave radio relay network domestic: fixed-line teledensity 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), Antillas 1, and the Fibralink submarine cables that provide links to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and US; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2009)

Telephones - main lines in use

1.01 million (2010) country comparison to the world: 77

Telephones - mobile cellular

8.893 million (2010) country comparison to the world: 77

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $7.038 billion expenditures: $8.504 billion (2010 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-2.8% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 90

Commercial bank prime lending rate

12.14% (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 32 18.14% (31 December 2009 est.)

Current account balance

-$4.435 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 173 -$2.159 billion (2009 est.)

Debt - external

$13.24 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 86 $10.86 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

48.4 (2007) country comparison to the world: 26 47.4 (1998)

Economy - overview

The Dominican Republic 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 telecommunications, tourism, and free trade zones. The economy is highly dependent upon the US, the destination for nearly 60% 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 suffers from marked income inequality; the poorest half of the population receives less than one-fifth of GDP, while the richest 10% enjoys nearly 40% of GDP. High unemployment and underemployment remains an important long-term challenge. The Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) came into force in March 2007, boosting investment and exports and reducing losses to the Asian garment industry. The growth of the Dominican Republic's economy rebounded in 2010 from the global recession, and remains one of the fastest growing in the region.

Electricity - consumption

12.87 billion kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 81

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - production

14.58 billion kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 80

Exchange rates

Dominican pesos (DOP) per US dollar - 36.92 (2010) 36.03 (2009) 34.775 (2008) 33.113 (2007) 33.406 (2006)

Exports

$6.598 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 103 $5.519 billion (2009 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

US 52%, Haiti 13.6% (2010)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$51.63 billion (2010 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$87.25 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 75 $80.97 billion (2009 est.) $78.27 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 7.1% industry: 28.3% services: 64.6% (2010 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$8,900 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 116 $8,400 (2009 est.) $8,200 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

7.8% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 22 3.5% (2009 est.) 5.3% (2008 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1.7% highest 10%: 37.8% (2007)

Imports

$15.3 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 80 $12.26 billion (2009 est.)

Imports - commodities

foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Imports - partners

US 44%, Venezuela 7%, China 6.1%, Mexico 4.9%, Colombia 4.8% (2010)

Industrial production growth rate

1.5% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 140

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

6.3% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 169 1.4% (2009 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

16% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 159

Labor force

4.63 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 79

Labor force - by occupation

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

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Natural gas - consumption

560 million cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 95

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 88

Natural gas - imports

560 million cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 64

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 176

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 131

Oil - consumption

119,000 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 71

Oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 153

Oil - imports

107,300 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 64

Oil - production

392 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 112

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 125

Population below poverty line

42.2% (2004)

Public debt

36.8% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 78 36.7% of GDP (2009 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$3.502 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 98 $2.905 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$16.76 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 88 $15.48 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$59 million (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 84 $59 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$18.91 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 70 $17.28 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$21.87 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 77 $18.81 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$4.237 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 98 $4.059 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

13.6% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 195

Unemployment rate

13.3% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 140 14.9% (2009 est.)

Area

total: 48,670 sq km country comparison to the world: 132 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 (2008)

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)

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 and January 2010

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 Raul H. YZAGUIRRE 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 FAX: [1] (809) 686-7437

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Anibal de Jesus de CASTRO Rodriguez chancery: 1715 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-6280 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)

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 government head of government: President Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna (since 16 August 2004); Vice President Rafael ALBURQUERQUE de Castro (since 16 August 2004) cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the president (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website) elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held on 16 May 2008 (next to be held in May 2012) election results: Leonel FERNANDEZ reelected president; percent of vote - Leonel FERNANDEZ 53.6%, Miguel VARGAS 41%, Amable ARISTY less than 5%

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 a laurel 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; in the shield a bible is opened to a verse that reads "Y la verdad nos hara libre" (And the truth shall set you free); blue stands for liberty, white for salvation, and red for the blood of heroes

Government type

democratic republic

Independence

27 February 1844 (from Haiti)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

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

civil law system based on the French civil code; Criminal Procedures Code modified in 2004 to include important elements of an accusatory system

Legislative branch

bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate or Senado (32 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Camara de Diputados (183 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: Senate - last held on 16 May 2010 (next to be held in May 2016); House of Representatives - last held on 16 May 2010 (next to be held in May 2016); in order to synchronize presidential, legislative, and local elections for 2016, those members elected in 2010 will actually serve terms of six years election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PLD 31, PRD 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PLD 105, PRD 75, PRSC 3

National anthem

name: "Himno Nacional" (National Anthem) lyrics/music: Emilio PRUD"HOMME/Jose REYES note: adopted 1934; also known as "Quisqueyanos valientes" (Valient Sons of Quisqueye); the anthem never refers to the people as Dominican but rather calls them "Quisqueyanos," a reference to the indigenous name of the island

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 February (1844)

National symbol(s)

palmchat (bird)

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

Background

The Taino - indigenous inhabitants of Hispaniola prior to the arrival of the Europeans - divided the island into five chiefdoms and territories. Christopher COLUMBUS explored and claimed the island on his first voyage in 1492; it 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 new term in 2004 following a constitutional amendment allowing presidents to serve more than one term, and was since reelected to a second consecutive term.

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 2,580,083 females age 16-49: 2,464,698 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 2,188,358 females age 16-49: 2,090,180 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 100,047 female: 96,302 (2010 est.)

Military branches

Army, Navy (Marina de Guerra), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Dominicana, FAD) (2011)

Military expenditures

0.7% of GDP (2009) country comparison to the world: 150

Military service age and obligation

16-21 years of age for compulsory military service; recruits must be Dominican Republic citizens; women may volunteer (2010)

Age structure

0-14 years: 29.5% (male 1,493,251/female 1,441,735) 15-64 years: 64% (male 3,251,419/female 3,120,540) 65 years and over: 6.5% (male 300,245/female 349,458) (2011 est.)

Birth rate

19.67 births/1,000 population (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 90

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

3.4% (2007) country comparison to the world: 101

Death rate

4.35 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 202

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 87% of population rural: 84% of population total: 86% of population unimproved: urban: 13% of population rural: 16% of population total: 14% of population (2008)

Education expenditures

2.3% of GDP (2009) country comparison to the world: 151

Ethnic groups

mixed 73%, white 16%, black 11%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.9% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 51

HIV/AIDS - deaths

2,300 (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 53

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

57,000 (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 57

Health expenditures

6.1% of GDP (2009) country comparison to the world: 104

Hospital bed density

1 beds/1,000 population (2009) country comparison to the world: 147

Infant mortality rate

total: 22.22 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 89 male: 24.21 deaths/1,000 live births female: 20.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)

Languages

Spanish (official)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 77.31 years country comparison to the world: 61 male: 75.16 years female: 79.55 years (2011 est.)

Literacy

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

Major cities - population

SANTO DOMINGO (capital) 2.138 million (2009)

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)

Maternal mortality rate

100 deaths/100,000 live births (2008) country comparison to the world: 69

Median age

total: 26.1 years male: 26 years female: 26.3 years (2011 est.)

Nationality

noun: Dominican(s) adjective: Dominican

Net migration rate

-2.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 164

Physicians density

1.88 physicians/1,000 population (2000) country comparison to the world: 71

Population

9,956,648 (July 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 85

Population growth rate

1.331% (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 88

Religions

Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 87% of population rural: 74% of population total: 83% of population unimproved: urban: 13% of population rural: 26% of population total: 17% of population (2008)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 12 years male: 11 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 (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.44 children born/woman (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 87

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 30.3% country comparison to the world: 15 male: 21.2% female: 44.5% (2007)

Urbanization

urban population: 69% of total population (2010) rate of urbanization: 2.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

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)

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 throughout the Dominican Republic, the Caribbean, Europe, South America, the Middle East, and the United States; child sex tourism is a problem; forced labor of adults exists in construction, some agricultural production, and the domestic service sectors tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - the Government of the Dominican Republic does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; despite some progress, most notably in the area of identifying and protecting a greater number of trafficking victims, the government did not demonstrate overall increased efforts over the previous reporting period in prosecuting trafficking offenders, including officials complicit in forced prostitution and forced labor (2011)

Airports

35 (2010) country comparison to the world: 109

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 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 19 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 17 (2010)

Merchant marine

total: 1 country comparison to the world: 154 by type: cargo 1 registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2008)

Pipelines

oil 99 km

Ports and terminals

Puerto Haina, Puerto Plata, Santo Domingo oil terminals: Andres LGN terminal (Boca Chica), Punta Nizao oil terminal

Railways

total: 142 km country comparison to the world: 125 standard gauge: 142 km 1.435-m gauge (2010)

Roadways

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