Dominican Republic

Broadcast media

combination of state-owned and privately owned broadcast media; 1 state-owned TV 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 with more than 300 radio stations operating (2015)

Internet country code

.do

Internet users

total: 5.442 million | percent of population: 51.9% (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 69

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 nearly 85 per 100 persons | international: country code - 1-809; 1-829; 1-849; landing point for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1), Antillas 1, AMX-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) (2015)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 1,304,968 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 12 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 68

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 8.797 million | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 84 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 94

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $11.94 billion | expenditures: $11.5 billion (2015 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

0.7% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 24

Commercial bank prime lending rate

14.88% (31 December 2015 est.) | 13.9% (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 41

Current account balance

-$1.299 billion (2015 est.) | -$2.026 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 132

Debt - external

$25.71 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $26.71 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 80

Distribution of family income - Gini index

47.1 (2013 est.) | 45.7 (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 27

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 construction, tourism, and free trade zones. The mining sector has also played a greater role in the export market since late 2012 with the commencement of the extraction phase of the Pueblo Viejo Gold and Silver mine. 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, a large informal sector, and underemployment remain important long-term challenges. | The economy is highly dependent upon the US, the destination for approximately half of exports. Remittances from the US amount to about 7% of GDP, equivalent to about a third of exports and two-thirds of tourism receipts. 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 Dominican Republic's economy rebounded from the global recession in 2010-15, and the fiscal situation is improving. A tax reform package passed in November 2012, a reduction in government spending, and lower energy costs helped to narrow the central government budget deficit from 6.6% of GDP in 2012 to 2.6% in 2015. A liability management operation in January 2015, in which the government paid down over $4 billion of the country’s Petrocaribe debt at a discount of 52% with proceeds from the sale of $2.5 billion in global bonds, reduced the country’s debt load by approximately by 4% of GDP. Analysts project 6% GDP growth in 2016 and inflation within the Central Bank’s target of 4.0% � 1.0%, due to low oil prices, increased remittances, and continued expansion in the services sector based on growth in construction.

Exchange rates

Dominican pesos (DOP) per US dollar - | 45.052 (2015 est.) | 43.556 (2014 est.) | 43.556 (2013 est.) | 39.34 (2012 est.) | 38.232 (2011 est.)

Exports

$9.523 billion (2015 est.) | $9.899 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 91

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

US 42.5%, Haiti 16.5%, Canada 8.1%, India 4.8% (2015)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$67.49 billion (2015 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$149.7 billion (2015 est.) | $139.9 billion (2014 est.) | $130.3 billion (2013 est.) | note: data are in 2015 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 74

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 70.2% | government consumption: 10.9% | investment in fixed capital: 23.6% | investment in inventories: -0.1% | exports of goods and services: 24.7% | imports of goods and services: -29.3% (2015 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 5.3% | industry: 33.2% | services: 61.5% (2015 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$15,000 (2015 est.) | $14,200 (2014 est.) | $13,300 (2013 est.) | note: data are in 2015 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 108

GDP - real growth rate

7% (2015 est.) | 7.3% (2014 est.) | 4.8% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 14

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1.9% | highest 10%: 37.4% (2013 est.)

Imports

$16.86 billion (2015 est.) | $17.27 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 79

Imports - commodities

petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Imports - partners

US 42%, China 9.2%, Venezuela 5.6%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.5%, Mexico 4.4% (2015)

Industrial production growth rate

8.5% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 19

Industries

tourism, sugar processing, gold mining, textiles, cement, tobacco, electrical components, medical devices

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0.8% (2015 est.) | 3% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 76

Labor force

5.012 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 82

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 14.4% | industry: 20.8% | services: 64.7% (2014)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Population below poverty line

41.1% (2013 est.)

Public debt

44.6% of GDP (2015 est.) | 44.5% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 103

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$5.266 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $4.862 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 91

Stock of broad money

$18.74 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $16.99 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 90

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$272 million (31 December 2015 est.) | $249.6 million (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 90

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$31.05 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $28.81 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 67

Stock of domestic credit

$30.9 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $27.16 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 73

Stock of narrow money

$5.986 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $5.488 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 93

Taxes and other revenues

17.7% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 176

Unemployment rate

14% (2015 est.) | 14.5% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 149

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

22 million Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 82

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 118

Crude oil - imports

27,660 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 64

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 127

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2016 es) | country comparison to the world: 126

Electricity - consumption

15.14 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 78

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 133

Electricity - from fossil fuels

85.2% of total installed capacity (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 88

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

13.2% of total installed capacity (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 106

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 81

Electricity - from other renewable sources

1.6% of total installed capacity (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 85

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 143

Electricity - installed generating capacity

3.8 million kW (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 87

Electricity - production

14 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 78

Electricity access

population without electricity: 300,000 | electrification - total population: 98% | electrification - urban areas: 99% | electrification - rural areas: 97% (2013)

Natural gas - consumption

1.069 billion cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 85

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 90

Natural gas - imports

1.069 billion cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 54

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 180

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 es) | country comparison to the world: 132

Refined petroleum products - consumption

116,000 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 83

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 176

Refined petroleum products - imports

54,920 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 75

Refined petroleum products - production

25,390 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 90

Area

total: 48,670 sq km | land: 48,320 sq km | water: 350 sq km | country comparison to the world: 132

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

mean elevation: 424 m | 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

Geographic coordinates

19 00 N, 70 40 W

Geography - note

shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti (eastern two-thirds makes up the Dominican Republic, western one-third is Haiti)

Irrigated land

3,070 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 376 km | border countries (1): Haiti 376 km

Land use

agricultural land: 51.5% | arable land 16.6%; permanent crops 10.1%; permanent pasture 24.8% | forest: 40.8% | other: 7.7% (2011 est.)

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: 12 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, arable land

Population - distribution

coastal development is significant, especially in the southern coastal plains and the Cibao Valley, where population density is highest; smaller population clusters exist in the interior mountains (Cordillera Central)

Terrain

rugged highlands and mountains interspersed with fertile valleys

Administrative divisions

10 regions (regiones, singular - region); Cibao Nordeste, Cibao Noroeste, Cibao Norte, Cibao Sur, El Valle, Enriquillo, Higuamo, Ozama, Valdesia, Yuma

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)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no | citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of the Dominican Republic | dual citizenship recognized: yes | residency requirement for naturalization: 2 years

Constitution

many previous (38 total); latest proclaimed 26 January 2010; note - the Dominican Republic Government has a practice of promulgating a "new" constitution whenever an amendment is ratified (2016)

Country name

conventional long form: Dominican Republic | conventional short form: The Dominican | local long form: Republica Dominicana | local short form: La Dominicana | etymology: the country name derives from the capital city of Santo Domingo (Saint Dominic)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador James Walter BREWSTER, Jr. (since 9 December 2013) | embassy: Av. Republica de Colombia | mailing address: Unit 5500, APO AA 34041-5500 | telephone: [1] (809) 567-7775 | FAX: [1] (809) 686-7437

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Jose Tomas PEREZ (since 23 February 2015) | 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, San Juan (Puerto Rico) | consulate(s): San Francisco

Executive branch

chief of state: President Danilo MEDINA Sanchez (since 16 August 2012); Vice President Margarita CEDENO DE FERNANDEZ (since 16 August 2012); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government | head of government: President Danilo MEDINA Sanchez (since 16 August 2012); Vice President Margarita CEDENO DE FERNANDEZ (since 16 August 2012) | cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the president | elections/appointments: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by absolute vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 4-year term (eligible for consecutive terms); election last held on 15 May 2016 (next to be held in 2020) | election results: Danilo MEDINA Sanchez reelected president; percent of vote - Danilo MEDINA Sanchez (PLD) 61.7%, Luis Rodolfo ABINADER Corona (PRM) 35%, other 3.3%; Margarita CEDENO DE FERNANDEZ (PLD) reelected vice president

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

presidential 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), CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, MIGA, MINUSMA, NAM, OAS, OIF (observer), OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA (associated member), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Supreme Court of Justice or Suprema Corte de Justicia (consists of a minimum of 16 magistrates); Constitutional Court or Tribunal Constitucional (consists of 13 judges); note - the Constitutional Court was established in 2010 by constitutional amendment | judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court and Constitutional Court judges appointed by the National Council of the Judiciary comprised of the president, the leaders of both chambers of congress, the president of the Supreme Court, and a non-governing party congressional representative; Supreme Court judges appointed for 7-year terms; Constitutional Court judges appointed for 9-year terms | subordinate courts: courts of appeal; courts of first instance; justices of the peace; special courts for juvenile, labor, and land cases; Contentious Administrative Court for cases filed against the government

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

description: bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate or Senado (32 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Camara de Diputados (190 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms) | elections: Senate - last held on 15 May 2016 (next to be held in May 2020); House of Representatives - last held on 15 May 2016 (next to be held in May 2020) | election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PLD 26, 2PRM, 1 BIS, 1 PLRD, 1 PRD, PRSC 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PLD 106, PRM 42, PRSC 18, PRD 16, PLRD 3, other 5

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); national colors: red, white, blue

Political parties and leaders

Dominican Liberation Party or PLD [Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna] | Dominican Revolutionary Party or PRD [Miguel VARGAS Maldonado] | Institutional Social Democratic Bloc or BIS | Liberal Reformist Party or PLRD | Modern Revolutionary Party or PRM [Andres BAUTISTA Garcia] | National Progressive Front [Vinicio CASTILLO, Pelegrin CASTILLO] | Social Christian Reformist Party or PRSC [Carlos MORALES Troncoso]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Citizen Participation Group (Participacion Ciudadania) | Collective of Popular Organizations or COP | Foundation for Institution-Building and Justice or FINJUS

Suffrage

18 years of age, universal and compulsory; married persons regardless of age can vote; note - members of the armed forces and national police by law 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 to 1961. Juan BOSCH was elected president in 1962 but was deposed in a military coup in 1963. In 1965, the US led an intervention in the midst of a civil war sparked by an uprising to restore BOSCH. In 1966, Joaquin BALAGUER defeated BOSCH in the presidential election. 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 Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna (first term 1996-2000) won election to a new term in 2004 following a constitutional amendment allowing presidents to serve more than one term, and was later reelected to a second consecutive term. In 2012, Danilo MEDINA Sanchez became president; he was reelected in 2016.

Military branches

Army (Ejercito Nacional, EN), Navy (Marina de Guerra, MdG; includes naval infantry), Dominican Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Dominicana, FAD) (2013)

Military expenditures

0.61% of GDP (2012) | 0.63% of GDP (2011) | 0.61% of GDP (2010) | country comparison to the world: 121

Military service age and obligation

17-21 years of age for voluntary military service; recruits must have completed primary school and be Dominican Republic citizens; women may volunteer (2012)

Age structure

0-14 years: 27.06% (male 1,460,389/female 1,410,226) | 15-24 years: 18.3% (male 989,020/female 952,375) | 25-54 years: 39.54% (male 2,146,082/female 2,047,860) | 55-64 years: 7.67% (male 409,166/female 403,977) | 65 years and over: 7.43% (male 363,791/female 423,979) (2016 est.)

Birth rate

18.6 births/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 92

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

4% (2013) | country comparison to the world: 106

Contraceptive prevalence rate

73% (2009/10)

Death rate

4.6 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 203

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 57.8% | youth dependency ratio: 47.3% | elderly dependency ratio: 10.5% | potential support ratio: 9.5% (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 85.4% of population | rural: 81.9% of population | total: 84.7% of population | urban: 14.6% of population | rural: 18.1% of population | total: 15.3% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

2.1% of GDP (2007) | country comparison to the world: 163

Ethnic groups

mixed 73%, white 16%, black 11%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.03% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 45

HIV/AIDS - deaths

3,100 (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 44

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

67,900 (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 52

Health expenditures

4.4% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 130

Hospital bed density

1.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate

total: 18.1 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 20 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 16.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 93

Languages

Spanish (official)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 78.1 years | male: 75.9 years | female: 80.5 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 64

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 91.8% | male: 91.2% | female: 92.3% (2015 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: high | food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever | vectorborne disease: dengue fever | note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus (2016)

Major urban areas - population

SANTO DOMINGO (capital) 2.945 million (2015)

Maternal mortality rate

92 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 62

Median age

total: 27.8 years | male: 27.6 years | female: 28 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 135

Mother's mean age at first birth

21.3 | note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2013 est.)

Nationality

noun: Dominican(s) | adjective: Dominican

Net migration rate

-1.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 162

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

23% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 90

Physicians density

1.49 physicians/1,000 population (2011)

Population

10,606,865 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 88

Population distribution

coastal development is significant, especially in the southern coastal plains and the Cibao Valley, where population density is highest; smaller population clusters exist in the interior mountains (Cordillera Central)

Population growth rate

1.21% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 94

Religions

Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%

Sanitation facility access

urban: 86.2% of population | rural: 75.7% of population | total: 84% of population | urban: 13.8% of population | rural: 24.3% of population | total: 16% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 13 years | male: 13 years | female: 14 years (2014)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1.05 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female | total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.31 children born/woman (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 90

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 31.4% | male: 22.2% | female: 46.7% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 26

Urbanization

urban population: 79% of total population (2015) | rate of urbanization: 2.6% 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)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

stateless persons: 133,770 (2015); note - a September 2013 Constitutional Court ruling revoked the citizenship of those born after 1929 to immigrants without proper documentation, even though the constitution at the time automatically granted citizenship to children born in the Dominican Republic and the 2010 constitution provides that constitutional provisions cannot be applied retroactively; the decision overwhelmingly affected people of Haitian descent whose relatives had come to the Dominican Republic since the 1940s as a cheap source of labor for sugar plantations; a May 2014 law passed by the Dominican Congress will regularize the status of those with birth certificates but will require those without them to prove they were born in the Dominican Republic and to apply for naturalization | note: revised estimate includes only individuals born to parents who were both born abroad; it does not include individuals born in the country to one Dominican-born and one foreign-born parent or subsequent generations of individuals of foreign descent; the estimate, as such, does not include all stateless persons (2015)

Airports

36 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 110

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 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 20 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 | 914 to 1,523 m: 1 | under 914 m: 18 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

HI (2016)

Heliports

1 (2013)

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 1 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 6 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 14,463 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0 mt-km (2015)

Pipelines

gas 27 km; oil 103 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Puerto Haina, Puerto Plata, Santo Domingo | oil terminal(s): Punta Nizao oil terminal | LNG terminal(s) (import): Andres LNG terminal (Boca Chica)

Railways

total: 496 km | standard gauge: 354 km 1.435-m gauge | narrow gauge: 142 km 0.762-m gauge (2014) | country comparison to the world: 115

Roadways

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