2,675 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; Danish State Railways (DSB) operate
2,120 km (1,999 km rail line and 121 km rail ferry services); 188 km
electrified, 730 km double tracked; 650 km of standard- gauge lines are
privately owned and operated
Highways:
66,482 km total; 64,551 km concrete, bitumen, or stone block; 1,931 km
gravel, crushed stone, improved earth
Inland waterways:
417 km
Pipelines:
crude oil 110 km; petroleum products 578 km; natural gas 700 km
Ports:
Alborg, Arhus, Copenhagen, Esbjerg, Fredericia; numerous secondary and minor
ports
Merchant marine:
317 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,367,063 GRT/7,921,891 DWT; includes
13 short-sea passenger, 94 cargo, 21 refrigerated cargo, 38 container, 39
roll-on/roll-off, 1 railcar carrier, 42 petroleum tanker, 14 chemical
tanker, 33 liquefied gas, 4 livestock carrier, 17 bulk, 1 combination bulk;
note - Denmark has created its own internal register, called the Danish
International Ship register (DIS); DIS ships do not have to meet Danish
manning regulations, and they amount to a flag of convenience within the
Danish register; by the end of 1990, 258 of the Danish-flag ships belonged
to the DIS
Civil air:
69 major transport aircraft
Airports:
121 total, 108 usable; 27 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
over 3,659 m; 9 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 6 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
excellent telephone, telegraph, and broadcast services; 4,509,000
telephones; buried and submarine cables and radio relay support trunk
network; broadcast stations - 3 AM, 2 FM, 50 TV; 19 submarine coaxial
cables; 7 earth stations operating in INTELSAT, EUTELSAT, and INMARSAT
:Denmark Defense Forces
Branches:
Royal Danish Army, Royal Danish Navy, Royal Danish Air Force, Home Guard
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 1,372,878; 1,181,857 fit for military service; 38,221 reach
military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $2.5 billion, 2% of GDP (1991)
:Djibouti Geography
Total area:
22,000 km2
Land area:
21,980 km2
Comparative area:
slightly larger than Massachusetts
Land boundaries:
517 km; Ethiopia 459 km, Somalia 58 km
Coastline:
314 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone:
24 nm
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
possible claim by Somalia based on unification of ethnic Somalis
Climate:
desert; torrid, dry
Terrain:
coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains
Natural resources:
geothermal areas
Land use:
arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 9%; forest and
woodland NEGL%; other 91%
Environment:
vast wasteland
Note:
strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian
oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia
:Djibouti People
Population:
390,906 (July 1992), growth rate 2.7% (1992)
Birth rate:
43 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
16 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
115 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
47 years male, 50 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
6.3 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Djiboutian(s); adjective - Djiboutian
Ethnic divisions:
Somali 60%, Afar 35%, French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian 5%
Religions:
Muslim 94%, Christian 6%
Languages:
French and Arabic (both official); Somali and Afar widely used
Literacy:
48% (male 63%, female 34%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
Labor force:
NA, but a small number of semiskilled laborers at the port and 3,000 railway
workers; 52% of population of working age (1983)
Organized labor:
3,000 railway workers, General Union of Djiboutian Workers (UGTD),
government affiliated; some smaller unions
:Djibouti Government
Long-form name:
Republic of Djibouti
Type:
republic
Capital:
Djibouti
Administrative divisions:
5 districts (cercles, singular - cercle); `Ali Sabih, Dikhil, Djibouti,
Obock, Tadjoura
Independence:
27 June 1977 (from France; formerly French Territory of the Afars and Issas)
Constitution:
partial constitution ratified January 1981 by the National Assembly
Legal system:
based on French civil law system, traditional practices, and Islamic law
National holiday:
Independence Day, 27 June (1977)
Executive branch:
president, prime minister, Council of Ministers
Legislative branch:
National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Hassan GOULED Aptidon (since 24 June 1977)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister BARKAT Gourad Hamadou (since 30 September 1978)
Political parties and leaders:
only party - People's Progress Assembly (RPP), Hassan GOULED Aptidon
Suffrage:
universal adult at age NA
Elections:
National Assembly:
last held 24 April 1987 (next scheduled for May 1992 but post- poned);
results - RPP is the only party; seats - (65 total) RPP 65
President:
last held 24 April 1987 (next to be held April 1993); results - President
Hassan GOULED Aptidon was reelected without opposition
Other political or pressure groups:
Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy and affiliates
Member of:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNESCO,
UNCTAD, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Roble OLHAYE; Chancery at Suite 515, 1156 15th Street NW,
Washington, DC 20005; telephone (202) 331-0270
US:
Ambassador Charles R. BAQUET III; Embassy at Villa Plateau du Serpent,
Boulevard Marechal Joffre, Djibouti (mailing address is B. P. 185,
Djibouti); telephone [253] 35-39-95; FAX [253] 35-39-40
Flag:
two equal horizontal bands of light blue (top) and light green with a white
isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bearing a red five-pointed star
in the center
:Djibouti Economy
Overview:
The economy is based on service activities connected with the country's
strategic location and status as a free trade zone in northeast Africa.
Djibouti provides services as both a transit port for the region and an
international transshipment and refueling center. It has few natural
resources and little industry. The nation is, therefore, heavily dependent
on foreign assistance to help support its balance of payments and to finance
development projects. An unemployment rate of over 30% continues to be a
major problem. Per capita consumption dropped an estimated 35% over the last
five years because of recession and a high population growth rate (including
immigrants and refugees).
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $340 million, $1,000 per capita; real growth rate
-1.0% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.7% (1989)
Unemployment rate:
over 30% (1989)
Budget:
revenues $131 million; expenditures $154 million, including capital
expenditures of $25 million (1990 est.)
Exports:
$190 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
commodities:
hides and skins, coffee (in transit)
partners:
Middle East 50%, Africa 43%, Western Europe 7%
Imports:
$311 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
commodities:
foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products
partners:
EC 36%, Africa 21%, Asia 12%, US 2%
External debt:
$355 million (December 1990)
Industrial production:
growth rate 0.1% (1989); manufacturing accounts for 4% of GDP
Electricity:
115,000 kW capacity; 200 million kWh produced, 580 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
limited to a few small-scale enterprises, such as dairy products and
mineral-water bottling
Agriculture:
accounts for only 5% of GDP; scanty rainfall limits crop production to
mostly fruit and vegetables; half of population pastoral nomads herding
goats, sheep, and camels; imports bulk of food needs
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY78-89), $39 million; Western (non-US)
countries, including ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.1
billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $149 million; Communist countries
(1970-89), $35 million
Currency:
Djiboutian franc (plural - francs); 1 Djiboutian franc (DF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
Djiboutian francs (DF) per US$1 - 177.721 (fixed rate since 1973)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Djibouti Communications
Railroads:
the Ethiopian-Djibouti railroad extends for 97 km through Djibouti
Highways:
2,900 km total; 280 km paved; 2,620 km improved or unimproved earth (1982)
Ports:
Djibouti
Civil air:
1 major transport aircraft
Airports:
13 total, 11 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
fair system of urban facilities in Djibouti and radio relay stations at
outlying places; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean
INTELSAT earth station and 1 ARABSAT; 1 submarine cable to Saudi Arabia
:Djibouti Defense Forces
Branches:
Djibouti National Army (including Navy and Air Force), National Security
Force (Force Nationale de Securite), National Police Force
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 96,150; 56,077 fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $29.9 million, NA% of GDP (1986)
:Dominica Geography
Total area:
750 km2
Land area:
750 km2
Comparative area:
slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
148 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone:
24 nm
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
none
Climate:
tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall
Terrain:
rugged mountains of volcanic origin
Natural resources:
timber
Land use:
arable land 9%; permanent crops 13%; meadows and pastures 3%; forest and
woodland 41%; other 34%
Environment:
flash floods a constant hazard; occasional hurricanes
Note:
located 550 km southeast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea
:Dominica People
Population:
87,035 (July 1992), growth rate 1.6% (1992)
Birth rate:
24 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
-3 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
11 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
74 years male, 79 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
2.4 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Dominican(s); adjective - Dominican
Ethnic divisions:
mostly black; some Carib Indians
Religions:
Roman Catholic 77%, Protestant 15% (Methodist 5%, Pentecostal 3%,
Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Baptist 2%, other 2%), none 2%, unknown 1%, other
5%
Languages:
English (official); French patois widely spoken
Literacy:
94% (male 94%, female 94%) age 15 and over having ever attended school
(1970)
Labor force:
25,000; agriculture 40%, industry and commerce 32%, services 28% (1984)
Organized labor:
25% of labor force
:Dominica Government
Long-form name:
Commonwealth of Dominica
Type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Roseau
Administrative divisions:
10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint
Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick, Saint Paul, Saint Peter
Independence:
3 November 1978 (from UK)
Constitution:
3 November 1978
Legal system:
based on English common law
National holiday:
Independence Day, 3 November (1978)
Executive branch:
president, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
unicameral House of Assembly
Judicial branch:
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Sir Clarence Augustus SEIGNORET (since 19 December 1983)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister (Mary) Eugenia CHARLES (since 21 July 1980, elected for a
third term 28 May 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
Dominica Freedom Party (DFP), (Mary) Eugenia CHARLES; Dominica Labor Party
(DLP), Pierre CHARLES; United Workers Party (UWP), Edison JAMES
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
House of Assembly:
last held 28 May 1990 (next to be held May 1995); results - percent of vote
by party NA; seats - (30 total; 9 appointed senators and 21 elected
representatives) DFP 11, UWP 6, DLP 4
President:
last held 20 December 1988 (next to be held December 1993); results -
President Sir Clarence Augustus SEIGNORET was reelected by the House of
Assembly
Other political or pressure groups:
Dominica Liberation Movement (DLM), a small leftist group
Member of:
ACCT, ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, LORCS, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
there is no Chancery in the US
US:
no official presence since the Ambassador resides in Bridgetown (Barbados),
but travels frequently to Dominica
:Dominica Government
Flag:
green with a centered cross of three equal bands - the vertical part is
yellow (hoist side), black, and white - the horizontal part is yellow (top),
black, and white; superimposed in the center of the cross is a red disk
bearing a sisserou parrot encircled by 10 green five-pointed stars edged in
yellow; the 10 stars represent the 10 administrative divisions (parishes)
:Dominica Economy
Overview:
The economy is dependent on agriculture and thus is highly vulnerable to
climatic conditions. Agriculture accounts for about 30% of GDP and employs
40% of the labor force. Principal products include bananas, citrus, mangoes,
root crops, and coconuts. In 1990, GDP grew by 7%, bouncing back from the
1.6% decline of 1989. The tourist industry remains undeveloped because of a
rugged coastline and the lack of an international airport.
GDP:
purchasing power equivalent - $170 million, per capita $2,000; real growth
rate 7.0% (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.7% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
10% (1989 est.)
Budget:
revenues $48 million; expenditures $85 million, including capital
expenditures of $41 million (FY90)
Exports:
$59.9 million (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities:
bananas, coconuts, grapefruit, soap, galvanized sheets
partners:
UK 72%, Jamaica 10%, OECS 6%, US 3%, other 9%
Imports:
$103.9 million (c.i.f., 1990)
commodities:
food, oils and fats, chemicals, fuels and lubricants, manufactured goods,
machinery and equipment
partners:
US 23%, UK 18%, CARICOM 15%, OECS 15%, Japan 5%, Canada 3%, other 21%
External debt:
$73 million (1990 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 4.5% in manufacturing (1988 est.); accounts for 11% of GDP
Electricity:
7,000 kW capacity; 16 million kWh produced, 185 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
soap, beverages, tourism, food processing, furniture, cement blocks, shoes
Agriculture:
accounts for 30% of GDP; principal crops - bananas, citrus, mangoes, root
crops, and coconuts; bananas provide the bulk of export earnings; forestry
and fisheries potential not exploited
Economic aid:
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89),
$120 million
Currency:
East Caribbean dollar (plural - dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
:Dominica Communications
Highways:
750 km total; 370 km paved, 380 km gravel and earth
Ports:
Roseau, Portsmouth
Civil air:
NA
Airports:
2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over
2,439 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
4,600 telephones in fully automatic network; VHF and UHF link to Saint
Lucia; new SHF links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; broadcast stations - 3
AM, 2 FM, 1 cable TV
:Dominica Defense Forces
Branches:
Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (including Coast Guard)
Manpower availability:
NA
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP
:Dominican Republic Geography
Total area:
48,730 km2
Land area:
48,380 km2
Comparative area:
slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire
Land boundaries:
275 km; Haiti 275 km
Coastline:
1,288 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone:
24 nm
Continental shelf:
outer edge of continental margin or 200 nm
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
6 nm
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%; includes irrigated 4%
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)
:Dominican Republic People
Population:
7,515,892 (July 1992), growth rate 1.9% (1992)
Birth rate:
26 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
-1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
56 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
66 years male, 70 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
3.0 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Dominican(s); adjective - Dominican
Ethnic divisions:
mixed 73%, white 16%, black 11%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 95%
Languages:
Spanish
Literacy:
83% (male 85%, female 82%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
2,300,000 to 2,600,000; agriculture 49%, services 33%, industry 18% (1986)
Organized labor:
12% of labor force (1989 est.)
:Dominican Republic Government
Long-form name:
Dominican Republic (no short-form name)
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)
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)
Political parties and leaders:
Major parties:
Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC), Joaquin BALAGUER Ricardo; Dominican
Revolutionary Party (PRD), Jose Franciso PENA Gomez; Dominican Liberation
Party (PLD), Juan BOSCH Gavino; 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
Note:
in 1983 several leftist parties, including the PCD, joined to form the
Dominican Leftist Front (FID); however, they still retain individual party
structures
Suffrage:
universal and compulsory at age 18 or if married; members of the armed
forces and police cannot vote
: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
Communists:
an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 members in several legal and illegal factions;
effectiveness limited by ideological differences, organizational
inadequacies, and severe funding shortages
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, LORCS, NAM (guest), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Jose del Carmen ARIZA Gomez; Chancery at 1715 22nd Street NW,
Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 332-6280; there are Dominican
Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Mayaguez (Puerto Rico),
Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and
Consulates in Charlotte Amalie (Virgin Islands), Detroit, Houston,
Jacksonville, Minneapolis, Mobile, Ponce (Puerto Rico), and San Francisco
US:
Ambassador Robert S. PASTORINO; Embassy at the corner of Calle Cesar Nicolas
Penson and Calle Leopoldo Navarro, Santo Domingo (mailing address is APO AA
34041-0008); telephone (809) 5412171
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
: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, durable consumer goods, minerals, and chemicals. Unemployment is
officially reported at about 30%, but there is considerable underemployment.
A fiscal austerity program has brought inflation under control, but in 1991
the economy contracted for a second straight year.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $7 billion, per capita $950; real growth rate -2%
(1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
9% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
30% (1991 est.)
Budget:
revenues NA; expenditures $1.1 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(1992 est.)
Exports:
$775 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
commodities:
sugar, coffee, cocoa, gold, ferronickel
partners:
US 60%, EC 19%, Puerto Rico 8% (1990)
Imports:
$1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.)
commodities:
foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals
partners:
US 50%
External debt:
$4.7 billion (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate NA; accounts for 20% of GDP
Electricity:
2,133,000 kW capacity; 4,410 million kWh produced, 597 kWh per capita (1991)
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
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY85-89), $575 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $655 million
Currency:
Dominican peso (plural - pesos); 1 Dominican peso (RD$) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates:
Dominican pesos (RD$) per US$1 - 12.609 (January 1992), 12.692 (1991), 8.525
(1990), 6.340 (1989), 6.113 (1988), 3.845 (1987)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Dominican Republic Communications