country comparison to the world: 182
Oil - consumption:
1,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 198
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 191
Oil - imports:
838.2 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 191
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 190
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008)
country comparison to the world: 189
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 190
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 187
Current account balance:
-$72 million (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76
Exports:
$94 million (2006)
country comparison to the world: 194
Exports - commodities:
bananas, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges
Exports - partners:
Japan 33.5%, China 17.8%, Antigua and Barbuda 6.7%, Guyana 5.7%,
Jamaica 4.7%, UK 4.7% (2008)
Imports:
$296 million (2006)
country comparison to the world: 195
Imports - commodities:
manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals
Imports - partners:
Japan 43.2%, US 17%, China 12.1%, Trinidad and Tobago 8.4% (2008)
Debt - external:
$213 million (2004)
country comparison to the world: 179
Exchange rates:
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006),
2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003)
Communications ::Dominica
Telephones - main lines in use:
17,500 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 197
Telephones - mobile cellular:
100,000 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 183
Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: fully automatic network
international: country code - 1-767; landing point for the East
Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to 13
other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British
Virgin Islands to Trinidad; microwave radio relay and SHF
radiotelephone links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF
radiotelephone links to Saint Lucia
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 0 (2003)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (2004)
Internet country code:
.dm
Internet hosts:
485 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 173
Internet users:
27,500 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 182
Transportation ::Dominica
Airports:
2 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 198
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 780 km
country comparison to the world: 187
paved: 393 km
unpaved: 387 km (2000)
Merchant marine:
total: 53
country comparison to the world: 69
by type: bulk carrier 14, cargo 27, chemical tanker 3, petroleum
tanker 5, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 1, vehicle carrier 1
foreign-owned: 47 (Australia 2, Estonia 7, Greece 10, India 2,
Latvia 1, Norway 1, Russia 3, Saudi Arabia 2, Singapore 7, Syria 2,
Turkey 5, Ukraine 4, UAE 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Portsmouth, Roseau
Military ::Dominica
Military branches:
no regular military forces; Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force
(includes Coast Guard) (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 18,584 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 15,821
females age 16-49: 15,291 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 776
female: 731 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
NA (2006)
Transnational Issues ::Dominica
Disputes - international:
Dominica is the only Caribbean state to challenge Venezuela's
sovereignty claim over Aves Island and joins the other island
nations in challenging whether the feature sustains human
habitation, a criterion under the UN Convention on the Law of the
Sea (UNCLOS), which permits Venezuela to extend its Exclusive
Economic Zone (EEZ) and continental shelf claims over a large
portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; minor
cannabis producer (2008)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Dominican Republic (Central America and Caribbean)
Introduction ::Dominican Republic
Background:
Explored and claimed by Christopher COLUMBUS on his first voyage in
1492, the island of Hispaniola 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 second term in 2004
following a constitutional amendment allowing presidents to serve
more than one term.
Geography ::Dominican Republic
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: 48,670 sq km
country comparison to the world: 131
land: 48,320 sq km
water: 350 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire
Land boundaries:
total: 360 km
border countries: Haiti 360 km
Coastline:
1,288 km
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
Climate:
tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal
variation in rainfall
Terrain:
rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lago Enriquillo -46 m
highest point: Pico Duarte 3,175 m
Natural resources:
nickel, bauxite, gold, silver
Land use:
arable land: 22.49%
permanent crops: 10.26%
other: 67.25% (2005)
Irrigated land:
2,750 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
21 cu km (2000)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 3.39 cu km/yr (32%/2%/66%)
per capita: 381 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe
storms from June to October; occasional flooding; periodic droughts
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
Geography - note:
shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti
People ::Dominican Republic
Population:
9,650,054 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85
Age structure:
0-14 years: 31.4% (male 1,543,141/female 1,488,016)
15-64 years: 62.7% (male 3,087,351/female 2,960,319)
65 years and over: 5.9% (male 264,476/female 306,751) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 24.9 years
male: 24.8 years
female: 25.1 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.489% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91
Birth rate:
22.39 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83
Death rate:
5.28 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182
Net migration rate:
-2.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 141
Urbanization:
urban population: 69% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.6% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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 (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 25.96 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 83
male: 28 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 23.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.7 years
country comparison to the world: 99
male: 71.88 years
female: 75.6 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.76 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.1% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
62,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 59
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
4,100 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
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)
Nationality:
noun: Dominican(s)
adjective: Dominican
Ethnic groups:
mixed 73%, white 16%, black 11%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%
Languages:
Spanish
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 87%
male: 86.8%
female: 87.2% (2002 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 12 years
male: 12 years
female: 13 years (2004)
Education expenditures:
3.6% of GDP (2006)
country comparison to the world: 126
Government ::Dominican Republic
Country name:
conventional long form: Dominican Republic
conventional short form: The Dominican
local long form: Republica Dominicana
local short form: La Dominicana
Government type:
democratic republic
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)
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
Independence:
27 February 1844 (from Haiti)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 27 February (1844)
Constitution:
28 November 1966; amended 25 July 2002
Legal system:
based on French civil codes; Criminal Procedures Code modified in
2004 to include important elements of an accusatory system; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age, universal and compulsory; married persons
regardless of age; note - members of the armed forces and national
police cannot vote
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
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second
consecutive term); election last held 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%
Legislative branch:
bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the
Senate or Senado (32 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Camara de
Diputados (178 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 16 May 2006 (next to be held in May
2010); House of Representatives - last held 16 May 2006 (next to be
held in May 2010)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - PLD 22, PRD 6, PRSC 4; House of Representatives - percent of
vote by party - NA; seats by party - PLD 96, PRD 60, PRSC 22
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)
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)
International organization participation:
ACP, BCIE, Caricom (observer), FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (suspended), ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC,
LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory),
PCA, RG, SICA (associated member), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union
Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Roberto SALADIN
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)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador P. Robert FANNIN
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
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 an olive 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
Economy ::Dominican Republic
Economy - overview:
The Dominican Republic has enjoyed strong GDP growth since 2005 and
continued to post sound gains through mid-2008. The global
recession, however, had a significant impact on GDP growth in the
latter half of the year as tourism and remittances, two of the
Dominican Republic's most important economic contributors, showed
signs of slowing. The economy is highly dependent upon the US, the
destination for about two-thirds 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 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 tourism and free trade
zones. Although 2007 saw inflation around 6%, the rate grew to over
12% in 2008. High food prices, driven by the effects of consecutive
tropical storms on agricultural products, and education prices were
significant contributors to the jump. The effects of the global
financial crisis and the US recession are projected to negatively
affect GDP growth in 2009 with a rebound expected in 2010. Although
the economy is growing at a respectable rate, high unemployment and
underemployment remains an important challenge. The country suffers
from marked income inequality; the poorest half of the population
receives less than one-fifth of GNP, while the richest 10% enjoys
nearly 40% of national income. The Central America-Dominican
Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) came into force in March
2007, which should boost investment and exports and reduce losses to
the Asian garment industry.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$78.19 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76
$74.25 billion (2007 est.)
$68.43 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$44.44 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5.3% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78
8.5% (2007 est.)
10.7% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$8,200 (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 119
$7,900 (2007 est.)
$7,400 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 10.8%
industry: 22.9%
services: 66.3% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
4.119 million (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 14.6%
industry: 22.3%
services: 63.1% (2005)
Unemployment rate:
14.1% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 149
15.6% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
42.2% (2004)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.5%
highest 10%: 38.7% (2005)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
49.9 (2005)
country comparison to the world: 25
47.4 (1998)
Investment (gross fixed):
19.4% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117
Budget:
revenues: $7.46 billion
expenditures: $9.027 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
37.4% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
61.1% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
10.6% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 155
6.1% (2007 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
19.95% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 39
15.83% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$3.619 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 62
$4.074 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$5.902 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 61
$5.631 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$17.37 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 62
$15.92 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
sugarcane, coffee, cotton, cocoa, tobacco, rice, beans, potatoes,
corn, bananas; cattle, pigs, dairy products, beef, eggs
Industries:
tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining, textiles,
cement, tobacco
Industrial production growth rate:
1.3% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 119
Electricity - production:
14.02 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 80
Electricity - consumption:
12.7 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 181
Oil - consumption:
119,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 72
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 190
Oil - imports:
116,200 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl
country comparison to the world: 179
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 188
Natural gas - consumption:
470 million cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008)
country comparison to the world: 188
Natural gas - imports:
470 million cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 186
Current account balance:
-$4.436 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 155
-$2.068 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$6.95 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
$7.16 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
ferronickel, sugar, gold, silver, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, meats,
consumer goods
Exports - partners:
US 58.1%, Haiti 9.3%, Netherlands 2.9% (2008)
Imports:
$16.1 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 77
$13.6 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and
pharmaceuticals
Imports - partners:
US 39.2%, Venezuela 7.7%, Mexico 5.4%, Colombia 4.9% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$2.288 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106
$2.562 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$11.42 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81
$10.21 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$15.59 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
$12.71 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$59 million (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 80
Exchange rates:
Dominican pesos (DOP) per US dollar - 34.775 (2008 est.), 33.113
(2007), 33.406 (2006), 30.409 (2005), 42.12 (2004)
Communications ::Dominican Republic
Telephones - main lines in use:
985,700 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 82
Telephones - mobile cellular:
7.21 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 70
Telephone system:
general assessment: relatively efficient system based on island-wide
microwave radio relay network
domestic: fixed telephone line density 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) fiber-optic
telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to South and
Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and US; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 120, FM 56, shortwave 4 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
25 (2003)
Internet country code:
.do
Internet hosts:
280,457 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 56
Internet users:
2.147 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 68
Transportation ::Dominican Republic
Airports:
35 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 108
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 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 19
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 17 (2009)
Railways:
total: 1,784 km
country comparison to the world: 77
standard gauge: 375 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 1,368 km 1.076-m, 0.889-m, and 0.762-m gauges
note: 1,226 km operated by sugar companies in 1.076 m, 0.889 m, and
0.762-m gauges (2008)
Roadways:
total: 19,705 km
country comparison to the world: 110
paved: 9,872 km
unpaved: 9,833 km (2002)
Merchant marine:
total: 1
country comparison to the world: 149
by type: cargo 1
registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2008)