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 January 11, 2011
======================================================================
@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 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.
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:
9,823,821 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86
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) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 25.8 years
male: 25.6 years
female: 26 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.357% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91
Birth rate:
19.9 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92
Death rate:
4.3 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 205
Net migration rate:
-2.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173
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 (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 23.1 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 90
male: 25.11 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 21 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.15 years
country comparison to the world: 60
male: 75.01 years
female: 79.38 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.47 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91
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 (official)
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: 11 years
female: 13 years (2004)
Education expenditures:
2.2% of GDP (2007)
country comparison to the world: 165
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 and January 2010
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
(For more information visit the World 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%
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 (178 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
2014); House of Representatives - last held on 16 May 2010 (next to
be held in May 2014)
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
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, AOSIS, BCIE, Caricom (observer), FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES,
LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, PetroCaribe, RG,
SICA (associated member), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina,
UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Roberto B. SALADIN Selin
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 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
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
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
Economy ::Dominican Republic
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 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 slowed in 2008-09 because of the global
recession, but still remained one of the fastest growing in the
region.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$84.94 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76
$81.52 billion (2009 est.)
$78.76 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$50.87 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.2% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 72
3.5% (2009 est.)
5.3% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$8,600 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 119
$8,400 (2009 est.)
$8,200 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 11.5%
industry: 21%
services: 67.5% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
4.498 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 80
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 14.6%
industry: 22.3%
services: 63.1% (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate:
14.2% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
14.9% (2009 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):
15.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126
Public debt:
41.7% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64
40.8% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.3% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166
1.4% (2009 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
18.14% (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18
19.95% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$4.734 billion (31 December 2010 est)
country comparison to the world: 93
$4.079 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$15.71 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88
$14 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$21.63 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 77
$18.91 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
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:
1.5% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139
Electricity - production:
14.02 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 82
Electricity - consumption:
12.7 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 80
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180
Oil - consumption:
118,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199
Oil - imports:
116,200 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 185
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 177
Natural gas - consumption:
470 million cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64
Natural gas - imports:
470 million cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 185
Current account balance:
-$3.862 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 167
-$2.328 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$6.161 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
$5.462 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
ferronickel, sugar, gold, silver, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, meats,
consumer goods
Exports - partners:
US 54.08%, Haiti 9.78% (2009)
Imports:
$14.53 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79
$12.28 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and
pharmaceuticals
Imports - partners:
US 42.79%, Venezuela 7.04%, Mexico 6.17%, Colombia 5.59% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$2.705 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88
$2.905 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$13.09 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 82
$11.04 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$19.45 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68
$17.95 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$NA (31 December 2010 est.)
$59 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
Dominican pesos (DOP) per US dollar - 36.92 (2010), 36.027 (2009),
34.775 (2008), 33.113 (2007), 33.406 (2006)
Communications ::Dominican Republic
Telephones - main lines in use:
965,400 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 80
Telephones - mobile cellular:
8.63 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 71
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)
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
Transportation ::Dominican Republic
Airports:
35 (2010)
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 (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)
Railways:
total: 1,784 km
country comparison to the world: 77
standard gauge: 375 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 1,409 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: 161
by type: cargo 1
registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Andres (Boca Chica), Puerto Haina, Puerto Plata, Santo Domingo
Military ::Dominican Republic
Military branches:
Army, Navy (Marina de Guerra), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Dominicana,
FAD) (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
16-21 years of age for compulsory military service; recruits must be
Dominican Republic citizens; women may volunteer (2010)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,514,160
females age 16-49: 2,395,804 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,090,785
females age 16-49: 1,957,233 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 98,394
female: 94,576 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.7% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 154
Transnational Issues ::Dominican Republic
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
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 in Western Europe, Australia, Central and South
America, and Caribbean destinations; a significant number of women,
boys, and girls are trafficked within the country for sexual
exploitation and domestic servitude
tier rating: Tier 3 - for its failure to show evidence of increasing
efforts to combat human trafficking, particularly in terms of not
adequately investigating and prosecuting public officials who may be
complicit with trafficking activity, and inadequate government
efforts to protect trafficking victims; the government has taken
measures to reduce demand for commercial sex acts with children
through criminal prosecutions (2008)
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)
page last updated on January 12, 2011
======================================================================
@Ecuador (South America)
Introduction ::Ecuador
Background: