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| 1. WordNet® 3.0 (2006) | ||
Dominican Republic
n 1: a republic in the West Indies; located on the eastern two-
thirds of the island of Hispaniola
| ||
| 2. CIA World Factbook 2002 | ||
Dominican Republic
Introduction Dominican Republic
-------------------------------
Background: A legacy of unsettled, mostly
nonrepresentative, rule for much of
the 20th century was brought to an
end in 1996 when free and open
elections ushered in a new
government.
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: 48,730 sq km
land: 48,380 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: contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 6 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to the
edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
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: 21.08%
permanent crops: 9.92%
other: 69% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 2,590 sq km (1998 est.)
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; Hurricane Georges
damage
Environment - international party to: Biodiversity, Climate
agreements: Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine
Dumping, Marine Life Conservation,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Law of the
Sea
Geography - note: shares island of Hispaniola with
Haiti (eastern two-thirds is the
Dominican Republic, western one-
third is Haiti)
People Dominican Republic
-------------------------
Population: 8,721,594 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 33.7% (male 1,503,344;
female 1,439,157)
15-64 years: 61.3% (male 2,720,308;
female 2,621,539)
65 years and over: 5% (male 206,556;
female 230,690) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.61% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 24.4 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 4.68 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: -3.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/
female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 33.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 73.68 years
female: 75.91 years (2002 est.)
male: 71.57 years
Total fertility rate: 2.94 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 2.8% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ 130,000 (1999 est.)
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 4,900 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Dominican(s)
adjective: Dominican
Ethnic groups: white 16%, black 11%, mixed 73%
Religions: Roman Catholic 95%
Languages: Spanish
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 82.1%
male: 82%
female: 82.2% (1995 est.)
Government Dominican Republic
-----------------------------
Country name: conventional long form: Dominican
Republic
conventional short form: none
local long form: Republica
Dominicana
local short form: none
Government type: representative democracy
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)
National holiday: Independence Day, 27 February (1844)
Constitution: 28 November 1966
Legal system: based on French civil codes
Suffrage: 18 years of age, universal and
compulsory; married persons
regardless of age
note: members of the armed forces
and police cannot vote
Executive branch: chief of state: President Rafael
Hipolito MEJIA Dominguez (since 16
August 2000); Vice President
Milagros ORTIZ-BOSCH (since 16
August 2000); note - the president
is both the chief of state and head
of government
head of government: President Rafael
Hipolito MEJIA Dominguez (since 16
August 2000); Vice President
Milagros ORTIZ-BOSCH (since 16
August 2000); note - the president
is both the chief of state and head
of government
cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the
president
elections: president and vice
president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for four-year terms;
election last held 16 May 2000 (next
to be held NA May 2004)
election results: Raphael Hipolito
MEJIA Dominguez elected president;
percent of vote - Rafael Hipolito
MEJIA Dominguez (PRD) 49.87%, Danilo
MEDINA (PLD) 24.95%, Joaquin
BALAGUER (PRSC) 24.6%
Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress or
Congreso Nacional consists of the
Senate or Senado (30 seats; members
are elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms) and the Chamber of
Deputies or Camara de Diputados (149
seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve four-year
terms)
elections: Senate - last held 16 May
1998 (next to be held NA May 2002);
Chamber of Deputies - last held 16
May 1998 (next to be held NA May
2002)
election results: Senate - percent
of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - PRD 24, PLD 3, PRSC 3;
Chamber of Deputies - percent of
vote by party - NA%; seats by party
- PRD 83, PLD 49, PRSC 17
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Corte Suprema
(judges are elected by a Council
made up of members of the
legislative and executive branches
with the president presiding)
Political parties and leaders: Dominican Liberation Party or PLD
[Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna]; Dominican
Revolutionary Party or PRD [Hatuey
DE CAMPS]; Social Christian
Reformist Party or PRSC [Joaquin
BALAGUER Ricardo]
Political pressure groups and Collective of Popular Organizations
leaders: or COP
International organization ACP, Caricom (observer), ECLAC, FAO,
participation: G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, LAIA
(observer), NAM (observer), OAS,
OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), PCA, RG,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK,
UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Hugo
GUILIANI Cury
consulate(s): Houston, Jacksonville,
Mobile, and Ponce (Puerto Rico)
consulate(s) general: Boston,
Chicago, Mayaguez (Puerto Rico),
Miami, New Orleans, New York,
Philadelphia, San Francisco, and San
Juan (Puerto Rico)
FAX: [1] (202) 265-8057
telephone: [1] (202) 332-6280
chancery: 1715 22nd Street NW,
Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador Hans H.
US: HERTELL
embassy: corner of Calle Cesar
Nicolas Penson and Calle Leopoldo
Navarro, Santo Domingo
mailing address: Unit 5500, APO AA
34041-5500
telephone: [1] (809) 221-7121
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 is at the
center of the cross
Economy Dominican Republic
--------------------------
Economy - overview: The Dominican economy experienced
dramatic growth over the last
decade, even though the economy was
hit hard by Hurricane Georges in
1998. Although the country has long
been viewed primarily as an exporter
of sugar, coffee, and tobacco, 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 country suffers from
marked income inequality; the
poorest half of the population
receives less than one-fifth of GNP,
while the richest 10% enjoy 40% of
national income. A US $500 million
foreign bond issue in September 2001
will contribute to increased public
investment spending.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $50
billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.5% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $5,800
(2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 11.1%
industry: 34.1%
services: 54.8% (2000)
Population below poverty line: 25% (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: 1.6%
percentage share: highest 10%: 39.6% (1989)
Distribution of family income - Gini 47.4 (1998)
index:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 2.3 million - 2.6 million
Labor force - by occupation: services and government 58.7%,
industry 24.3%, agriculture 17%
(1998 est.)
Unemployment rate: 15% (2001 est.)
Budget: revenues: $2.9 billion
expenditures: $3.2 billion,
including capital expenditures of
$1.1 billion (2001 est.)
Industries: tourism, sugar processing,
ferronickel and gold mining,
textiles, cement, tobacco
Industrial production growth rate: 2% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production: 9.475 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 87.21%
hydro: 12.53%
other: 0.26% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 8,812.029 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: sugarcane, coffee, cotton, cocoa,
tobacco, rice, beans, potatoes,
corn, bananas; cattle, pigs, dairy
products, beef, eggs
Exports: $5.5 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: ferronickel, sugar, gold, silver,
coffee, cocoa, tobacco, meats,
consumer goods
Exports - partners: US 87.3%, Netherlands 1.1%, Canada
0.7%, France 0.7% (2000 est.)
Imports: $8.7 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and
fabrics, chemicals and
pharmaceuticals
Imports - partners: US 60.5%, Japan 10.4%, Mexico 4.7%,
Venezuela 3% (2000 est.)
Debt - external: $5.4 billion (2001 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $239.6 million (1995)
Currency: Dominican peso (DOP)
Currency code: DOP
Exchange rates: Dominican pesos per US dollar -
17.310 (January 2002), 16.952
(2001), 16.415 (2000), 16.033
(1999), 15.267 (1998), 14.265 (1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Dominican Republic
---------------------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 709,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 130,149 (1997)
Telephone system: general assessment: NA
domestic: relatively efficient
system based on islandwide microwave
radio relay network
international: 1 coaxial submarine
cable; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 120, FM 56, shortwave 4 (1998)
Radios: 1.44 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 25 (1997)
Televisions: 770,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .do
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 24 (2000)
Internet users: 25,000 (1999)
Transportation Dominican Republic
---------------------------------
Railways: total: 757 km
standard gauge: 375 km 1.435-m gauge
(Central Romana Railroad)
miscellaneous gauge: 240 km operated
by sugar companies in various gauges
(0.558-m, 0.762-m, 1.067-m gauges)
(2000 est.)
narrow gauge: 142 km 0.762-m gauge
(Dominican Republic Government
Railway)
Highways: total: 12,600 km
paved: 6,224 km
unpaved: 6,376 km (1996)
Waterways: none
Pipelines: crude oil 96 km; petroleum products
8 km
Ports and harbors: Barahona, La Romana, Manzanillo,
Puerto Plata, San Pedro de Macoris,
Santo Domingo
Merchant marine: total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over)
totaling 1,587 GRT/1,165 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1 (2002 est.)
Airports: 29 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 13
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 1 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 16
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 10 (2001)
Military Dominican Republic
---------------------------
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National
Police
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 2,323,088 (2002
est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 1,455,887 (2002
service: est.)
Military manpower - reaching military males: 87,404 (2002 est.)
age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar $180 million (FY98)
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of 1.1% (FY98)
GDP:
Transnational Issues Dominican Republic
---------------------------------------
Disputes - international: none
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
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