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Local and Worldwide Travel Information | |
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| DEMOGRAPHICS ABOUT THE COUNTRY | ||||
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Location: Caribbean,
eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea
and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti. Area--comparative: slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire Land boundaries: Total: 275 km Border countries: Haiti 275 km Coastline: 1,288 km 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% Permanent crops: 9% Permanent pastures: 43% Forests and woodland: 12% Other: 15% (1993 est.) Irrigated land: 2,300 sq km (1993 est.) Natural hazards: occasional hurricanes (July to October) Environment--current issues: water shortages; soil eroding into the sea damages coral reefs; deforestation Environment--international agreements: Party to: Biodiversity, Desertification, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Climate Change, 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: Population: 7,998,766 (July 1998 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 35% (male 1,435,698; female 1,382,377) 15-64 years: 60% (male 2,452,310; female 2,379,991) 65 years and over: 5% (male 165,602; female 182,788) (July 1998 est.) Population growth rate: 1.63% (1998 est.) Birth rate: 26.42 births/1,000 population (1998 est.) Death rate: 5.73 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.) Net migration rate: -4.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 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 Country name: Conventional long form: Dominican Republic Conventional short form: none Local long form: República Dominicana Local short form: none Data code: DR Government type: republic National capital: Santo Domingo Diplomatic representation in the US: Chief of mission: Ambassador Chancery: 1715 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 Telephone: [1] (202) 332-6280, 6281 Fax: [1] (202) 265-8057 Consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Mayaguez (Puerto Rico), Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico) Consulate(s): Charlotte Amalie (Virgin Islands), Detroit, Houston, Jacksonville, Mobile, and Ponce (Puerto Rico) Diplomatic representation from the US: Chief of mission: Ambassador (Charles Manat) Embassy: corner of Calle Cesar Nicolas Penson and Calle Leopoldo Navarro, Santo Domingo Mailing address: Unit 5500, APO AA 34041 Telephone: [1] (809) 221-2171, 221-8100 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, the bottom ones are red (hoist side) and blue; a small coat of arms is at the center of the cross. Economy Economy--overview: Economic reforms launched in late 1994 contributed to exchange rate stabilization, reduced inflation, and strong GDP growth in 1995-96. In 1996, there was increased mineral and petroleum exploration, and a new investment law that allows for repatriation of capital dividends has drawn more investment to the island. former President Fernandez nevertheless, who had inherited a trouble-ridden economy hampered by a pressured peso, a large external debt, nearly bankrupt state-owned enterprises, and a manufacturing sector hindered by daily power outages, presented in December, a bold economic reform package--including such reforms as the devaluation of the peso, income tax cuts, a 50% increase in sales taxes, reduced import tariffs, and increased gasoline prices--in an attempt to create a market-oriented economy that could compete internationally. Even though reforms moved ahead at a slow pace, the economy grew vigorously in 1997, with tourism and telecommunications leading the advance. The government also labored to increase electric generating capacity, a key to continued economic growth. GDP: purchasing power parity--$38.3 billion (1997 est.) GDP--real growth rate: 7% (1997 est.) GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity--$4,700 (1997 est.) GDP--composition by sector: Agriculture: 15% Industry: 22% Services: 63% (1995) Inflation rate--consumer price index: 10.9% (1997 est.) Labor force: 2.3 million to 2.6 million By occupation: agriculture 50%, services and government 32%, industry 18% (1991 est.) Unemployment rate: 30% (1996 est.) Budget: Revenues: $2 billion Expenditures: $2 billion, including capital expenditures of $994 million (1996 est.) Industries: tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining, textiles, cement, tobacco Industrial production growth rate: 6.3% (1995 est.) Electricity - capacity: 1.447 million kW (1995) Electricity - production: 6.5 billion kWh (1995) Electricity - consumption per capita: 865 kWh (1995) Agriculture--products: sugarcane, coffee, cotton, cocoa, tobacco, rice, beans, potatoes, corn, bananas; cattle, pigs, dairy products, meat, eggs. Exports: Total value: $815 million (f.o.b., 1996) Commodities: ferronickel, sugar, gold, coffee, cocoa Partners: US 45%, EU 34%, Canada, Japan, Puerto Rico (1995) Imports: Total value: $3.7 billion (f.o.b., 1996) Commodities: foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Partners: US 44%, EU 16%, Venezuela 11%, Netherlands Antilles, Mexico, Japan (1995) Debt - external: $3.6 billion (1997) Economic aid: Recipient: ODA, $21 million (1993) Currency: 1 Dominican peso (RD$) = 100 centavos Exchange rates: Dominican pesos (RD$) per US$1--16.700 (February 2001), 14.332 (December 1997), 14.265 (1997), 13.775 (1996), 13.597 (1995), 13.160 (1994), 12.676 (1993) Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Telephones: 190,000 (1987 est.) Telephone system: 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 0, shortwave 6 Radios: NA Television broadcast stations: 18 (1987 est.) Televisions: 728,000 (1993 est.) Transportation Railways: Total: 757 km Standard gauge: 375 km 1.435-m gauge (Central Romana Railroad) Arrow gauge: 142 km 0.762-m gauge (Dominica Government Railway); 240 km operated by sugar companies in various gauges (0.558-m, 0.762-m, 1.067-m gauges)
Cities | Lodging | Tours | Real Estate | Maps | Demographics Dominican Republic Info Guide - Pedro Henriquez - San Domingo - Dominican Republic |
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