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.
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
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)
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
UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions
31 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 district* (distrito); Azua, Baoruco, 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 2004 (next to be held in May 2008)
election results
Leonel FERNANDEZ elected president; percent of vote - Leonel FERNANDEZ 57.1%, Rafael Hipolito MEJIA Dominguez 33.7%, Eduardo ESTRELLA 8.7%
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 2008); House of Representatives - last held 16 May 2006 (next to be held in May 2008)
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)
Anchorage, Boston, Chicago, Mayaguez (Puerto Rico), Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission
Ambassador Hans H. 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) 221-2171
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 - overview
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$77.09 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$20.55 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
10.7% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$8,400 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
11.2%
industry
30.6%
services
58.2% (2005 est.)
Labor force
3.896 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
17%
industry
24.3%
services
58.7% (1998 est.)
Unemployment rate
16% (2006 est.)
Population below poverty line
25%
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
2.1%
highest 10%
37.9% (1998)
Distribution of family income - Gini index
47.4 (1998)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
8.2% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed)
15.5% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget
revenues
$5.852 billion
expenditures
$5.947 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.1 billion (2006 est.)
foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals
Imports - partners
US 48.6%, Colombia 6.5%, Mexico 6.1% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$2.106 billion (2006 est.)
Debt - external
$8.634 billion (2006 est.)
Economic aid - recipient
$571.6 million (2004)
Currency (code)
Dominican peso (DOP)
Currency code
DOP
Exchange rates
Dominican pesos per US dollar - 33.406 (2006), 30.409 (2005), 42.12 (2004), 30.831 (2003), 18.61 (2002)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use
894,500 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular
3.623 million (2005)
Telephone system
general assessment
NA
domestic
relatively efficient system based on island-wide microwave radio relay network
international
country code - 1-809; 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 (2003)
Televisions
770,000 (1997)
Internet country code
.do
Internet hosts
91,895 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
24 (2000)
Internet users
938,300 (2005)
Airports
33 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
14
over 3,047 m
3
2,438 to 3,047 m
3
1,524 to 2,437 m
4
914 to 1,523 m
3
under 914 m
1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
19
1,524 to 2,437 m
4
914 to 1,523 m
5
under 914 m
10 (2006)
Railways
total
517 km
standard gauge
375 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge
142 km 0.762-m gauge
note
additional 1,226 km operated by sugar companies in 1.076 m, 0.889 m, and 0.762-m gauges (2005)
Roadways
total
12,600 km
paved
6,224 km
unpaved
6,376 km (1999)
Merchant marine
total
1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 1,587 GRT/1,165 DWT
by type
cargo 1 (2006)
Ports and terminals
Boca Chica, Puerto Plata, Rio Haina, Santo Domingo
Military branches
Army, Navy, Air Force
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
Manpower available for military service
males age 18-49
2,133,142
females age 18-49
2,032,840 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 18-49
1,671,493
females age 18-49
1,536,257 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually
males age 18-49
91,699
females age 18-49
87,550 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
0.8% (2006)
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
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; Colombian narcotics traffickers favor the Dominican Republic for illicit financial transactions; significant amphetamine consumption
