LOCATION:
Location:
Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of
Haiti.
AREA:
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
POPULATION:
Population:
8,950,034
(July 2005 est.)
AGE STRUCTURE:
Age structure:
0-14 years: 32.9%
(male1,505,964/female 1,438,809)
15-64 years: 61.7% (male 2,815,544/female 2,703,012)
65 years and over: 5.4% (male 226,372/female 260,333)
(2005 est.)
MEDIAN AGE:
Median age:
total: 23.88 years
male: 23.68 years
female: 24.09 years
(2005 est.)
POPULATION GROWTH:
Population growth rate:
1.29%
(2005 est.)
INFANT MORTALITY RATE:
Infant mortality rate:
total: 32.38
deaths/1,000 live births
male: 34.81
deaths/1,000 live births
female: 29.84 deaths/1,000 live births
(2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS-ADULT PREVALENCE RATE:
HIV/AIDS Adult prevalence rate:
1.8 %
HIV/AIDS- PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS :
Ages 15-49:
85,000
low estimate:
47,000
high estimate:
150,000
HIV/AIDS-DEATH
Adults and Children deaths:
7,900
low estimate:
4,700
high estimate:
13,000
ETHNIC GROUPS:
Ethnic groups:
white 16%,
black 11%,
mixed 73%
RELIGIONS:
Religions:
Roman Catholic 95%
LANGUAGES:
Languages:
Spanish
LITERACY:
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 84.7%
male: 84.6%
female: 84.8%
(2003 est.)
GOVERNMENT TYPE:
Government type:
representative democracy
CAPITAL:
Capital:
Santo Domingo
ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:
Administrative divisions:
31 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 Jose de Ocoa, San Juan, San Pedro de Macoris, Santiago, Santiago Rodriguez, Santo Domingo, Valverde
INDEPENDENCE:
Independence:
27 February 1844 (from Haiti)
ECONOMY:
Economy - overview:
The Dominican Republic is a Caribbean representative democracy which enjoyed GDP growth of more than 7% in 1998-2000. Growth
subsequently plummeted as part of the global economic slowdown. 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% enjoys nearly 40% of national income. Growth
turned negative in 2003 with reduced tourism, a major bank fraud, and limited growth in the US economy (the source of about
85% of export revenues), but recovered slightly in 2004. Resumption of a badly needed IMF loan, slowed due to government
repurchase of electrical power plants, is basic to the restoration of social and economic stability. Newly elected President
FERNANDEZ in mid-2004 promised belt-tightening reform. His administration has passed tax reform and is working to meet
preconditions for a $600 IMF standby arrangement to ease the
country's fiscal situation.
GDP:
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $55.68 billion
(2004 est.)
POPULATION BELOW POVERTY LINE:
Population below poverty line:
25%
INFLATION RATE:
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
55%
(2004 est.)
UNEMPLOYMENT:
Unemployment rate:
17%
(2004 est.)
EXCHANGE RATES:
Exchange rates:
Dominican pesos per US dollar -
46.9033 (2004),
30.8307 (2003),
18.6098 (2002),
16.9516 (2001),
16.415 (2000).
ILLICIT DRUGS:
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.
