| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Central America and the Caribbean |
| Geographical Location |
19° 00' North Latitude
70° 40' West Longitude |
| Surface Area |
48,730 sq km |
| Climate |
Tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall |
| Natural Resources |
Nickel, bauxite, gold, silver |
|
| Political Information |
 |
|
| Country Name |
Dominican Republic |
| Capital City |
Santo Domingo |
| Government Type |
Representative democracy |
| 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 Day |
27 February 1844 (from Haiti) |
|
| Demographical Information |
|
|
| Population |
8,950,034 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Dominican |
| Ethnic Groups |
White 16%, black 11%, mixed 73% |
| Religion |
Roman Catholic 95% |
| Languages |
Spanish |
| Population Growth Rate |
1.29% (2005 est.) |
|
| Economical Information |
|
|
| Currency |
Dominican peso (DOP) |
| Industries |
Tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining, textiles, cement, tobacco |
| Labor Force |
2.3 million - 2.6 million (2000 est.) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 17%, industry 24.3%, services and government 58.7% (1998 est.) |
| Agriculture Products |
Sugarcane, coffee, cotton, cocoa, tobacco, rice, beans, potatoes, corn, bananas; cattle, pigs, dairy products, beef, eggs |
| Export Commodities |
Ferronickel, sugar, gold, silver, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, meats, consumer goods |
| Export Partners |
US 79.7%, Canada 1.8%, Haiti 1.7% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals |
| Import Partners |
US 49%, Venezuela 13.8%, Mexico 4.6%, Colombia 4.2% (2004) |
|
| Transportation |
|
|
| Railways |
1,743 km |
| Highways |
12,600 km |
| Pipelines |
- |
| Airports |
31 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Barahona, La Romana, Manzanillo, Puerto Plata, San Pedro de Macoris, Santo Domingo |
|
| Communication |
|
|
| Phone Code |
+1809 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.do |
|
| Other |
|
|
| Short History |
Explored and claimed by 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 for much of its subsequent history was brought to an end in 1966 when Joaquin BALAGUER became president. He 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.
The Dominican economy has had one of the fastest growth rates in the hemisphere over the past decade. |
|
