DOMINICAN REPUBLIC GEOGRAPHY Total area: 48,730 km2; land area: 48,380 km2 Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire Land boundary 275 km with Haiti Coastline: 1,288 km Maritime claims: Contiguous zone: 24 nm; Continental shelf: outer edge of continental margin or 200 nm; Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 6 nm Climate: tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation Terrain: rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed Natural resources: nickel, bauxite, gold, silver Land use: arable land 23%; permanent crops 7%; meadows and pastures 43%; forest and woodland 13%; other 14%; includes irrigated 4% Environment: subject to occasional hurricanes (July to October); deforestation Note: shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic) PEOPLE Population: 7,384,837 (July 1991), growth rate 2.0% (1991) Birth rate: 27 births/1,000 population (1991) Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991) Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991) Infant mortality rate: 60 deaths/1,000 live births (1991) Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 69 years female (1991) Total fertility rate: 3.1 children born/woman (1991) Nationality: noun--Dominican(s); adjective--Dominican Ethnic divisions: mixed 73%, white 16%, black 11% Religion: Roman Catholic 95% Language: Spanish Literacy: 83% (male 85%, female 82%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) Labor force: 2,300,000-2,600,000; agriculture 49%, services 33%, industry 18% (1986) Organized labor: 12% of labor force (1989 est.) GOVERNMENT Long-form name: Dominican Republic (no short-form name) Type: republic 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) Constitution: 28 November 1966 Legal system: based on French civil codes National holiday: Independence Day, 27 February (1844) Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional) consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Senado) and lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados) Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema) Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Joaquin BALAGUER Ricardo (since 16 August 1986, fifth elected term began 16 August 1990); Vice President Carlos A. MORALES Troncoso (since 16 August 1986) Political parties and leaders: Major parties-- Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC), Joaquin BALAGUER Ricardo; Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD), Jose Francisco PENA Gomez; Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), Juan BOSCH Gavino; Independent Revolutionary Party (PRI), Jacobo MAJLUTA; Minor parties-- National Veterans and Civilian Party (PNVC), Juan Rene BEAUCHAMPS Javier; Liberal Party of the Dominican Republic (PLRD), Andres Van Der HORST; Democratic Quisqueyan Party (PQD), Elias WESSIN Chavez; Constitutional Action Party (PAC), Luis ARZENO Rodriguez; National Progressive Force (FNP), Marino VINICIO Castillo; Popular Christian Party (PPC), Rogelio DELGADO Bogaert; Dominican Communist Party (PCD), Narciso ISA Conde; Anti-Imperialist Patriotic Union (UPA), Ivan RODRIGUEZ; note--in 1983 several leftist parties, including the PCD, joined to form the Dominican Leftist Front (FID); however, they still retain individual party structures Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18 or if married; members of the armed forces and police cannot vote Elections: President--last held 16 May 1990 (next to be held May 1994); results--Joaquin BALAGUER (PRSC) 35.7%, Juan BOSCH Gavino (PLD) 34.4%; Senate--last held 16 May 1990 (next to be held May 1994); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(30 total) PRSC 16, PLD 12, PRD 2; Chamber of Deputies--last held 16 May 1990 (next to be held May 1994); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(120 total) PLD 44, PRSC 41, PRD 33, PRI 2 Communists: an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 members in several legal and illegal factions; effectiveness limited by ideological differences, organizational inadequacies, and severe funding shortages Member of: CARICOM (observer), ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), LORCS, NAM (guest), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Carlos A. MORALES Troncoso (serves concurrently as Vice President); Chancery at 1715 22nd Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 332-6280; there are Dominican Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Mayaguez (Puerto Rico), Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Consulates in Charlotte Amalie (Virgin Islands), Detroit, Houston, Jacksonville, Minneapolis, Mobile, Ponce (Puerto Rico), and San Francisco; US--Ambassador Paul D. TAYLOR; Embassy at the corner of Calle Cesar Nicolas Penson and Calle Leopoldo Navarro, Santo Domingo (mailing address is APO Miami 34041-0008); telephone 809 541-2171 Flag: 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 Overview: The economy is largely dependent on trade; imported components average 60% of the value of goods consumed in the domestic market. Rapid growth of free trade zones has established a significant expansion of manufacturing for export, especially wearing apparel. Over the past decade tourism has also increased in importance and is a major earner of foreign exchange and a source of new jobs. Agriculture remains a key sector of the economy. The principal commercial crop is sugarcane, followed by coffee, cotton, cocoa, and tobacco. Domestic industry is based on the processing of agricultural products, durable consumer goods, minerals, and chemicals. Unemployment is officially reported at about 30%, but there is considerable underemployment. An increasing foreign debt burden and galloping inflation are the economy's greatest weaknesses. GDP: $6.68 billion, per capita $940; real growth rate 4.2% (1989) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 70% (1990 est.) Unemployment rate: 29% (1990 est.) Budget: revenues $413 million; expenditures $522 million, including capital expenditures of $218 million (1988) Exports: $922 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.); commodities--sugar, coffee, cocoa, gold, ferronickel; partners--US 60%, EC 19%, Puerto Rico 8% (1990) Imports: $1.9 billion (c.i.f., 1990 est.); commodities--foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals; partners--US 50% External debt: $4.2 billion (1990 est.) Industrial production: growth rate 2.3% (1989 est.); accounts for 18% of GDP Electricity: 1,445,000 kW capacity; 4,200 million kWh produced, 580 kWh per capita (1990) Industries: tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining, textiles, cement, tobacco Agriculture: accounts for 15% of GDP and employs 49% of labor force; sugarcane most important commercial crop, followed by coffee, cotton, cocoa, and tobacco; food crops--rice, beans, potatoes, corn, bananas; animal output--cattle, hogs, dairy products, meat, eggs; not self-sufficient in food Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY85-89), $576.5 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $569 million Currency: Dominican peso (plural--pesos); 1 Dominican peso (RD$) = 100 centavos Exchange rates: Dominican pesos per US$1--11.850 (January 1991), 8.290 (1990), 6.3400 (1989), 6.1125 (1988), 3.8448 (1987), 2.9043 (1986), 3.1126 (1985) Fiscal year: calendar year COMMUNICATIONS Railroads: 1,655 km total in numerous segments; 4 different gauges from 0.558 m to 1.435 m Highways: 12,000 km total; 5,800 km paved, 5,600 km gravel and improved earth, 600 km unimproved Pipelines: crude oil, 96 km; refined products, 8 km Ports: Santo Domingo, Haina, San Pedro de Macoris, Puerto Plata Merchant marine: 4 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 23,326 GRT/38,661 DWT Civil air: 14 major transport aircraft Airports: 44 total, 30 usable; 14 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 9 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: relatively efficient domestic system based on islandwide radio relay network; 190,000 telephones; stations--120 AM, no FM, 18 TV, 6 shortwave; 1 coaxial submarine cable; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station DEFENSE FORCES Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,963,260; 1,241,370 fit for military service; 81,083 reach military age (18) annually Defense expenditures: $70 million, 1% of GDP (1990)