View Intelligence Dossier Back to 1990 CSV Excel Print All Years

Communications

Airports [time series]

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

Civil air [time series]

14 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

12,000 km total; 5,800 km paved, 5,600 km gravel and improved earth, 600 km unimproved

Merchant marine [time series]

4 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 23,335 GRT/40,297 DWT

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil, 96 km; refined products, 8 km

Ports [time series]

Santo Domingo, Haina, San Pedro de Macoris, Puerto Plata

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

1,655 km total in numerous segments; 4 different gauges from 0.558 m to 1.435 m

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

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

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Navy, Air Force

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

1.2% of GDP, or $61 million (1989 est.)

Military manpower [time series]

males 15-49, 1,912,101; 1,210,172 fit for military service; 80,290 reach military age (18) annually

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 18% of GDP and employs 49% of labor force; sugarcane most important commercial crop, followed by coffee, cotton, and cocoa; food crops--rice, beans, potatoes, corn, bananas; animal output--cattle, hogs, dairy products, meat, eggs; not self-sufficient in food

Aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $1.1 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $529 million

Budget [time series]

revenues $413 million; expenditures $522 million, including capital expenditures of $218 million (1988)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Dominican peso (plural--pesos); 1 Dominican peso (RD$) = 100 centavos

Electricity [time series]

1,376,000 kW capacity; 4,000 million kWh produced, 560 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates [time series]

Dominican pesos per US$1--6.3400 (January 1990), 6.3400 (1989), 6.1125 (1988), 3.8448 (1987), 2.9043 (1986), 3.1126 (1985)

Exports [time series]

$711 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--sugar, coffee, cocoa, gold, ferronickel; partners--US, including Puerto Rico, 74%

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$3.6 billion (1989) est.

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$5.1 billion, per capita $790; real growth rate 0.5% (1988)

Imports [time series]

$1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals; partners--US, including Puerto Rico, 37% (1985)

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 30% (1987 est.)

Industries [time series]

tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining, textiles, cement, tobacco

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

57.6% (1988)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

The economy is largely dependent on the agricultural sector, which employs 50% of the labor force and provides about half of export revenues. The principal commercial crop is sugarcane, followed by coffee, cocoa, and tobacco. Industry is based on the processing of agricultural products, durable consumer goods, minerals, and chemicals. 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 significant earner of foreign exchange and a source of new jobs. Unemployment is officially reported at about 25%, but underemployment may be much higher.

Unemployment rate [time series]

25% (1988)

Geography

Climate [time series]

tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation

Coastline [time series]

1,288 km

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire Land boundary 275 km with Haiti

Contiguous zone [time series]

24 nm;

Continental shelf [time series]

outer edge of continental margin or 200 nm;

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

subject to occasional hurricanes (July to October); deforestation

Extended economic zone [time series]

200 nm;

Land use [time series]

23% arable land; 7% permanent crops; 43% meadows and pastures; 13% forest and woodland; 14% other; includes 4% irrigated

Natural resources [time series]

nickel, bauxite, gold, silver

Note [time series]

shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)

Terrain [time series]

rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed

Maritime claims (Territorial sea) [time series]

6 nm

Area (Total area) [time series]

48,730 km2; land area: 48,380 km2

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

Santo Domingo

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 members in several legal and illegal factions; effectiveness limited by ideological differences and organizational inadequacies

Constitution [time series]

28 November 1966

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

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

Executive branch [time series]

president, vice president, Cabinet

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

27 February 1844 (from Haiti)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court (Corte Suprema) Chief of State and Head of Government--President Joaquin BALAGUER Ricardo (since 16 August 1986); Vice President Carlos A. MORALES Troncoso (since 16 August 1986) Major parties--Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC), Joaquin Balaguer Ricardo; Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD), which fractured in May 1989 with the understanding that leading rivals Jacobo Majluta and Jose Francisco Pena Gomez would run separately for president at the head of the Independent Revolutionary Party (PRI) and the Social Democratic Institutional Bloc (BIS), respectively, and try to reconstitute the PRD after the election; Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), Juan Bosch Gavino; Minor parties--National Veterans and Civilian Party (PNVC), Juan Rene Beauchanps Javier; The Structure (LE), 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; in 1983 several leftist parties, including the PCD, joined to form the Dominican Leftist Front (FID); however, they still retain individual party structures

Legal system [time series]

based on French civil codes

Legislative branch [time series]

bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional) consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Senado) and lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados)

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Dominican Republic (no short-form name)

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, IRC, ISO, ITU, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 27 February (1844)

Suffrage [time series]

universal and compulsory at age 18 or if married; members of the armed forces and police cannot vote President--last held 16 May 1986 (next to be held May 1990); results--Joaquin Balaguer (PRSC) 41.8%, Jacobo Majluta (PRD) 39.7%, Juan Bosch Gavino (PLD) 18.5%; Senate--last held 16 May 1986 (next to be held May 1990); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(30 total) PRSC 21, PRD 7, PLD 2; Chamber of Deputies--last held 16 May 1986 (next to be held May 1990); results--PRSC 40.6%, PRD 33.5%, PLD 18.3%, LE 5.3%, other 2.3%; seats--(120 total) PRSC 56, PRD 48, PLD 16

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

People

Birth rate [time series]

28 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate [time series]

7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

73% mixed, 16% white, 11% black

Infant mortality rate [time series]

62 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force [time series]

2,300,000-2,600,000; 49% agriculture, 33% services, 18% industry (1986)

Languages (Language) [time series]

Spanish

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

65 years male, 69 years female (1990)

Literacy [time series]

74%

Nationality [time series]

noun--Dominican(s); adjective--Dominican

Net migration rate [time series]

- 1 migrant/1,000 population (1990)

Organized labor [time series]

12% of labor force (1989 est.)

Population [time series]

7,240,793 (July 1990), growth rate 2.0% (1990)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

95% Roman Catholic

Total fertility rate [time series]

3.2 children born/woman (1990)