General Information about the Dominican Republic
 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
Area:
48,730 sq km
Coastline:
1,288 km
Climate:
tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation
in rainfall
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lago Enriquillo -46 m
highest point: Pico Duarte 3,175 m
Population:
9,183,984 (July 2006 est.)
Ethnic groups:
mixed 73%, white 16%, black 11%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 95%
Languages:
Spanish
Government type:
representative democracy
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
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
Economy - overview:
The Dominican Republic is a Caribbean representative democracy that
enjoyed strong GDP growth until 2003. 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.
Growth turned negative in 2003 with reduced tourism, a major bank fraud,
and limited growth in the US economy (the source of about 80% of export
revenues), but recovered in 2004 and 2005. With the help of strict fiscal
targets agreed in the 2004 renegotiation of an IMF standby loan, President
FERNANDEZ has stabilized the country's financial situation. Although
the economy continues to grow at a respectable rate, unemployment remains
an important challenge. 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. The Dominican
Republic's development prospects improved with the ratification of the
Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) in
September 2005.
Agriculture - products:
sugarcane, coffee, cotton, cocoa, tobacco, rice, beans, potatoes, corn,
bananas; cattle, pigs, dairy products, beef, eggs
Industries:
tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining, textiles, cement,
tobacco
Currency:
Dominican peso (DOP)
source: https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/dr.html
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