Dominican Republic, a country occupying the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the West Indies. Haiti occupies the western third of the island, which lies between Cuba on the west and Puerto Rico on the east. The Dominican Republic is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the north, Mona Passage on the east, the Caribbean Sea on the south, and Haiti on the west. The area of the country is 18,816 square miles (48,734 km2). The greatest length (east to west) is about 240 miles (386 km). The north-south width varies from 40 to 170 miles (64 to 274 km).
| Facts in brief about the Dominican Republic | |||
| Capital: Santo Domingo. | |||
| Official language: Spanish. | |||
| Form of government: Republic. Head of state—president. | |||
| Area: 18,730 mi2 (48,511 km2). Greatest distances—east-west, 240 mi (388 km); north-south, 170 mi (274 km). Coastline—604 mi (972 km). | |||
| Elevation: Highest—Duarte Peak, 10,417 ft (3,175 m) above sea level. Lowest—Lake Enriquillo, 150 ft (46 m) below sea level. | |||
| Population: Current estimate—9,290,000; density, 494 per mi2 (191 per km2); distribution, 64 percent urban, 36 percent rural. 2002 census—8,562,542. | |||
| Chief products: Agriculture—avocados, bananas, cacao, coffee, mangoes, rice, sugar cane, tobacco. Mining—gold, nickel. Manufacturing—clothing, molasses, sugar. | |||
| National anthem: "Himno Nacional." | |||
| Flag: A white cross divides the flag into alternately red and blue quarters. Blue stands for liberty, white for salvation, and red for the blood of heroes. The state flag, used by the government, has the Dominican coat of arms in its center. The civil flag, flown by the people, has no coat of arms. | |||
| Money: Basic unit—Dominican peso. One hundred centavos equal one peso. | |||
The Dominican Republic is a country in the West Indies.The Dominican Republic is a mountainous country, with five distinct ranges. The Cordillera Central, or central range, includes Pico Duarte (10,417 feet [3,175 m] above sea level), the highest peak in the West Indies. There are many fertile valleys, the most important being the broad Cibao Valley. The chief river is the Yaque del Norte, which flows through the Cibao Valley.
The climate is tropical but is moderated by ocean breezes. The temperature is generally between 75° and 85° F. (24° and 29° C.). Most sections have ample rainfall, but some parts of the west are dry. Hurricanes sometimes strike the island.
Throughout most of the country's history the economy was based largely on agriculture. Though it remains significant, agriculture declined in importance during the 1970's and 1980's, when the government began diversifying the economy. The fastest-developing sectors of the economy are manufacturing and services, especially the services associated with the tourist industry, which accounts for most of the country's foreign income. The basic currency unit is the Dominican Republic peso.
About a third of the country is farmland. Employment in agriculture declined from 55 per cent of the workforce in the early 1970's to 33 per cent in the early 1990's. Sugar, produced primarily on a small number of large estates, is the chief product and export. Other export crops include coffee, cacao, bananas, avocados, mangoes, oranges, and tobacco. Among the many crops grown mainly for domestic use are rice, corn, beans, and cassava. Cattle, raised on large ranches, chickens, and hogs provide most of the nation's meat. Fishing and lumbering are of little significance.
Manufacturing accounts for about 17 per cent of the gross domestic product and consists largely of processing foods and beverages and the making of simple items for household and personal use. The sugar industry, which produces not only sugar but many by-products as well, employs the largest number of workers.
Gold and Nickel are thea chief mineral products. Other minerals produced include gypsum, clay, limestone, and salt.
The Dominican Republic relies on roads for most of its transportation needs; with a few exceptions, the railways are used solely to move sugarcane from the plantations to the mills. Santo Domingo is the chief port. Air service is provided mainly through Santo Domingo's international airport.
About 15 per cent of the people in the Dominican Republic are whites, about 10 per cent blacks, and most of the remainder mulattoes (of mixed white and black ancestry). The largest city is Santo Domingo, the capital.
Spanish is the language of the country. About 90 per cent of the people are Roman Catholic. Most of the remainder belong to various Protestant denominations.
Primary schooling is free and theoretically compulsory for children between 7 and 14, but many of the adults cannot read and write. There are several colleges and universities in the Dominican Republic. The University of Santo Domingo, founded in 1538, is the oldest university in the Western Hemisphere.
Under the constitution of 1966, the president is elected for a four-year term. (Under a 1994 amendment, the president cannot succeed himself.) The national legislature consists of the 32-member Senate and the 178-member Chamber of Deputies; all members are elected for four-year terms. The president appoints governors of the 31 provinces and comuna (rural county) leaders. The Senate elects judges of the Supreme Court of Justice. All citizens aged 18 and older, as well as married citizens under 18, may vote.
