Dominican Republic

Official name: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Date of membership: 04 June 1976

Capital: Santo Domingo

Geography

Location: Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti.

Area: 48.670 km2

Land boundaries: 360 km

Boarder countries: Haiti 360 km

Coastline: 1,288 km

Natural resources: Nickel, bauxite, gold, silver

Environment - international agreements: Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution. Signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Economic indicators 

Total at current prices (2013) 78 845  Millions USD 2020
Total at current prices 7268 USD 2020
Growth rate per capita at constant prices -7.7 % 2020
Imports of goods and services 26.0 % 2020
Exports of goods and services 18.3 % 2020

Source: Dominican Republic: Economic National Profile. CEPALSTAT. Databases and Statistical Publications. ECLAC. Inquiry: February 24, 2022
 

Socio-demographic indicators  

Total population 10 847.9 (000) 2020
Life expectancy 75 Years 2020_2025
Women 78 Years 2020_2025
Men 72 Years 2020_2025
Public health expenditure
as a percentage of GDP
5.7 % 2018
Literacy rate for persons between
the ages of 15 to 24
98.8 % 2016
Net rate of enrolment in
primary education
95.9 % 2020
Net rate of enrolment in 
secondary education
73.7 % 2020
Public expenditure on education
as a percentage of GDP
4.0 % 2019
Gini Coefficient 0.41 % 2020
Unemployment 5.8 % 2020
Migration -2.6 % 2020-2025

Source: Dominican Republic: National Socio-Demographic Profile. 
CEPALSTAT. Data Bases and Statistical Publications.ECLAC. On line. Inquiry: February 24, 2022

Language: Spanish (official)

Government

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: 27 February 1844 (from Haiti)

Constitution: 28 November 1966; amended 25 July 2002

Suffrage: 18 years of age, universal and compulsory; married persons regardless of age.
Note: members of the armed forces and national police cannot vote

Executive branch: Chief of state: President Luis Abinader (since 16 August 2020); Vice President Raquel Peña (since 16 August 2020).
Note: The president is both the chief of state and head of government .

Legislative branch: Bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate or Senado (32 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (150 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms).

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are appointed by the National Judicial Council comprised of the President, the leaders of both chambers of congress, the President of the Supreme Court, and an opposition or non-governing party member).

Internet country code: .do

Official Portal Web: http://www.presidencia.gov.do