Caribbean
Country Profiles
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola
with Haiti and has one of the fastest growing economies in
the western hemisphere. The country has seen a constant flow
of emigration, particularly of women to European countries.
The Dominican Republic has an area of 48,730 square kilometres
and is primarily covered in rugged mountains and highlands
with fertile valleys. The climate is tropical with very little
seasonal temperature variations. The country lies in the middle
of the hurricane belt and is therefore subject to hurricanes
and severe storms from June to October and occasional flooding.
There are also periodic droughts.
The country is a representative democracy headed by President
Rafael Mejia. The next elections are scheduled for May 2004.
The capital city of the Dominican Republic is Santo Domingo
and the country is divided into 29 provinces.
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People
|
|
|
Human Development Index Ranking (out of 173)
|
94
|
|
Population (millions)
|
8.4
|
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Population growth rate (%)
|
1.3
|
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Adult literacy rate (% age 15 and above)
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83.6
|
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Health
|
|
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Life expectancy
|
67.1
|
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Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 live births)
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42
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People living with HIV/AIDS (% adults 15-49)
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2.50
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Population using improved water sources (%)
|
79
|
|
Population using adequate sanitation facilities
(%)
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71
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Economy
|
|
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GDP (US$ billions)
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19.7
|
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Population living below national poverty line (%)
|
20.6
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Source: United Nation Human Development Reports,
Human Development Indicators 2002
--- indicates information not available
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