Dominican Republic

Location

• Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti
• shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti (eastern two-thirds makes up the Dominican Republic, western one-third is Haiti); the second largest country in the Antilles (after Cuba); geographically diverse with the Caribbean's tallest mountain, Pico Duarte, and lowest elevation and largest lake, Lago Enriquillo

Population

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
Santo Domingo	2,201,941	Capital
Santiago de los Caballeros	1,200,000
Santo Domingo Oeste	701,269
Santo Domingo Este	700,000
San Pedro de Macorís	217,899
La Romana	208,437
Bella Vista	175,683
San Cristóbal	154,040
Puerto Plata	146,000
San Francisco de Macorís	124,763

Size

• 18,815 square miles
• 48,730 square kilometers
• slightly more than twice the size of New Jersey

History

The Taino -- indigenous inhabitants of Hispaniola prior to the arrival of Europeans -- divided the island now known as the Dominican Republic and Haiti into five chiefdoms and territories. Christopher COLUMBUS explored and claimed the island on his first voyage in 1492; it became a springboard for Spanish conquest of the Caribbean and the American mainland. In 1697, Spain recognized French dominion over the western third of the island, which in 1804 became Haiti. The remainder of the island, by then known as Santo Domingo, sought to gain its own independence in 1821, but the Haitians conquered and ruled it for 22 years; it finally attained independence as the Dominican Republic in 1844. In 1861, the Dominicans voluntarily returned to the Spanish Empire, but two years later, they launched a war that restored independence in 1865. A legacy of unsettled and mostly non-representative rule followed, capped by the dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas TRUJILLO from 1930 to 1961. Juan BOSCH was elected president in 1962 but was deposed in a military coup in 1963. In 1965, the US led an intervention in the midst of a civil war sparked by an uprising to restore BOSCH. In 1966, Joaquin BALAGUER defeated BOSCH in the presidential election. BALAGUER maintained a tight grip on power for most of the next 30 years, until international reaction to flawed elections forced him to curtail his term in 1996. Since then, regular competitive elections have been held. 

Climate

tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall

Terrain

rugged highlands and mountains interspersed with fertile valleys

Languages

Spanish (official)major-language sample(s): La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions

Evangelical 50.2%, Roman Catholic 30.1%, none 18.5%, unspecified 1.2% (2023 est.)

Government

presidential republic

• Constitution: history: many previous (38 total); latest proclaimed 13 June 2015amendment process: proposed by a special session of the National Congress called the National Revisory Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority approval by at least one half of those present in both houses of the Assembly; passage of amendments to constitutional articles, such as fundamental rights and guarantees, territorial composition, nationality, or the procedures for constitutional reform, also requires approval in a referendum
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory; married persons can vote, regardless of age note: members of the armed forces and national police by law cannot vote
• Legal System: civil law system based on the French civil code; Criminal Procedures Code modified in 2004 to include important elements of an accusatory system
• Executive Branch: chief of state: President Luis Rodolfo ABINADER Corona (since 16 August 2020)head of government: President Luis Rodolfo ABINADER Corona (since 16 August 2020)cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the presidentelection/appointment process: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by absolute vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 4-year term (eligible for a maximum of two consecutive terms)most recent election date: 19 May 2024election results: 2024: Luis Rodolfo ABINADER Corona reelected president; percent of vote - Luis Rodolfo ABINADER Corona (PRM) 57.5%, Leonel Antonio FERNÁNDEZ Reyna (FP) 28.8%, Abel MARTÍNEZ (PLD) 10.4%, other 3.3%2020: Luis Rodolfo ABINADER Corona elected president in first round; percent of vote - Luis Rodolfo ABINADER Corona (PRM) 52.5%, Gonzalo CASTILLO Terrero (PLD) 37.5%, Leonel Antonio FERNÁNDEZ Reyna (FP) 8.9%, other 1.1%expected date of next election: 21 May 2028note: the president is both chief of state and head of government
• Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Supreme Court of Justice or Suprema Corte de Justicia (consists of a minimum of 16 magistrates); Constitutional Court or Tribunal Constitucional (consists of 13 judges)judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court and Constitutional Court judges appointed by the National Council of the Judiciary composed of the president, the leaders of both chambers of congress, the president of the Supreme Court, and a non-governing party congressional representative; Supreme Court judges appointed for 7-year terms; Constitutional Court judges appointed for 9-year termssubordinate courts: courts of appeal; courts of first instance; justices of the peace; special courts for juvenile, labor, and land cases; Contentious Administrative Court for cases filed against the government
• Legislative Branch: legislature name: National Congress of the Republic (Congreso Nacional de la República)legislative structure: bicameral

Demographic Profile

n/a

Economy

• surging middle-income tourism, construction, mining, and telecommunications OECS economy; major foreign US direct investment and free-trade zones; developing local financial markets; improving debt management; declining poverty
• Budget: revenues: $20.418 billion (2023 est.)expenditures: $24.348 billion (2023 est.)note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: nickel, bauxite, gold, silver, arable land
• Industries: tourism, sugar processing, gold mining, textiles, cement, tobacco, electrical components, medical devices
• Agricultural Products: sugarcane, bananas, papayas, plantains, avocados, rice, milk, watermelons, vegetables, pineapples (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 50.6% (2022 est.)arable land: 18.2% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 7.6% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 24.8% (2022 est.)forest: 44.8% (2022 est.)other: 4.6% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: refined petroleum, cars, natural gas, plastic products, crude petroleum (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: USA 40%, China 18%, Brazil 4%, Spain 4%, Mexico 3% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: medical instruments, tobacco, gold, garments, power equipment (2023)note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
• Export Partners: USA 52%, Switzerland 7%, Haiti 6%, China 5%, India 3% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports