DR Basics

Country (long form): Dominican Republic

Capital:
Santo Domingo

Administrative divisions:
31 provinces: Azua, Bahoruco, Barahona, Dajabon, Duarte, Elías Piña,El Seibo, Espaillat, Hato Mayor, Independencia, La Altagracia, La Romana, La Vega, Maria Trinidad Sanchez, Moseñor 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 and Valverde Mao; and one district: Distrito Nacional.

Total Area:

18,814.76 sq mi48,730.00 sq km.

Population:
8,581,477 (July 2001 est.)

Location:
Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of "La Española", between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. East. Haiti.

Weather:
Located in the tropics, the Dominican Republic enjoys pleasant weather year-round, with average temperatures of 82º F during summer 64ºF in winter.It gets colder with altitude, with the highest point in the mountains dropping below freezing.

Estimated Population in 2050 :
14,922,735

Languages:
Spanish

Literacy:
82.1% total, 82.0% male, 82.2% female (1995 est.)

Religions:
Roman Catholic 95%

Life Expectancy:
71.34 male, 75.64 female (2001 est.)

Government Type:
representative democracy

Currency:
1 Dominican peso (RD$) =
US $ 33
€ $ 44

GDP (per capita):
$5,700 (2000 est.)

Industry:
tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining, textiles, cement, tobacco

Agriculture:
sugarcane, coffee, cotton, cocoa, tobacco, rice, beans, potatoes, corn, bananas; cattle, pigs, dairy products, beef, eggs

Arable Land:
21%

Natural Resources:
nickel, bauxite, gold, silver