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Dominican Republic is a Caribbean country. It occupies
2/3 of the island of Hispaniola, located between the
Caribbean Sea to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the
north. It borders Haiti, which occupies the western part
of the island, and is separated from Puerto Rico in the
east by the Strait of Mona. It has a surface of 48 730
km2. The most important cities are Santo
Domingo, the capital, with 2 252 400 inhabitants (2003),
Santiago (501 800 inhab.), La Romana (198 000 inhab.),
San Francisco de Macorís (131 300 inhab.) And San Pedro
of Macorís (167 100 inhab.). The territory is
mountainous, with elevations that reach 3175 meters of
altitude. The climate is humid tropical, with a dry
season and a very hot and humid season, during which
tropical cyclones can occur.
Economy
The Dominican Republic's economy depends almost
exclusively on sugar production and exports. Agriculture
also includes the production of rice, coffee, bananas,
beans, coconut, cocoa, cassava and tobacco. Although the
increase in agriculture implies cutting down forests,
there is a relative concern with the country's
reforestation, which reached 8% between 1981-1990. The
extractive industry is based on the exploitation of gold
and silver. The industry covers the production of
refined sugar, fertilizers, beer, rum and
cigarettes. National exports are dominated by sugar,
tobacco, coffee and cocoa. The imported products are
fuels and food products. The Dominican Republic's main
trading partners are the United States of America, the
Netherlands, Venezuela and Mexico.
Environmental indicator: the value of carbon dioxide
emissions, per capita (metric tons, 1999), is
2.8.
Population
The population was, in 2006, 9 183 984 inhabitants. The
birth and death rates are respectively 23.22% and
5.73%. Average life expectancy is 71.73 years. It is
estimated that, in 2025, the population will be 12 094
000 inhabitants. The majority ethnic groups are mestizo
(73%), white (16%) and black (11%). The religion with
the greatest expression is Catholic (91%). The official
language is Castilian.
History
After the sinking of one of the ships in Christopher
Columbus's first voyage in 1492, the vessel's sailors
founded the first European colony on the American
continent, which they called La Navidad. But most of the
settlers left for Mexico, Panama and Peru in search of
fortune. Fifty years after Spanish colonization, 300,000
Indians had died, victims of slaughter and diseases
brought by European settlers. In 1697, the western part
of the island was ceded to France and later became
Haiti. After violence, outbreaks of French and Haitian
rule, the Dominican Republic gained independence in
1865. In the next fifty years, there were twenty-eight
revolutions and thirty-five governments. Between 1916
and 1924, the USA occupied the country with the aim of
maintaining stability. The country was ruled by
dictators until it became a democracy in 1966, after a
second American landing. Currently, the country is
governed by a president who is assisted by the Senate
and the Chamber of Deputies.
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