Dominican Republic (DR) Demographic Profile

Location: The Dominican Republic is located in the Caribbean, on the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti.

Area: Total: 48,730 sq km; Land: 48,380 sq km; Water: 350 sq km.

Climate: The climate is considered tropical maritime, meaning it has little seasonal temperature variation and seasonal variation in rainfall.

Natural resources: Nickel, bauxite, gold, and silver.

Land use: Arable land: 21.08%; permanent crops: 9.92%; Other: 69%.

8,721,594 (2002 estimate).

Age structure: 0-14 years: 33.7% (male 1,503,344; female 1,439,157); 15-64 years: 61.3% (male 2,720,308; female 2,621,539); 65 years and over: 5% (male 206,556; female 230,690).

Nationality: Dominican.

Ethnic groups: White 16%, black 11%, mixed 73%.

Religion: Roman Catholic: 95%.

Languages: Spanish.

Literacy (meaning age 15 and over can read and write): Total population: 82.1%;

male: 82%; female: 82.2%.

Gross Domestic product (GDP): $50 billion.

GDP per capita: $5,800.

GDP - composition by sector: Agriculture: 11%; industry: 34%; services: 55%.

Gross National Product: $14 billion.

GNP per capita: $1,750.

External Debt: $5.4 billion.

Economic aid received: $239.6 million.

Labor force: 2.3 million - 2.6 million.

Unemployment rate: 15%.

Industries: Tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining, textiles, cement, tobacco.

Unique Cultural Features of Society in the Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic's (DR) modern society features cultural elements that are mainly Spanish in origin (Connelly, Doggett, 2002). Taino influence is limited to certain areas and vocabulary words, while the African influence has been minimized.

Dominicans perceive themselves as descendants of the island's Indians and the Spanish, rather than accepting their African heritage. While most Dominicans are a mix of black and white, or black and Spanish, the African part if largely neglected.
Still, the African background of the DR is apparent in its music and art. The drum beats of the Meringue and the Tipico are distinctly African.

Another unique aspect of the DR's culture is its architecture, which includes the meticulously preserved colonial Spanish buildings of Santo Domingo, the first European city of the Americas, and the brightly colored farmhouses of the country. The DR is full of color and style, which makes it a great place for sightseeing.

Major Economic and Political developments

The Dominican Republic was once ruled by Spain. However, in 1697, Spain recognized French dominion over the western third of the island, which subsequently became Haiti. The remainder of the island, which is known as Santo Domingo, tried to gain independence in 1821, but was conquered and ruled by the Haitians for two decades. In 1844, this potion of the land acquired independence as the Dominican Republic in 1844.

For more than a century, the Dominican Republic was largely unsettled and unrepresentative. However, in 1966, when Joaquin Balaguer became president, the rule of the country changed. Balaguer was in power for three decades until international reaction to flawed elections ended his reign. Since then, regular competitive elections have been held to elect the president. As a result of this improved political structure, the DR economy has had one of the fastest growth rates in the area.

In the past, the Dominican Republic has been mainly dependent on the export of sugar and other agricultural products. However, in recent years, the country has transformed into the most popular tourist destination in the Caribbean. Tourism…