Country Summary
Introduction
Background
Spain and France colonized and divided the island of Hispaniola. The western third became Haiti. The remainder became the Dominican Republic in 1844. Dominicans voluntarily returned to the Spanish Empire, but two years later they launched a war that restored independence in 1865.
Geography
Area
total: 48,670 sq km
land: 48,320 sq km
water: 350 sq km
Climate
tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall
Natural resources
nickel, bauxite, gold, silver, arable land
People and Society
Population
10,694,700 (2022 est.)
Ethnic groups
mixed 70.4% (Mestizo/Indio 58%, Mulatto 12.4%), Black 15.8%, White 13.5%, other 0.3% (2014 est.)
Languages
Spanish (official)
Religions
Roman Catholic 44.3%, Evangelical 13%, Protestant 7.9%, Adventist 1.4%, other 1.8%, atheist 0.2%, none 29.4%, unspecified 2% (2018 est.)
Population growth rate
0.91% (2022 est.)
Government
Government type
presidential republic
Capital
name: Santo Domingo
Executive branch
chief of state: President Luis Rodolfo ABINADER Corona (since 16 August 2020); Vice President Raquel PENA de Antuna (since 16 August 2020); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Luis Rodolfo ABINADER Corona (since 16 August 2020); Vice President Raquel PENA de Antuna (since 16 August 2020); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
Legislative branch
description: bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of:
Senate or Senado (32 seats; 26 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, and 6 members indirectly elected based upon province-wide party plurality votes for its candidates to the Chamber of Deputies; all members serve 4-year terms; note - in 2019, the Central Election Commission changed the electoral system for seats in26 constituencies to direct simple majority but retained indirect election for the remaining 6 constituencies; previously all 32 members were indirectly elected; the change had been challenged by the ruling and opposition parties)
House of Representatives or Camara de Diputados (190 seats; 178 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed party-list proportional representation vote using the D'Hondt method, 5 members in a nationwide constituency and 7 diaspora members directly elected by simple majority vote; members serve 4-year terms)
Economy
Economic overview
tourism, construction, mining, and telecommunications OECS economy; COVID-19 disrupted economic growth; major foreign direct investment and free-trade zones; developing local financial markets; improving debt management; declining poverty
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$184.45 billion (2020 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$17,000 (2020 est.)
Agricultural products
sugar cane, bananas, papayas, rice, plantains, milk, avocados, fruit, pineapples, coconuts
Industries
tourism, sugar processing, gold mining, textiles, cement, tobacco, electrical components, medical devices
Exports
$14.44 billion (2020 est.)
Exports - partners
United States 54%, Switzerland 8%, Canada 5%, India 5%, China 5% (2019)
Exports - commodities
gold, medical instruments, cigars, low-voltage protection equipment, bananas (2019)
Imports
$20.19 billion (2020 est.)
Imports - partners
United States 50%, China 13% (2019)
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, cars, jewelry, natural gas, broadcasting equipment (2019)
Exchange rates
Dominican pesos (DOP) per US dollar -
Page last updated: Wednesday, May 11, 2022
