Country information

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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TODAY

Country Facts

Area: 48,730 sq km (18,704 sq miles)
Population: 8,895,000 (2005 UN est.)
Capital City: Santo Domingo (pop. approx. 3 million). Second largest city: Santiago de los Caballeros (pop. 500,000)
People: Mixed 73%, European 16%, African origin 11%
Language(s): Spanish
Religion(s): Roman Catholic 95%
Major political parties: Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC), Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD), Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), and several other minor parties.
Government: Representative Democracy
Head of State: Dr Leonel Fernandez Reyna
Prime Minister/Premier: Not applicable
Foreign Minister: Carlos Morales Troncoso

People

About half of Dominicans live in rural areas; many are small landholders. Haitians form the largest foreign minority group. All religions are tolerated; the state religion is Roman Catholicism.

Nationality: Noun and adjective - Dominican(s)
Annual Population Growth Rate: 1.33% (2004 est.)
Education: Compulsory years - 6-18. Attendance - 70%. Literacy - 83%.
Work Force: Services and Government - 31% (includes paraestatal corporations); Agriculture - 28%; Industry - 12%; Unemployment - 16%

The Military

The military consists of about 24,000 active duty personnel, commanded by the President. Its principal mission is to defend the nation, but it serves more as an internal security force. The army, twice as large as the other services combined, consists of 4 infantry brigades and a combat support brigade; the airforce operates 3 flying squadrons; and the navy maintains 30 ageing vessels. The Dominican Republic's military is second in size to Cuba's in the Caribbean. The armed forces participate fully in counter-narcotics efforts. They are also active in efforts to control contraband and illegal immigration from Haiti to the Dominican Republic and from the Dominican Republic to the United States.

HEALTH

Infant Mortality rate: 33.28/1000
Life expectancy: 65.98 years men, 69.35 women (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS

Adult Prevalence Rate: 1.7% (2003 est.)
People living with HIV/AIDS: 88,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS deaths: 7,900 (2003 est.)

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