DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Area (in sq. km) Population Barahona 1,739 179,239 Dajabón 1,021 62,046 Distrito Nacional (Santo Domingo area) 1,401 2,731,294 Duarte 1,605 283,805 Elías Piña 1,426 63,879 Espaillat 839 225,091 Hato Mayor 1,329 87,631 Independencia 2,006 50,833 María Trinidad Sánchez 1,272 135,727 Monseñor Nouel 992 167,618 Monte Cristi 1,924 111,014 Monte Plata 2,632 180,376 Pedernales 2,075 21,207 Peravia 998 232,233 Puerto Plata 1,857 312,706 La Romana 654 219,812 Salcedo 440 96,356 Samaná 854 91,875 Sánchez Ramírez 1,196 151,179 San Cristóbal 1,266 532,880 San José de Ocoa1 650 — San Juan 3,569 241,105 República Dominicana San Pedro de Macorís 1,255 301,744 Santiago 2,839 908,250 Capital: Santo Domingo Santiago Rodríguez 1,111 59,629 Population projection, 2010: 9·52m. Santo Domingo2 1,296 — El Seíbo 1,787 89,261 GDP per capita, 2003: (PPP$) 6,823 Valverde 823 158,293 HDI/world rank: 0·749/95 La Vega 2,287 385,101 1Created in 2002; formerly part of Peravia. KEY HISTORICAL EVENTS 2Created in 2001; formerly part of Distrito Nacional. In 1492 Columbus discovered the island of Hispaniola, which he called La Isla Española, and which for a time was also known Census population (2002), 8,562,541 (4,297,326 females). In as Santo Domingo. The city of Santo Domingo, founded by his 2003 the population was 59·3% urban. brother, Bartholomew, in 1496, is the oldest city in the Americas. The UN gives a projected population for 2010 of 9·52m. The western third of the island—now the Republic of Haiti—was Population of the main towns (1993, in 1,000): Santo Domingo, later occupied and colonized by the French, to whom the Spanish the capital, 3,523 (1999); Santiago de los Caballeros, 1,289 (1995); colony of Santo Domingo was also ceded in 1795. In 1808 the La Romana, 140; San Pedro de Macorís, 125; San Francisco de Dominican population routed the French at the battle of Palo Macorís, 108. Hincado. Eventually, with the aid of a British naval squadron, The population is mainly composed of a mixed race of the French were forced to return the colony to Spanish rule, from European (Spanish) and African blood. The official language is which it declared its independence in 1821. It was invaded and Spanish; about 0·18m. persons speak a Haitian-French Creole. held by the Haitians from 1822 to 1844, when the Dominican SOCIAL STATISTICS Republic was founded and a constitution adopted. 2004 estimates: births, 210,000; deaths, 61,000. Rates, 2004 Thereafter the rule was dictatorship interspersed with brief estimates (per 1,000 population): birth, 24; death, 7. Annual democratic interludes. Between 1916 and 1924 the country was population growth rate, 1992–2002, 1·7%. Life expectancy, 2003, under US military occupation. From 1930 until his assassination 63·9 years for males and 71·0 for females. Infant mortality, 2001, in 1961, Rafael Trujillo was one of Latin America’s legendary 41 per 1,000 live births. Fertility rate, 2001, 2·8 children per dictators. The conservative pro-American Joaquin Balaguer was woman. president from 1966 to 1978. In 1986 Balaguer returned to power at the head of the Socialist Christian Reform Party, leading the CLIMATE way to economic reforms. But there was violent opposition to A tropical maritime climate with most rain falling in the spending cuts and general austerity. The 1996 elections brought summer months. The rainy season extends from May to Nov. in a reforming government pledged to act against corruption. and amounts are greatest in the north and east. Hurricanes may TERRITORY AND POPULATION occur from June to Nov. Santo Domingo, Jan. 75°F (23·9°C), July 81°F (27·2°C). Annual rainfall 56" (1,400 mm). The Dominican Republic occupies the eastern portion (about two-thirds) of the island of Hispaniola, the western division CONSTITUTION AND GOVERNMENT forming the Republic of Haiti. The area is 48,137 sq. km (18,586 The constitution dates from 28 Nov. 1966 and was amended on sq. miles). The area and 2002 census populations of the provinces 25 July 2002. The President is elected for four years, by direct and National District (Santo Domingo area) were: vote, and has executive power. A constitutional amendment Area (in sq. km) Population of Aug. 1994 prohibits the president from serving consecutive La Altagracia 2,474 182,020 terms. In 1994 the constitution was amended to allow for a Azua 2,532 208,857 second round of voting in a presidential election, when no Bahoruco 1,282 91,480 candidate secures an absolute majority in the first ballot. There 410 B. Turner (Ed.), The Statesman’s Yearbook 2007 © Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited 2006 dominican republic 411 is a bicameral legislature, the Congress, comprising a 32-member Youth: Manuel Crespo. Without Portfolio: Miguel Mejía; Eduardo Senate (one member for each province and one for the National Selman. District of Santo Domingo) and a 150-member Chamber of Deputies, both elected for four-year terms. Citizens are entitled Office of the President (Spanish only): to vote at the age of 18, or less when married. http://www.presidencia.gov.do National Anthem CURRENT LEADERS ‘Quisqueyanos valientes, alcemos’ (‘Valiant Quisqueyans, Let us Dr Leonel Fernández raise our voices’); words by E. Prud’homme, tune by J. Reyes. GOVERNMENT CHRONOLOGY Position President Heads of State since 1942. (PD = Dominican Party; PLD = Dominican Liberation Party; PR = Reformist Party; PRD = Introduction Dominican Revolutionary Party; PRSC = Social Christian Reformist Dr Leonel Fernández first became president in 1996 and won Party; REP = Republican Party; UCN = National Civic Union; n/p a second four-year term in May 2004. He has won plaudits for = non-partisan) easing the country’s economic crisis but there is little evidence of Presidents reductions in poverty, unemployment and corruption. 1942–52 PD/military Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina Early Life 1952–60 PD Héctor Bienvenido Trujillo Molina Leonel Antonio Fernández Reyna was born on 26 Dec. 1953 in 1960–62 PD Joaquín Antonio Balaguer Ricardo 1962–63 REP Rafael Filiberto Bonelly Fondeur Santo Domingo, the capital city. In 1962 his family moved to 1963 PRD Juan Emilio Bosch Gaviño New York, where he attended school before returning to Santo Domingo in 1971. He enrolled at the Independent University of Chairmen of the Triumvirate Santo Domingo (UASD) to study law. In 1973 Fernández joined 1963 n/p Emilio de los Santos the leftist Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), the movement 1963–65 UCN Donald Joseph Reid Cabral founded by his professor and mentor, the former president, Chairman of Military Junta of Government Juan Bosch. Following his graduation with a doctorate in 1978, 1965 military Pedro Bartolomé Benoit Vanderhorst Fernández worked as a political journalist. He subsequently President of the Government of National Reconstruction lectured at the UASD and the Latin American Faculty of 1965 military Antonio Cosme Imbert Barrera Social Science in Santo Domingo. Elected to the PLD’s central Presidents committee in 1985, he rose through the party’s administrative 1965 military Francisco Alberto Caamaño Deñó ranks and stood as Bosch’s running mate at the 1994 presidential 1965–66 PR Héctor Federico García-Godoy Cáceres election (won by Joaquin Balaguer). Balagauer was barred from 1966–78 PR Joaquín Antonio Balaguer Ricardo running in the May 1996 elections and Fernández defeated José 1978–82 PRD Silvestre Antonio Guzmán Fernández Francisco Peña Gómez in a run-off a month later. 1982 PRD Jacobo Majluta Azar Career in Office 1982–86 PRD Salvador Jorge Blanco Sworn in as president on 16 Aug. 1996, Fernández brought 1986–96 PRSC Joaquín Antonio Balaguer Ricardo in sweeping economic and judicial reforms. Despite increased 1996–2000 PLD Leonel Antonio Fernández Reyna foreign investment, economic growth and infrastructural 2000–04 PRD Rafael Hipólito Mejía Domínguez improvements, Hipólito Mejía of the Dominican Revolutionary 2004– PLD Leonel Antonio Fernández Reyna Party (PRD) was elected president in Aug. 2000 amid discontent RECENT ELECTIONS over power cuts in the recently privatized electric industry. Presidential elections were held on 16 May 2004. Leonel Antonio Mejía presided over a deepening economic crisis and spiralling Fernández Reyna of the Dominican Liberation Party/PLD won crime and unemployment. Fernández was re-elected president 57·1% of the votes, incumbent Rafael Hipólito Mejía Domínguez on 16 May 2004 and sworn in three months later. He introduced of the Dominican Revolutionary Party/PRD 33·6% and Eduardo austerity measures and succeeded in stabilizing inflation and the Estrella of the Social Christian Reformist Party/PRSC 8·8%. currency. However, attempts to tackle poverty and corruption, Turnout was 72·8%. and to resolve the energy crisis have been less successful. Parliamentary elections were held on 16 May 2002. In the election to the Chamber of the Deputies the PRD won 73 seats, DEFENCE the PLD 41 and the PRSC 36. In the Senate elections on the same In 2003 defence expenditure totalled US$162m. (US$19 per day, the PRD won 29 seats, the PLD 2 and the PRSC 1. capita), representing 1·0% of GDP. CURRENT ADMINISTRATION Army President: Leonel Antonio Fernández; b. 1953 (PLD; sworn in 16 There are three defence zones. The Army has a strength (2002) of Aug. 2004, having previously been president from 1996–2000). about 15,000 and includes a special forces unit and a Presidential Vice-President: Rafael Alburquerque. Guard. There is a paramilitary National Police 15,000-strong. In March 2006 the government comprised: Navy Secretary of State for Agriculture: Amílcar Romero.