Country Facts and Statistics
Dominican Republic
Population:
9,823,648 (July 2011 est.)
Location:
Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti
Government:
Democratic Republic
Official name: Dominican Republic (Local: Republica Dominicana)
President: President Leonel Fernandez Reyna (since August 16, 2004)
Capital: Santo Domingo
Independence Day: February, 27 1844 (from Haiti)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%
Language:
Spanish
Natural Resources:
nickel, bauxite, gold, silver
Exports:
ferronickel, sugar, gold, silver, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, meats, consumer goods
Currency:
Dominican peso (DOP); USD equivalent = 37.40 pesos (2011); 33.113 pesos (2007)
Population below the Poverty Line:
42.2% (2004) (This percentage is much higher in the communities COTN serves)
Education:
Literacy Rate: (definition: age 15 and over can read and write) total population: 88%
Health:
Infant mortality: about 22.22/1,000 births
Births per woman: about 2.5
Life expectancy: 77 years
Physicians per 1,000 people: 1.8 (this number is much lower in the communities COTN serves)
Health Expenditures per capita: $148
People Living with HIV: 57,000 (2009)
Climate:
Tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; rainfall variation (hot and humid)
Other Facts:
Internet Users: 2.701 million people (2009)
Telephone landlines: 965,400
Cell Phones: 8.89 million (2010)
Airports: 35
Airports with paved runways: 16
Staple Food: Rice and beans
All facts and information stated has been taken from: www.CIA.gov, www.worldbank.com and www.unicef.org.