274 lines
22 KiB
Plaintext
274 lines
22 KiB
Plaintext
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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 48,730 km2; land area: 48,380 km2
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Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of New
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Hampshire
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Land boundary 275 km with Haiti
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Coastline: 1,288 km
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Maritime claims:
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Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
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Continental shelf: outer edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
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Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
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Territorial sea: 6 nm
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Climate: tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation
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Terrain: rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys
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interspersed
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Natural resources: nickel, bauxite, gold, silver
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Land use: arable land 23%; permanent crops 7%; meadows and pastures
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43%; forest and woodland 13%; other 14%; includes irrigated 4%
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Environment: subject to occasional hurricanes (July to October);
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deforestation
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Note: shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti (western one-third is
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Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)
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PEOPLE
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Population: 7,384,837 (July 1991), growth rate 2.0% (1991)
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Birth rate: 27 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 60 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 69 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 3.1 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Dominican(s); adjective--Dominican
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Ethnic divisions: mixed 73%, white 16%, black 11%
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Religion: Roman Catholic 95%
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Language: Spanish
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Literacy: 83% (male 85%, female 82%) age 15 and over can
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read and write (1990 est.)
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Labor force: 2,300,000-2,600,000; agriculture 49%, services 33%,
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industry 18% (1986)
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Organized labor: 12% of labor force (1989 est.)
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: Dominican Republic (no short-form name)
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Type: republic
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Capital: Santo Domingo
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Administrative divisions: 29 provinces (provincias,
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singular--provincia) and 1 district* (distrito); Azua, Baoruco, Barahona,
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Dajabon, Distrito Nacional*, Duarte, Elias Pina, El Seibo,
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Espaillat, Hato Mayor, Independencia, La Altagracia, La Romana, La Vega,
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Maria Trinidad Sanchez, Monsenor Nouel, Monte Cristi, Monte Plata,
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Pedernales, Peravia, Puerto Plata, Salcedo, Samana, Sanchez
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Ramirez, San Cristobal, San Juan, San Pedro De Macoris, Santiago,
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Santiago Rodriguez, Valverde
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Independence: 27 February 1844 (from Haiti)
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Constitution: 28 November 1966
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Legal system: based on French civil codes
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National holiday: Independence Day, 27 February (1844)
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Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
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Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional)
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consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Senado) and lower chamber or
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Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados)
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Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)
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Leaders:
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Chief of State and Head of Government--President Joaquin BALAGUER
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Ricardo (since 16 August 1986, fifth elected term began 16 August 1990);
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Vice President Carlos A. MORALES Troncoso (since 16 August 1986)
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Political parties and leaders:
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Major parties--
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Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC), Joaquin BALAGUER Ricardo;
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Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD), Jose Francisco PENA Gomez;
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Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), Juan BOSCH Gavino;
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Independent Revolutionary Party (PRI), Jacobo MAJLUTA;
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Minor parties--
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National Veterans and Civilian Party (PNVC), Juan Rene BEAUCHAMPS Javier;
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Liberal Party of the Dominican Republic (PLRD), Andres Van Der HORST;
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Democratic Quisqueyan Party (PQD), Elias WESSIN Chavez;
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Constitutional Action Party (PAC), Luis ARZENO Rodriguez;
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National Progressive Force (FNP), Marino VINICIO Castillo;
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Popular Christian Party (PPC), Rogelio DELGADO Bogaert;
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Dominican Communist Party (PCD), Narciso ISA Conde;
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Anti-Imperialist Patriotic Union (UPA), Ivan RODRIGUEZ;
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note--in 1983 several leftist parties, including the PCD, joined to
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form the Dominican Leftist Front (FID); however, they still retain
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individual party structures
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Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18 or if married; members
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of the armed forces and police cannot vote
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Elections:
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President--last held 16 May 1990 (next to be held May 1994);
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results--Joaquin BALAGUER (PRSC) 35.7%, Juan BOSCH Gavino (PLD)
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34.4%;
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Senate--last held 16 May 1990 (next to be held May 1994);
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results--percent of vote by party NA;
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seats--(30 total) PRSC 16, PLD 12, PRD 2;
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Chamber of Deputies--last held 16 May 1990 (next to be
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held May 1994);
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results--percent of vote by party NA;
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seats--(120 total) PLD 44, PRSC 41, PRD 33, PRI 2
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Communists: an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 members in several legal
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and illegal factions; effectiveness limited by ideological differences,
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organizational inadequacies, and severe funding shortages
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Member of: CARICOM (observer), ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, GATT, IADB,
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IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
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INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), LORCS, NAM (guest),
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OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO,
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WTO
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Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Carlos A. MORALES Troncoso
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(serves concurrently as Vice President); Chancery at
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1715 22nd Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 332-6280;
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there are Dominican Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles,
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Mayaguez (Puerto Rico), Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San
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Juan (Puerto Rico), and Consulates in Charlotte Amalie (Virgin Islands),
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Detroit, Houston, Jacksonville, Minneapolis, Mobile, Ponce (Puerto
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Rico), and San Francisco;
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US--Ambassador Paul D. TAYLOR; Embassy at the corner of
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Calle Cesar Nicolas Penson and Calle Leopoldo Navarro, Santo Domingo
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(mailing address is APO Miami 34041-0008); telephone 809 541-2171
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Flag: a centered white cross that extends to the edges, divides the
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flag into four rectangles--the top ones are blue (hoist side) and red,
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the bottom ones are red (hoist side) and blue; a small coat of arms is at
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the center of the cross
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ECONOMY
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Overview: The economy is largely dependent on trade; imported
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components average 60% of the value of goods consumed in the domestic
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market. Rapid growth of free trade zones has established a significant
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expansion of manufacturing for export, especially wearing apparel.
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Over the past decade tourism has also increased in importance and is a
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major earner of foreign exchange and a source of new jobs. Agriculture
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remains a key sector of the economy. The principal commercial crop is
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sugarcane, followed by coffee, cotton, cocoa, and tobacco. Domestic
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industry is based on the processing of agricultural products, durable
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consumer goods, minerals, and chemicals. Unemployment is officially
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reported at about 30%, but there is considerable underemployment. An
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increasing foreign debt burden and galloping inflation are the economy's
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greatest weaknesses.
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GDP: $6.68 billion, per capita $940; real growth rate 4.2% (1989)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 70% (1990 est.)
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Unemployment rate: 29% (1990 est.)
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Budget: revenues $413 million; expenditures $522 million,
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including capital expenditures of $218 million (1988)
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Exports: $922 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
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commodities--sugar, coffee, cocoa, gold, ferronickel;
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partners--US 60%, EC 19%, Puerto Rico 8% (1990)
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Imports: $1.9 billion (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
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commodities--foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals
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and pharmaceuticals;
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partners--US 50%
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External debt: $4.2 billion (1990 est.)
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Industrial production: growth rate 2.3% (1989 est.); accounts
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for 18% of GDP
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Electricity: 1,445,000 kW capacity; 4,200 million kWh produced,
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580 kWh per capita (1990)
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Industries: tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining,
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textiles, cement, tobacco
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Agriculture: accounts for 15% of GDP and employs 49% of labor
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force; sugarcane most important commercial crop, followed by coffee,
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cotton, cocoa, and tobacco; food crops--rice, beans, potatoes, corn,
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bananas; animal output--cattle, hogs, dairy products, meat, eggs; not
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self-sufficient in food
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Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY85-89), $576.5
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million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
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(1970-88), $569 million
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Currency: Dominican peso (plural--pesos); 1 Dominican peso
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(RD$) = 100 centavos
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Exchange rates: Dominican pesos per US$1--11.850 (January 1991),
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8.290 (1990), 6.3400 (1989), 6.1125 (1988), 3.8448 (1987), 2.9043 (1986),
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3.1126 (1985)
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Fiscal year: calendar year
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Railroads: 1,655 km total in numerous segments; 4 different gauges
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from 0.558 m to 1.435 m
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Highways: 12,000 km total; 5,800 km paved, 5,600 km gravel and
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improved earth, 600 km unimproved
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Pipelines: crude oil, 96 km; refined products, 8 km
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Ports: Santo Domingo, Haina, San Pedro de Macoris, Puerto Plata
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Merchant marine: 4 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 23,326
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GRT/38,661 DWT
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Civil air: 14 major transport aircraft
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Airports: 44 total, 30 usable; 14 with permanent-surface runways;
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none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 9 with
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runways 1,220-2,439 m
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Telecommunications: relatively efficient domestic system based on
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islandwide radio relay network; 190,000 telephones; stations--120 AM, no
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FM, 18 TV, 6 shortwave; 1 coaxial submarine cable; 1 Atlantic Ocean
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INTELSAT earth station
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police
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Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,963,260; 1,241,370 fit for
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military service; 81,083 reach military age (18) annually
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Defense expenditures: $70 million, 1% of GDP (1990)
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