Country name:

conventional long form: Dominican Republic

conventional short form: The Dominican

local long form: Republica Dominicana

local short form: La Dominicana

Location: Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti

Geographic coordinates: 19 00 N, 70 40 W

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area: total: 48,670 sq km

country comparison to the world: 131

land: 48,320 sq km water: 350 sq km

Land boundaries: total: 360 km

border countries: Haiti 360 km

Coastline: 1,288 km

Climate: tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall

Terrain: rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Lago Enriquillo -46 m highest point: Pico Duarte 3,175 m

Natural resources: nickel, bauxite, gold, silver

Land use: arable land: 22.49% permanent crops: 10.26% other: 67.25% (2005)

Irrigated land: 2,750 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources: 21 cu km (2000)

Natural hazards: lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding; periodic droughts

Government type: democratic republic

Capital: name: Santo Domingo

geographic coordinates: 18 28 N, 69 54 W

time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 31 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 district (distrito); Azua, Bahoruco, Barahona, Dajabon, Distrito Nacional, Duarte, El Seibo, Elias Pina, Espaillat, Hato Mayor, Independencia, La Altagracia, La Romana, La Vega, Maria Trinidad Sanchez, Monsenor Nouel, Monte Cristi, Monte Plata, Pedernales, Peravia, Puerto Plata, Salcedo, Samana, San Cristobal, San Jose de Ocoa, San Juan, San Pedro de Macoris, Sanchez Ramirez, Santiago, Santiago Rodriguez, Santo Domingo, Valverde

Independence: 27 February 1844 (from Haiti)

National holiday: Independence Day, 27 February (1844)

Constitution: 28 November 1966; amended 25 July 2002 and January 2010

Legal system: based on French civil codes; Criminal Procedures Code modified in 2004 to include important elements of an accusatory system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Population: 9,823,821 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 86

Age structure: 0-14 years: 31.4% (male 1,543,141/female 1,488,016) 15-64 years: 62.7% (male 3,087,351/female 2,960,319) 65 years and over: 5.9% (male 264,476/female 306,751) (2010 est.)

Median age: total: 25.8 years male: 25.6 years female: 26 years (2010 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.357% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 91

Airports: 35 (2010) country comparison to the world: 110

Airports - with paved runways: total: 16 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 1 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 19 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 17 (2010)

Railways: total: 1,784 km country comparison to the world: 77 standard gauge: 375 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 1,409 km 1.076-m, 0.889-m, and 0.762-m gauges note: 1,226 km operated by sugar companies in 1.076 m, 0.889 m, and 0.762-m gauges (2008)

Roadways: total: 19,705 km country comparison to the world: 110 paved: 9,872 km unpaved: 9,833 km (2002)

Merchant marine: total: 1 country comparison to the world: 161 by type: cargo 1 registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2008).

Ports and terminals: Andres (Boca Chica), Puerto Haina, Puerto Plata, Santo Domingo.

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