Feature

United States

Dominican Republic

GEOGRAPHY

Land Area

9,629,091 sq miles

18,680 sq miles

Area Comparative

About half size of Russia: about three-tenths the size of Africa; slightly larger than China; about two and half times the size of Western Europe

Slightly larger than twice the size of New Hampshire

Highest Point

Mt. McKinley 6,194 KM

Pico Duarte 10,420 ft.

Terrain

Vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaii

Rugged highland and mountains with fertile valley interspersed

Coastline

19.924 KM

1,288 Km

Principal Towns

Santo Domingo

Santiago de los Cabllero

Percent Urban

56%

Natural Hazards

Tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquakes; hurricanes, tornados, mud slides; forest fires; flooding

Middle of hurricane belt, severe storms from June to Oct.; occasional flooding, periodic droughts

United States

Dominican Republic

PEOPLE

Population

290 million

8.3 million

Age Structure

Under 15       20.9%

65 and over   12.4%

Under 15         20%

65 and over     12%

Median Age

35.8

23.5

Life Expectancy at Birth

77.14 years

67.96

Ethnic Groups

White 77.1%

Black 12.9%

Asian 4.2 %

Mixed 73%

White 16%

Black 11%

Religion

Protestants 56%

Roman Catholic 28%

Jewish 2%

Other 4%

None 10%

Roman Catholic 95%

Language

English, Spanish

Spanish

Literacy

97%

84.7%

Divorces per 1,000

4.0 %

United States

Dominican Republic

ECONOMY

GDP- per capital

$36,300

$6,300

Population below poverty line:

12.7%

25%

Labor Force- by occupation

Managerial and professional 31%

Technical, sales and administrative support 28.9%

Services 13.6%

Manufacturing, mining, transportation and crafts 24.1%

Farming, forestry , and fishing 2.4%

Services and government 58.7%

Industry 24.3%

Agriculture 17%

Unemployment rate

5.8%

14.5%

Currency

US Dollar (USD)

Dominican peso

Exchange Rates

Industries

Leading industrial power in world, highly diversified and technologically advanced; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, lumber, mining

Tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining, textiles, cement, tobacco

Export commodities

Capital goods, automobiles, industrial supplies and raw material, consumer goods, agricultural products

Ferronickel, sugar, gold, silver, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, meats, consumer goods

Import Commodities

Crude oil and refined petroleum products, machinery, automobiles, consumer goods, industrial raw materials, food and beverages

Foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals

COMMUNICATIONS

Telephones- main lines in use

194 million

709,000

                   - cellular

69.209 million

130,000

Internet Users

165.7 million

186,000