total: 4 years
male: 5 years
female: 4 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
8.4% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 11
Government ::Djibouti
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Djibouti
conventional short form: Djibouti
local long form: Republique de Djibouti/Jumhuriyat Jibuti
local short form: Djibouti/Jibuti
former: French Territory of the Afars and Issas, French Somaliland
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Djibouti
geographic coordinates: 11 35 N, 43 09 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
6 districts (cercles, singular - cercle); Ali Sabieh, Arta, Dikhil, Djibouti, Obock, Tadjourah
Independence:
27 June 1977 (from France)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 27 June (1977)
Constitution:
approved by referendum 4 September 1992; note - constitution allows for multiparties
Legal system:
based on French civil law system, traditional practices, and Islamic law; accepts ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ismail Omar GUELLEH (since 8 May 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister Mohamed Dileita DILEITA (since 4 March 2001)
cabinet: Council of Ministers responsible to the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 8 April 2005 (next to be held by April 2011); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Ismail Omar GUELLEH reelected president; percent of vote - Ismail Omar GUELLEH 100%
Legislative branch:
unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (65 seats; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms)
elections: last held 8 February 2008 (next to be held 2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats - UMP (coalition of parties associated with President Ismail Omar GUELLAH) 65
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic National Party or PND [ADEN Robleh Awaleh]; DemocraticRenewal Party or PRD [Abdillahi HAMARITEH]; Djibouti DevelopmentParty or PDD [Mohamed Daoud CHEHEM]; Front pour la Restauration del'Unite Democratique or FRUD [Ali Mohamed DAOUD]; People's ProgressAssembly or RPP [Ismail Omar GUELLEH] (governing party); PeoplesSocial Democratic Party or PPSD [Moumin Bahdon FARAH]; RepublicanAlliance for Democracy or ARD [Ahmed YOUSSOUF]; Union for aPresidential Majority or UMP (a coalition of parties including RPP,FRUD, PND, and PPSD) [Mohamed Dileita DILEITA]; Union for Democracyand Justice or UDJ
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Union for Presidential Majority UMP (coalition includes RPP, FRUD, PPSD and PND); Union for Democratic Changeover or UAD (opposition coalition includes ARD, MRDD, and UDJ)
International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO,ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO,Interpol, IOC, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW,UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Roble OLHAYE Oudine
chancery: Suite 515, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone: [1] (202) 331-0270
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James C. SWAN
embassy: Plateau du Serpent, Boulevard Marechal Joffre, Djibouti
mailing address: B. P. 185, Djibouti
telephone: [253] 35 39 95
Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of light blue (top) and light green with a white isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bearing a red five-pointed star in the center
Economy ::Djibouti
Economy - overview:
The economy is based on service activities connected with the country's strategic location and status as a free trade zone in the Horn of Africa. Two-thirds of Djibouti's inhabitants live in the capital city; the remainder are mostly nomadic herders. Scanty rainfall limits crop production to fruits and vegetables, and most food must be imported. Djibouti provides services as both a transit port for the region and an international transshipment and refueling center. Imports and exports from landlocked neighbor Ethiopia represent 85% of port activity at Djibouti's container terminal. Djibouti has few natural resources and little industry. The nation is, therefore, heavily dependent on foreign assistance to help support its balance of payments and to finance development projects. An unemployment rate of nearly 60% in urban areas continues to be a major problem. While inflation is not a concern, due to the fixed tie of the Djiboutian franc to the US dollar, the artificially high value of the Djiboutian franc adversely affects Djibouti's balance of payments. Per capita consumption dropped an estimated 35% between 1999 and 2006 because of recession, civil war, and a high population growth rate (including immigrants and refugees). Faced with a multitude of economic difficulties, the government has fallen in arrears on long-term external debt and has been struggling to meet the stipulations of foreign aid donors.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.891 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 184 $1.786 billion (2007 est.)
$1.696 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$982 million (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5.9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 64 5.3% (2007 est.)
4.8% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,700 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 170 $2,600 (2007 est.)
$2,500 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.2%
industry: 14.9%
services: 81.9% (2006 est.)
Labor force:
351,700 (2007) country comparison to the world: 156
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Unemployment rate:
59% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 194 note: data are for urban areas, 83% in rural areas
Population below poverty line:
42% (2007 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $135 million
expenditures: $182 million (1999 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 85
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Stock of money:
$462.7 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 97 $380 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$338 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 112 $284.1 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$269.9 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 121 $224.7 million (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
fruits, vegetables; goats, sheep, camels, animal hides
Industries:
construction, agricultural processing
Electricity - production:
280 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 168
Electricity - consumption:
260.4 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 170
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 183
Oil - consumption:
13,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 141
Oil - exports:
19.18 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 137
Oil - imports:
8,476 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 142
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 181
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 190
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 191
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 190
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 191
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 188
Current account balance:
-$212 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 90
Exports:
$340 million (2006) country comparison to the world: 170
Exports - commodities:
reexports, hides and skins, coffee (in transit)
Exports - partners:
Somalia 79.9%, UAE 4.1%, Yemen 4.1% (2008)
Imports:
$1.555 billion (2006) country comparison to the world: 159
Imports - commodities:
foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products
Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 20.5%, India 20.5%, China 10.6%, US 6%, Malaysia 6% (2008)
Debt - external:
$428 million (2006) country comparison to the world: 167
Exchange rates:
Djiboutian francs (DJF) per US dollar - 177.71 (2007), 174.75 (2006), 177.72 (2005), 177.72 (2004), 177.72 (2003)
Communications ::Djibouti
Telephones - main lines in use:
10,800 (2008) country comparison to the world: 201
Telephones - mobile cellular:
44,100 (2005) country comparison to the world: 196
Telephone system:
general assessment: telephone facilities in the city of Djibouti are adequate, as are the microwave radio relay connections to outlying areas of the country
domestic: microwave radio relay network; mobile cellular coverage is primarily limited to the area in and around Djibouti city
international: country code - 253; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable with links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 (1 Intelsat - Indian Ocean and 1 Arabsat); Medarabtel regional microwave radio relay telephone network (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (2001)
Internet country code:
.dj
Internet hosts:
199 (2009) country comparison to the world: 188
Internet users:
13,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 197
Transportation ::Djibouti
Airports:
13 (2009) country comparison to the world: 152
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 3 (2009)
Railways:
total: 100 km (Djibouti segment of the 781 km Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway) country comparison to the world: 127 narrow gauge: 100 km 1.000-m gauge
note: railway is under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia but is largely inoperable (2008)
Roadways:
total: 3,065 km country comparison to the world: 165 paved: 1,226 km
unpaved: 1,839 km (2000)
Ports and terminals:
Djibouti
Transportation - note:
the International Maritime Bureau reports offshore waters in the Gulf of Aden are high risk for piracy; numerous vessels, including commercial shipping and pleasure craft, have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crew, passengers, and cargo are held for ransom
Military ::Djibouti
Military branches:
Djibouti National Army (includes Navy and Air Force)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; 16-25 years of age for voluntary military training; no conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 111,274
females age 16-49: 105,168 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 55,173
females age 16-49: 52,825 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 5,778
female: 5,771 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
3.8% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 33
Transnational Issues ::Djibouti
Disputes - international:
Djibouti maintains economic ties and border accords with "Somaliland" leadership while maintaining some political ties to various factions in Somalia; Kuwait is chief investor in the 2008 restoration and upgrade of the Ethiopian-Djibouti rail link
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 8,642 (Somalia) (2007)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Dominica (Central America and Caribbean)
Introduction ::Dominica
Background:
Dominica was the last of the Caribbean islands to be colonized by Europeans due chiefly to the fierce resistance of the native Caribs. France ceded possession to Great Britain in 1763, which made the island a colony in 1805. In 1980, two years after independence, Dominica's fortunes improved when a corrupt and tyrannical administration was replaced by that of Mary Eugenia CHARLES, the first female prime minister in the Caribbean, who remained in office for 15 years. Some 3,000 Carib Indians still living on Dominica are the only pre-Columbian population remaining in the eastern Caribbean.
Geography ::Dominica
Location:
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North AtlanticOcean, about half way between Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 751 sq km country comparison to the world: 188 land: 751 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
148 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall
Terrain:
rugged mountains of volcanic origin
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Morne Diablatins 1,447 m
Natural resources:
timber, hydropower, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 6.67%
permanent crops: 21.33%
other: 72% (2005)
Irrigated land:
Total renewable water resources:
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.02 cu km/yr
per capita: 213 cu m/yr (1996)
Natural hazards:
flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months
Environment - current issues:
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-KyotoProtocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, EnvironmentalModification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone LayerProtection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
known as "The Nature Island of the Caribbean" due to its spectacular, lush, and varied flora and fauna, which are protected by an extensive natural park system; the most mountainous of the Lesser Antilles, its volcanic peaks are cones of lava craters and include Boiling Lake, the second-largest, thermally active lake in the world
People ::Dominica
Population:
72,660 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 201
Age structure:
0-14 years: 24% (male 8,910/female 8,518)
15-64 years: 65.8% (male 24,532/female 23,301)
65 years and over: 10.2% (male 3,187/female 4,212) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 29.8 years
male: 29.4 years
female: 30.2 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.208% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 184
Birth rate:
15.73 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 135
Death rate:
8.2 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 104
Net migration rate:
-5.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 164
Urbanization:
urban population: 74% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 13.65 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 133 male: 18.34 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 8.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.55 years country comparison to the world: 76 male: 72.61 years
female: 78.64 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.09 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 123
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Nationality:
noun: Dominican(s)
adjective: Dominican
Ethnic groups:
black 86.8%, mixed 8.9%, Carib Amerindian 2.9%, white 0.8%, other 0.7% (2001 census)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 61.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 6%, Pentecostal 5.6%,Baptist 4.1%, Methodist 3.7%, Church of God 1.2%, Jehovah'sWitnesses 1.2%, other Christian 7.7%, Rastafarian 1.3%, other orunspecified 1.6%, none 6.1% (2001 census)
Languages:
English (official), French patois
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 94%
male: 94%
female: 94% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 13 years
male: 13 years
female: 14 years (2005)
Education expenditures:
5% of GDP (1999) country comparison to the world: 70
Government ::Dominica
Country name:
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica
conventional short form: Dominica
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Roseau
geographic coordinates: 15 18 N, 61 24 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick, Saint Paul, Saint Peter
Independence:
3 November 1978 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 3 November (1978)
Constitution:
3 November 1978
Legal system:
based on English common law; accepts ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Nicholas J. O. LIVERPOOL (since October 2003)
head of government: Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT (since 8 January 2004)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
elections: president elected by the House of Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 1 October 2003 (next to be held in 2013); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Nicholas LIVERPOOL consented to a second term in 2008 at the request of the prime minister and leader of the opposition
Legislative branch:
unicameral House of Assembly (30 seats; 9 members appointed, 21 elected by popular vote; to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 5 May 2005 (next to be held by 5 August 2010); note - tradition dictates that the election will be held within five years of the last election, but technically it is five years from the first seating of parliament (12 May 2005) plus a 90-day grace period
election results: percent of vote by party - DLP 52.1%, UWP 43.6%, DFP 3.2%, other 1.1%; seats by party - DLP 12, UWP 8, independent 1
Judicial branch:
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the Court of Appeal and the High Court (located in Saint Lucia; one of the six judges must reside in Dominica and preside over the Court of Summary Jurisdiction)
Political parties and leaders:
Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Charles SAVARIN]; Dominica LaborParty or DLP [Roosevelt SKERRIT]; Dominica United Workers Party orUWP [Earl WILLIAMS]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Dominica Liberation Movement or DLM (a small leftist party)
International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU,ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Judith Ann ROLLE
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 364-6781
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Dominica
Flag description:
green, with a centered cross of three equal bands - the vertical part is yellow (hoist side), black, and white and the horizontal part is yellow (top), black, and white; superimposed in the center of the cross is a red disk bearing a sisserou parrot encircled by 10 green, five-pointed stars edged in yellow; the 10 stars represent the 10 administrative divisions (parishes)
Economy ::Dominica
Economy - overview:
The Dominican economy depends on agriculture, primarily bananas, and remains highly vulnerable to climatic conditions and international economic developments. Tourism has increased as the government seeks to promote Dominica as an "ecotourism" destination and has developed a new tourism development plan with assistance from the EU. Hurricane Dean struck the island in August 2007 causing damages equivalent to 20% of GDP. In 2003, the government began a comprehensive restructuring of the economy - including elimination of price controls, privatization of the state banana company, and tax increases - to address Dominica's economic and financial crisis of 2001-02 and to meet IMF targets. This restructuring paved the way for the current economic recovery - real growth for 2006 reached a two-decade high - and will help to reduce the debt burden, which remains at about 100% of GDP. In order to diversify the island's production base, the government is attempting to develop an offshore financial sector and has signed an agreement with the EU to develop geothermal energy resources.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$726.3 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 209 $703.8 million (2007 est.)
$691.4 million (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$364 million (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 120 1.8% (2007 est.)
3.8% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$10,000 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 106 $9,700 (2007 est.)
$9,600 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 17.7%
industry: 32.8%
services: 49.5% (2004 est.)
Labor force:
25,000 (2000 est.) country comparison to the world: 198
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 40%
industry: 32%
services: 28% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate:
23% (2000 est.) country comparison to the world: 172
Population below poverty line:
30% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $73.9 million
expenditures: $84.4 million (2001)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.7% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 29
Central bank discount rate:
6.5% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 68 6.5% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
9.06% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 91 9.17% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$72.1 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 115 $73.71 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$289.9 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 114 $269.1 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$213.6 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 122 $193.1 million (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, coconuts, cocoa; forest and fishery potential not exploited
Industries:
soap, coconut oil, tourism, copra, furniture, cement blocks, shoes
Industrial production growth rate:
Electricity - production:
85 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 193
Electricity - consumption:
79.05 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 193
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 182
Oil - consumption:
1,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 198
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 191
Oil - imports:
838.2 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 191
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 180
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 189
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 190
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 189
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 190
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 187
Current account balance:
-$72 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 76
Exports:
$94 million (2006) country comparison to the world: 194
Exports - commodities:
bananas, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges
Exports - partners:
Japan 33.5%, China 17.8%, Antigua and Barbuda 6.7%, Guyana 5.7%,Jamaica 4.7%, UK 4.7% (2008)
Imports:
$296 million (2006) country comparison to the world: 195
Imports - commodities:
manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals
Imports - partners:
Japan 43.2%, US 17%, China 12.1%, Trinidad and Tobago 8.4% (2008)
Debt - external:
$213 million (2004) country comparison to the world: 179
Exchange rates:
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003)
Communications ::Dominica
Telephones - main lines in use:
17,500 (2008) country comparison to the world: 197
Telephones - mobile cellular:
100,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 183
Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: fully automatic network
international: country code - 1-767; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; microwave radio relay and SHF radiotelephone links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radiotelephone links to Saint Lucia
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 0 (2003)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (2004)
Internet country code:
.dm
Internet hosts:
485 (2009) country comparison to the world: 173
Internet users:
27,500 (2008) country comparison to the world: 182
Transportation ::Dominica
Airports:
2 (2009) country comparison to the world: 198
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 780 km country comparison to the world: 187 paved: 393 km
unpaved: 387 km (2000)
Merchant marine:
total: 53 country comparison to the world: 69 by type: bulk carrier 14, cargo 27, chemical tanker 3, petroleum tanker 5, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 1, vehicle carrier 1
foreign-owned: 47 (Australia 2, Estonia 7, Greece 10, India 2, Latvia 1, Norway 1, Russia 3, Saudi Arabia 2, Singapore 7, Syria 2, Turkey 5, Ukraine 4, UAE 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Portsmouth, Roseau
Military ::Dominica
Military branches:
no regular military forces; Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (includes Coast Guard) (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 18,584 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 15,821
females age 16-49: 15,291 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 776
female: 731 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
Transnational Issues ::Dominica
Disputes - international:
Dominica is the only Caribbean state to challenge Venezuela's sovereignty claim over Aves Island and joins the other island nations in challenging whether the feature sustains human habitation, a criterion under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which permits Venezuela to extend its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and continental shelf claims over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; minor cannabis producer (2008)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Dominican Republic (Central America and Caribbean)
Introduction ::Dominican Republic
Background:
Explored and claimed by Christopher COLUMBUS on his first voyage in 1492, the island of Hispaniola became a springboard for Spanish conquest of the Caribbean and the American mainland. In 1697, Spain recognized French dominion over the western third of the island, which in 1804 became Haiti. The remainder of the island, by then known as Santo Domingo, sought to gain its own independence in 1821 but was conquered and ruled by the Haitians for 22 years; it finally attained independence as the Dominican Republic in 1844. In 1861, the Dominicans voluntarily returned to the Spanish Empire, but two years later they launched a war that restored independence in 1865. A legacy of unsettled, mostly non-representative rule followed, capped by the dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas TRUJILLO from 1930-61. Juan BOSCH was elected president in 1962 but was deposed in a military coup in 1963. In 1965, the United States led an intervention in the midst of a civil war sparked by an uprising to restore BOSCH. In 1966, Joaquin BALAGUER defeated BOSCH in an election to become president. BALAGUER maintained a tight grip on power for most of the next 30 years when international reaction to flawed elections forced him to curtail his term in 1996. Since then, regular competitive elections have been held in which opposition candidates have won the presidency. Former President (1996-2000) Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna won election to a second term in 2004 following a constitutional amendment allowing presidents to serve more than one term.
Geography ::Dominican Republic
Location:
Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti
Geographic coordinates:
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
Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire
Land boundaries:
total: 360 km
border countries: Haiti 360 km
Coastline:
1,288 km
Maritime claims:
measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
territorial sea: 6 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
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)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 3.39 cu km/yr (32%/2%/66%)
per capita: 381 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding; periodic droughts
Environment - current issues:
water shortages; soil eroding into the sea damages coral reefs; deforestation
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-KyotoProtocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection,Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note:
shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti
People ::Dominican Republic
Population:
9,650,054 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 85
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) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 24.9 years
male: 24.8 years
female: 25.1 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.489% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 91
Birth rate:
22.39 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 83
Death rate:
5.28 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 182
Net migration rate:
-2.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 141
Urbanization:
urban population: 69% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.6% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 25.96 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 83 male: 28 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 23.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.7 years country comparison to the world: 99 male: 71.88 years
female: 75.6 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.76 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 79
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 51