Dominican Republic

World Factbook as of November 2014: "The Dominican Republic has long been viewed primarily as an exporter of sugar, coffee, and tobacco, but in recent years the service sector has overtaken agriculture as the economy's largest employer, due to growth in telecommunications, tourism, and free trade zones. The economy is highly dependent upon the US, the destination for approximately half of exports. Remittances from the US amount to about 5% of GDP, equivalent to about a third of exports and two-thirds of tourism receipts. The country suffers from marked income inequality; the poorest half of the population receives less than one-fifth of GDP, while the richest 10% enjoys nearly 40% of GDP. High unemployment and underemployment remains an important long-term challenge."

Economic growth rate
2011: 4.5%
2010: 7.8%
2009: 3.5%

Labor force in agriculture
2005: 14.6%

Unemployement rate
2011: 13.3%
2010: 13.3%

Public debt
2009: 41.5 % of GDP

Export commodities
ferronickel, sugar, gold, silver, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, meats, consumer goods, baseball players

Export partners
2010: US 52%, Haiti 13.6%

Export-import ratio
2011: Exports less than half of imports in cash value

Income Distribution – GINI index
Ranks 27th among 140 countries (lower rank number is less equal). Less equal than Britain, which ranks 94th, and the US, which ranks 45th.

Health expenditures
2009: 6.1% of GDP

People

Population: 10,349,741 (July 2014 est.)

Births / deaths per 1,000 population
2014: 18.97 / 4.5

Net migration rate:
2014: -1.93 migrant(s)/1,000 population

Infant mortality rate:
2014: 19.63 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
2014: 77.8 years

Living in an urban area
2010: 69%

Density: 206 persons per square kilometer

Ethnic groups
mixed 73%, white 16%, black 11%

Religions
Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%

Net migration rate
2012: Net loss of 1.98 persons per 1,000 population per year.

Geography

In the Caribbean Sea. The eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola. 28 percent of the Domincan Republic is forest (compared to 1 percent for Haiti, on the western side of the island).

Government

Democratic republic. Capital: Santo Domingo

SOURCES:
The World Factbook