| Country name: | Dominican Republic |
| Government type: | Presidential republic |
| Capital: | Santo Domingo |
| Administrative divisions: | 10 regions |
| Independence: | 27 February 1844 (from Haiti) |
| Legal system: | Civil law system based on the French civil code; Criminal Procedures Code modified in 2004 |
| Total area: | Land 48,320 sq km, water 350 sq km, coastline 1,288 km, land boundaries 376 km |
| Natural resources: | Nickel, bauxite, gold, silver, arable land |
| Land use: | Agricultural land 51.5%, forest 40.8%, other 7.7% (2011 est.) |
| Population: | 10,298,756 (July 2018 est.) |
| Ethnic groups: | Mixed 70.4% (mestizo/indio 58%, mulatto 12.4%), black 15.8%, white 13.5%, other 0.3% (2014 est.) |
| Languages: | Spanish (official) |
| Religions: | Roman Catholic 47.8%, Protestant 21.3%, other 2.2%, none 28%, don't know/no response .7% (2017 est.) |
| Age structure: | Median age 27.3 years, life expectancy 71.3 years, total fertility rate 2.28 children born/woman (2018 est.) |
| Urbanization: | Urban population: 81.8% of total population (2019) |
| Literacy: |
Total population: 93.8%, male: 93.8%, female: 93.8% (2015 est.)
|
| Unemployment: | Unemployment youth ages (15-24): 13.5% |
The Dominican Republic was for most of its history primarily an exporter of sugar, coffee, and tobacco, but over the last three decades the economy has become more diversified as the service sector has overtaken agriculture as the economy's largest employer, due to growth in construction, tourism, and free trade zones. The mining sector has also played a greater role in the export market since late 2012 with the commencement of the extraction phase of the Pueblo Viejo Gold and Silver mine, one of the largest gold mines in the world.
For the last 20 years, the Dominican Republic has been one of the fastest growing economies in Latin America. The economy rebounded from the global recession in 2010-16, and the fiscal situation is improving. A tax reform package passed in November 2012, a reduction in government spending, and lower energy costs helped to narrow the central government budget deficit from 6.6% of GDP in 2012 to 2.6% in 2016, and public debt is declining. Marked income inequality, high unemployment, and underemployment remain important long-term challenges; the poorest half of the population receives less than one-fifth of GDP, while the richest 10% enjoys nearly 40% of GDP.
The economy is highly dependent upon the US, the destination for approximately half of exports and the source of 40% of imports. Remittances from the US amount to about 7% of GDP, equivalent to about a third of exports and two-thirds of tourism receipts. The Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement came into force in March 2007, boosting investment and manufacturing exports.
