Part 245

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: 21% permanent crops: 9% permanent pastures : 43% forests and woodland: 12% other: 15% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 2,300 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: occasional hurricanes (July to October)

Environment - current issues: water shortages; soil eroding into the sea damages coral reefs; deforestation

Environment - international agreements: party to : Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Climate Change, Law of the Sea

Geography - note: shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti (eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic, western one-third is Haiti)

@Dominican Republic:People

Population: 7,868,731 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 36% (male 1,423,626; female 1,371,309) 15-64 years: 60% (male 2,404,042; female 2,334,119) 65 years and over : 4% (male 160,270; female 175,365) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.65% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 26.87 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 5.81 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -4.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years : 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 46 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 69.39 years male : 67.21 years female: 71.69 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.1 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality: noun: Dominican(s) adjective: Dominican

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

Religions: Roman Catholic 95%

Languages: Spanish

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 82.1% male: 82% female : 82.2% (1995 est.)

@Dominican Republic:Government

Country name: conventional long form: Dominican Republic conventional short form: none local long form : Republica Dominicana local short form: none

Data code: DR

Government type: republic