Dominican Republic and Haiti: Country Studies

Worker in textile mill
Courtesy Inter-American
Development Bank
US$2 billion in 1996 and US$3.8 billion in 1997—almost 75
percent of the island's total export earnings.
The Dominican Republic's free zones vary widely in terms of
size, ownership, production methods, and location. The size of
free zones ranges from only a few hectares to more than 100
hectares, with most located in the south and southeast. At least
70 percent of the free-zone companies produce garments,
while others produce footwear, leather goods, electrical and
electronic items, and cigars.
Mining
The mining industry enjoyed extraordinary growth in the
1970s, when the country's major ferronickel and dore (gold and
silver nugget) operations were inaugurated. The contribution
of mining to GDP rose from 1.5 percent in 1970 to 5.3 percent
by 1980, where it remained until the late 1980s. Although the
mining sector employed only about 1 percent of the labor
force throughout this period, it became a major foreignexchange
earner in the 1980s.
Gold and silver dore, which occur naturally in the Dominican
Republic, played a critical role in the rapid emergence of min-
141