Dominican Republic and Haiti: Country Studies

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Topography: Mountain ranges divide country into three
regions: northern, central, and southwestern. Seven major
drainage basins, most important that of Yaque del Norte River.
Largest body of water, Lago Enriquillo (Lake Enriquillo), in
southwest. Highest mountain peak, Pico Duarte, rises in
Cordillera Central (Central Range) to height of 3,087 meters.
Climate: Primarily tropical, with temperatures varying
according to altitude. Seasons defined more by rainfall than by
temperature. For most of country, rainy season runs roughly
from May through October; dry season, from November
through April. Rainfall not uniform throughout country
because of mountain ranges. Tropical cyclones strike country
on average of once every two years and usually have greatest
impact along southern coast.
Society
Population: Annual rate of increase has been declining; was 1.6
percent in mid-1990s. Total population estimated at just over 8
million in 1997.
Language: Spanish.
Ethnic Groups: Approximately 75 percent of mid-1990s population
mulatto, a legacy of black slavery during colonial period.
Approximately 10 percent white; 15 percent black.
Education and Literacy: An estimated 82 percent of population
literate in 1997. Education system includes six years of
compulsory primary education, an additional six years of
secondary education, and higher education at one of more
than twenty-seven postsecondary institutions. Major university
and sole public institution is Autonomous University of Santo
Domingo (Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo
UASD), with four regional centers in 1990s.
Health: State-funded health programs reach 80 percent of
population in theory (but 40 percent in reality). Facilities
concentrated in Santo Domingo and Santiago de los
Caballeros (Santiago); service in rural areas suffers
accordingly. Main causes of death: pulmonary, circulatory, and
cardiovascular diseases. Average life expectancy seventy years
for 1990-95 period.
Religion: More than 80 percent Roman Catholic. Protestant
groups also active; evangelicals have been most successful in
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