Conventional Long Form Name of country: Dominican Republic
Capital City(ies): Santo Domingo
Type of Government: Democratic Republic
Date of Independence: 27 February 1844 (from Haiti)
National Holiday(s): Independence Day, 27 February (1844)
Chief of State:
President Danilo MEDINA Sanchez (since 16 August 2012); Vice President Margarita CEDENO DE FERNANDEZ (since 16 August 2012)
Head of Government:
President Danilo MEDINA Sanchez (since 16 August 2012); Vice President Margarita CEDENO DE FERNANDEZ (since 16 August 2012)
Description of Executive Branch/Powers:
Cabinet nominated by the president
Description of Legislative Branch/Powers:
bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate or Senado (32 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Camara de Diputados (183 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Description of Judicial Branch/Powers:
highest court(s): Supreme Court of Justice or Suprema Corte de Justicia (consists of a minimum of 16 magistrates); Constitutional Court or Tribunal Constitucional (consists of 13 judges)note - the Constitutional Court was established in 2010 by constitutional amendment
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court and Constitutional Court judges appointed by the National Council of the Judiciary comprised of the president, the leaders of both chambers of congress, the president of the Supreme Court, and a non-governing party congressional representative; Supreme Court judges appointed for 7- year terms;
Constitutional Court judges appointed for 9-year terms
subordinate courts: courts of appeal; courts of first instance; justices of the peace; special courts for juvenile, labor, and land cases; Contentious Administrative Court for cases filed against the government
Suffrage:
18 years of age, universal and compulsory; married persons regardless of age can vote; note - members of the armed forces and national police cannot vote by law
Name of their Ambassador to the U.S.:
Ambassador Anibal de Jesus de CASTRO Rodriguez (since 5 July 2011)
Location of their embassy in the U.S.: N/A
Location(s) of their consulate(s) in the U.S.:
Boston, Chicago, Glendale (CA), Miami, New Orleans, New York
Name of U.S. Ambassador to them:
Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Daniel L. FOOTE
Location of U.S. embassy there:
corner of Calle Cesar Nicolas Penson and Calle Leopoldo Navarro, Santo Domingo
Location(s) of U.S. consulate(s) there: N/A
Name of their representative to UN:
Hector Virgilio ALCANTARA MEJIA
Description of the Symbolism of flag:
a centered white cross that extends to the edges divides the flag into four rectangles - the top ones are blue (hoist side) and red, and the bottom ones are red (hoist side) and blue; a small coat of arms featuring a shield supported by a laurel branch (left) and a palm branch (right) is at the center of the cross; above the shield a blue ribbon displays the motto, DIOS, PATRIA, LIBERTAD (God, Fatherland, Liberty), and below the shield, REPUBLICA DOMINICANA appears on a red ribbon; in the shield a bible is opened to a verse that reads "Y la verdad
nos hara libre" (And the truth shall set you free); blue stands for liberty,
white for salvation, and red for the blood of heroes
National Symbol(s): palmchat (bird)
Descriptions of International Disputes:
Haitian migrants cross the porous border into the
Dominican Republic to find work; illegal migrants from the Dominican Republic
cross the Mona Passage each year to Puerto Rico to find better
work
Quantity of refugees inside country and country(ies) of origin of refugees: N/A
Quantity of Internally Displaced Persons: N/A
Quantity of Stateless Persons: N/A
Description of current human trafficking issues related to this country: N/A
Description of Illicit Drug trafficking/use:
transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; has
become a transshipment point for ecstasy from the Netherlands and Belgium
destined for US and Canada; substantial money laundering activity in particular
by Colombian narcotics traffickers; significant amphetamine consumption (2008)
Capital City(ies): Santo Domingo
Type of Government: Democratic Republic
Date of Independence: 27 February 1844 (from Haiti)
National Holiday(s): Independence Day, 27 February (1844)
Chief of State:
President Danilo MEDINA Sanchez (since 16 August 2012); Vice President Margarita CEDENO DE FERNANDEZ (since 16 August 2012)
Head of Government:
President Danilo MEDINA Sanchez (since 16 August 2012); Vice President Margarita CEDENO DE FERNANDEZ (since 16 August 2012)
Description of Executive Branch/Powers:
Cabinet nominated by the president
Description of Legislative Branch/Powers:
bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate or Senado (32 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Camara de Diputados (183 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Description of Judicial Branch/Powers:
highest court(s): Supreme Court of Justice or Suprema Corte de Justicia (consists of a minimum of 16 magistrates); Constitutional Court or Tribunal Constitucional (consists of 13 judges)note - the Constitutional Court was established in 2010 by constitutional amendment
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court and Constitutional Court judges appointed by the National Council of the Judiciary comprised of the president, the leaders of both chambers of congress, the president of the Supreme Court, and a non-governing party congressional representative; Supreme Court judges appointed for 7- year terms;
Constitutional Court judges appointed for 9-year terms
subordinate courts: courts of appeal; courts of first instance; justices of the peace; special courts for juvenile, labor, and land cases; Contentious Administrative Court for cases filed against the government
Suffrage:
18 years of age, universal and compulsory; married persons regardless of age can vote; note - members of the armed forces and national police cannot vote by law
Name of their Ambassador to the U.S.:
Ambassador Anibal de Jesus de CASTRO Rodriguez (since 5 July 2011)
Location of their embassy in the U.S.: N/A
Location(s) of their consulate(s) in the U.S.:
Boston, Chicago, Glendale (CA), Miami, New Orleans, New York
Name of U.S. Ambassador to them:
Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Daniel L. FOOTE
Location of U.S. embassy there:
corner of Calle Cesar Nicolas Penson and Calle Leopoldo Navarro, Santo Domingo
Location(s) of U.S. consulate(s) there: N/A
Name of their representative to UN:
Hector Virgilio ALCANTARA MEJIA
Description of the Symbolism of flag:
a centered white cross that extends to the edges divides the flag into four rectangles - the top ones are blue (hoist side) and red, and the bottom ones are red (hoist side) and blue; a small coat of arms featuring a shield supported by a laurel branch (left) and a palm branch (right) is at the center of the cross; above the shield a blue ribbon displays the motto, DIOS, PATRIA, LIBERTAD (God, Fatherland, Liberty), and below the shield, REPUBLICA DOMINICANA appears on a red ribbon; in the shield a bible is opened to a verse that reads "Y la verdad
nos hara libre" (And the truth shall set you free); blue stands for liberty,
white for salvation, and red for the blood of heroes
National Symbol(s): palmchat (bird)
Descriptions of International Disputes:
Haitian migrants cross the porous border into the
Dominican Republic to find work; illegal migrants from the Dominican Republic
cross the Mona Passage each year to Puerto Rico to find better
work
Quantity of refugees inside country and country(ies) of origin of refugees: N/A
Quantity of Internally Displaced Persons: N/A
Quantity of Stateless Persons: N/A
Description of current human trafficking issues related to this country: N/A
Description of Illicit Drug trafficking/use:
transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; has
become a transshipment point for ecstasy from the Netherlands and Belgium
destined for US and Canada; substantial money laundering activity in particular
by Colombian narcotics traffickers; significant amphetamine consumption (2008)