Dominican Republic Country Information

Fact and Figures

Location - Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti

Capital - Santo Domingo

Population - 9.7 million

People - Mixed Race 73%, White 16%, Black 11%

Language - Spanish

Religion - Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%

Literacy rate - 87%

Life expectancy - 73.9 years

Sources The CIA World Fact Book 2008, Compassion International, www.news.bbc.co.uk

Dominican Republic

Claimed by Christopher Columbus on his first voyage in 1492, the recent history of the Dominican Republic is characterised by extreme poverty, high unemployment and corruption.

There is an increasing gap between the rich and poor, with most of the land owned by the rich white minority. Rural families rarely own the land they live on, recent economic improvements have had little effect on their lives and the natural disasters that batter the island hit them hardest.

Many who can no longer support themselves in the countryside move to the cities in search of employment. This growing under-class has little access to healthcare, education or sufficient food, with countless women left to raise children single-handedly with little income or protection.

These fatherless children are particularly vulnerable to the upsurge in drug abuse and violence that is the result of narcotics traffickers using the Dominican Republic as a shipping station for South American drugs.

However, the gravest danger facing many children remains the problem of slavery. The country is a source, transit point and destination for human slaves and many women and children are trafficked into prostitution, forced labour and domestic servitude.

Compassion’s work in the Dominican Republic began in 1970 and more than 43,420children are being assisted through over 170 church-based projects. Our goal is to reach out to the children of the Dominican Republic; giving them the opportunity to become all God has created them to be.

Compassion Dominican Republic currently has 14 Child Survival Programmes.

Over 43,420children are currently being assisted in more than 170 Child Sponsorship Programmes in Dominican Republic.

Compassion Dominican Republic currently has 64 active Leadership Development Programme students.