Dominican Republic continued to be a country where a relatively small number of families controlled great wealth.
The Elite:
The last 200 years transformed the composition and the configuration of the country's elite. Nonetheless, at the end of the 1980s, the Dominican Republic continued to be a country where a relatively small number of families controlled great wealth, while the majority of the population lived in poverty.

The Middle Class:
The middle sector in the late 1980s represented roughly 30 to 35 percent of the population, concentrated in the ranks of salaried professionals in government and the private sector. They had virtually no independent sources of wealth, and so they were responsive to changes in the buying power of wages and to contractions in employment that accompanied economic cycles. The middle level followed the racial stratification of the society as a whole: generally lighter-skinned as one proceeded up the social scale. Ties to government were particularly important, because the government was the source of many coveted jobs.

The Poor:
Rural-urban migration made the situation of the urban poor even more desperate; however, the chances of earning a living were slightly better in cities than in rural areas, although the advantages of an urban job had to be weighed against the higher cost of foodstuffs. Landless, or nearly landless, agricultural labourers might find it difficult to work even a garden plot, but the rural family could generally get by on its own food production. For the urban poor, however, the struggle to eat was relentless.
Under conditions of chronically high unemployment, workers enjoyed little power or leverage. Protective labour laws were typically limited to workers in private companies with more than ten employees. Organized labour made significant gains in the early 1960s, but by the late 1980s only a scant 12 to 15 percent of the labour force was unionized.

Roughly one-quarter of urban households surveyed in the mid1970s were headed by women. Even in families with a male breadwinner, a woman was frequently the more consistent income earner among poorer city dwellers.

Women's economic activities were diverse--if poorly remunerated. They took in washing and ironing, and they did domestic work. The more prosperous sewed. Some bought cheap or used items and raffled them off. A few who could muster the necessary capital ran stalls selling groceries, cigarettes, and candy, but their trade was minimal.
The small urban neighbourhood functioned as the centre of social life. Most sharing, mutual aid and co-operative activity took place within the confines of a narrow circle of neighbours and kin. Most Dominicans shared a general belief that neighbours should assist each other.

Scars from traffic accidents are called "Dominican Tatoos", lots of beautiful girls have them from riding motoconcho taxis.

GEOGRAPHY:
Size:
Approximately 48,442 square kilometres.
Topography:
Mountain ranges divide country into three regions: northern, central, and south-western. Seven major drainage basins, most important that of Yaque del Norte River. Largest body of waters Lago Enriquillo (Lake Enriquillo), in south-west. 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 November; dry season, from November through April. The rainfall is not uniform throughout country because of mountain ranges. Tropical hurricanes strike country on average of once every two years and usually have greatest impact along southern coast.
The geography of the country is greatly diverse, ranging from arid semi-desert plains to verdant valleys of tropical rain forests. This endows the island with a wide variety of vegetation. Most of the tourists to the island come initially attracted by its magnificent golden sand beaches along its 870-mile coast line, but they are soon taken in by its impressive historical legacy. So, the island's northern Atlantic side concentrates the majority of tourist attractions, hotels and resorts, particularly in the 40-mile zone between Puerto Plata and Cabarete. Santo Domingo on the south features the very first monuments of the American continent: first cathedral, first hospital, first chapel, and first university. Many others find however, that the true charm and beauty of the Dominican Republic can be found in the very centre of the country. Its three impressive main mountain ranges run roughly parallel to each other in an easterly/westerly direction. The Cordillera Central is the highest mountain range on the island, extending from the interior of Haiti all the way to San Cristobal in the south, close to the capital of Santo Domingo. It includes Pico Duarte, the highest mountain in the Caribbean at a height of 3,175 meters (over 10,000 feet). During the winter season, thick snow can frequently cover its peak.

Population & Labour Force:
Population:
Annual rate of increase thought to be approximately 2.5 percent in mid-1980s. Projected total population to be just over 7 million by mid-1990. The Dominican Republic's population was 8.1 mil in 1996, of whom 65% lived in urban areas. The capital, Santo Domingo, has a population of about 2.5 mil. Of the population about 37% is under the age of 15 and just 4% are over age 65. Of primary school age children, about 90% are enrolled, with a literacy rate of 68% in the nation.
Language:
Spanish.
Ethnic Groups:
Majority of mid-1980s population (approximately 73 percent) is mulatto, a legacy of black slavery during colonial period. Approximately 16 percent of Dominicans white; 11 percent black.
Agriculture:
Accounted for about 15 percent of GDP, employed some 35 percent of labour force, and generated approximately half of all exports in 1988. Sugar traditionally the major crop, although its importance declined steadily during 1970s and 1980s. Coffee, cacao, and tobacco also produced for export. Exports of non-traditional agricultural products, particularly pineapple and citrus fruit, and expanded in 1980s.
Industry:
Manufacturing, mining, and construction combined to contribute over 31 percent of GDP in 1988. These industries also employed almost 10 percent of labour force and accounted for two-thirds of country's exports. Assembly manufacturing subsector achieved fastest growth in 1980s as a result of government expansion of Industrial Free Zones throughout country. Major mineral exports gold, silver, bauxite, and nickel, all of which had low prices on world markets during 1980s. Construction benefited greatly from government public works projects and expansion of tourist industry.
Services:
Tourism leading service industry; replaced sugar as country's leading foreign-exchange earner in 1984. Government supported development of tourist industry, but economic shortcomings such as inadequate water and energy supply and shortages of construction materials slowed expansion of facilities and adversely affected service to visitors. Financial services contributed 7 percent to GDP in 1988; transportation and communications accounted for additional 6 percent.