Country
Dominican Republic Fiji
Leader
President: Danilo Medina
President: Epeli Nailatikau Interim prime minister: Commodore Josaia Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama
Population
10,088,598 890,057
Life Expectancy
77.440 years 71.590 years
Capital City
Santo Domingo Suva (on Viti Levu)
Largest city
Juan Dolio (population: 8,581,480) Suva (population: 77,366)
Human Development Index
0.768 0.743
GDP per capita
$9,400 US $4,700 US
Literacy Rate
87% 93.7%
Corruption Perception Index
3 NA
Percentage of Women in Parliament
17.1% 0%
Wealthiest Citizens
Unemployment Rate
13.100% 7.600%
Death Penalty
Abolished Abolished except for special circumstances
Political System
democratic republic republic
Independence date
27 February 1844 (from Haiti) 10 October 1970 (from UK)
Religions
Roman Catholic 95%, other 5% Christian 53% (Methodist 34.5%, Roman Catholic 7.2%, Assembly of God 3.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.6%, other 4.9%), Hindu 34% (Sanatan 25%, Arya Samaj 1.2%, other 7.8%), Muslim 7% (Sunni 4.2%. other 2.8%), other or unspecified 5.6%, none 0.3% (1996 census)
Languages
Spanish English (official), Fijian (official), Hindustani
Exports
ferronickel, sugar, gold, silver, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, meats, consumer goods sugar, garments, gold, timber, fish, molasses, coconut oil
External Debt
$14,420,000,000 $ $258,700,000 US
Exchange Rate
Dominican pesos (DOP) per US dollar - 34.775 (2008 est.), 33.113 (2007), 33.406 (2006), 30.409 (2005), 42.12 (2004) Fijian dollars (FJD) per US dollar - NA (2007), 1.7313 (2006), 1.691 (2005), 1.7331 (2004), 1.8958 (2003)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.700% 1.900%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
2 0
Location
Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti Oceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Area
48,670 km sq 18,274 km sq
Coastline
1,288 km 1,129 km
Climate
tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation