Capital

Komoren

name: Moroni

geographic coordinates: 11 42 S, 43 14 E

time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: Moroni derives from "mroni," which means "at the river" in Shingazidja, the Comorian language spoken on Grande Comore (N'gazidja)

Südafrika

name: Pretoria (administrative capital); Cape Town (legislative capital); Bloemfontein (judicial capital)

geographic coordinates: 25 42 S, 28 13 E

time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: Pretoria is named in honor of Andries PRETORIUS, the father of voortrekker (pioneer) leader Marthinus PRETORIUS; Cape Town reflects its location on the Cape of Good Hope; Bloemfontein is a combination of the Dutch words bloem (flower) and fontein (fountain) meaning "fountain of flowers"

Dominican Republic

name: Santo Domingo

geographic coordinates: 18 28 N, 69 54 W

time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: named after Saint Dominic de GUZMAN (1170-1221), founder of the Dominican Order

Citizenship

Komoren

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of the Comoros

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

Südafrika

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of South Africa

dual citizenship recognized: yes, but requires prior permission of the government

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 year

Dominican Republic

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of the Dominican Republic

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 2 years

Legal system

Komoren

mixed legal system of Islamic religious law, the French civil code of 1975, and customary law

Südafrika

mixed legal system of Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, and customary law

Dominican Republic

civil law system based on the French civil code; Criminal Procedures Code modified in 2004 to include important elements of an accusatory system

Suffrage

Komoren

18 years of age; universal

Südafrika

18 years of age; universal

Dominican Republic

18 years of age; universal and compulsory; married persons regardless of age can vote; note - members of the armed forces and national police by law cannot vote

Area

Komoren

total: 2,235 sq km

land: 2,235 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Südafrika

total: 1,219,090 sq km

land: 1,214,470 sq km

water: 4,620 sq km

note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward Island)

Dominican Republic

total: 48,670 sq km

land: 48,320 sq km

water: 350 sq km

Land use

Komoren

agricultural land: 84.4% (2018 est.)

arable land: 46.7% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 29.6% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 8.1% (2018 est.)

forest: 1.4% (2018 est.)

other: 14.2% (2018 est.)

Südafrika

agricultural land: 79.4% (2018 est.)

arable land: 9.9% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.3% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 69.2% (2018 est.)

forest: 7.6% (2018 est.)

other: 13% (2018 est.)

Dominican Republic

agricultural land: 51.5% (2018 est.)

arable land: 16.6% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 10.1% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 24.8% (2018 est.)

forest: 40.8% (2018 est.)

other: 7.7% (2018 est.)

Location

Komoren

Southern Africa, group of islands at the northern mouth of the Mozambique Channel, about two-thirds of the way between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique

Südafrika

Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa

Dominican Republic

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

Age structure

Komoren

0-14 years: 33.45% (male 148,485/female 148,651)

15-64 years: 62% (male 264,023/female 286,805)

65 years and over: 4.55% (2023 est.) (male 17,696/female 22,718)

Südafrika

0-14 years: 27.29% (male 7,931,943/female 7,906,715)

15-64 years: 66.17% (male 19,158,920/female 19,253,679)

65 years and over: 6.54% (2023 est.) (male 1,596,882/female 2,200,193)

Dominican Republic

0-14 years: 25.92% (male 1,422,186/female 1,374,991)

15-64 years: 67.09% (male 3,675,934/female 3,563,597)

65 years and over: 6.99% (2023 est.) (male 355,069/female 398,967)

Birth rate

Komoren

22.1 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Südafrika

18.3 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Dominican Republic

17.3 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Komoren

6.5 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Südafrika

7.2 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Dominican Republic

7.3 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Komoren

Arabic (official), French (official), Shikomoro (official; similar to Swahili) (Comorian)

Südafrika

isiZulu or Zulu (official) 25.3%, isiXhosa or Xhosa (official) 14.8%, Afrikaans (official) 12.2%, Sepedi of Pedi (official) 10.1%, Setswana or Tswana (official) 9.1%, English (official) 8.1%, Sesotho or Sotho (official) 7.9%, Xitsonga or Tsonga (official) 3.6%, siSwati or Swati (official) 2.8%, Tshivenda or Venda (official) 2.5%, isiNdebele or Ndebele (official) 1.6%, other (includes South African sign language (official) and Khoi or Khoisan or Khoe languages) 2%; note - data represent language spoken most often at home (2018 est.)

major-language sample(s):
Die Wereld Feite Boek, n’ onontbeerlike bron vir basiese informasie. (Afrikaans)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. (English)

Dominican Republic

Spanish (official)

major-language sample(s):
La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

Komoren

total population: 67.5 years (2023 est.)

male: 65.2 years

female: 69.9 years

Südafrika

total population: 71 years (2023 est.)

male: 69.4 years

female: 72.6 years

Dominican Republic

total population: 71.9 years (2023 est.)

male: 70.3 years

female: 73.5 years

Major urban areas - population

Komoren

62,000 MORONI (capital) (2018)

Südafrika

10.316 million Johannesburg (includes Ekurhuleni), 4.890 million Cape Town (legislative capital), 3.228 million Durban, 2.818 million PRETORIA (administrative capital), 1.296 million Port Elizabeth, 934,000 West Rand (2023)

Dominican Republic

3.524 million SANTO DOMINGO (capital) (2023)

Median age

Komoren

total: 22.3 years (2023 est.)

male: 21.6 years

female: 22.9 years

Südafrika

total: 30.1 years (2023 est.)

male: 29.9 years

female: 30.3 years

Dominican Republic

total: 28.9 years (2023 est.)

male: 28.7 years

female: 29 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Komoren

23 years (2012 est.)

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Dominican Republic

20.9 years (2013 est.)

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Net migration rate

Komoren

-2.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Südafrika

-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Dominican Republic

-2.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Komoren

the capital city of Maroni, located on the western side of the island of Grande Comore, is the country's largest city; however, of the three islands that comprise Comoros, it is Anjouan that is the most densely populated as shown in this population distribution map

Südafrika

the population concentrated along the southern and southeastern coast, and inland around Pretoria; the eastern half of the country is more densely populated than the west as shown in this population distribution map

Dominican Republic

coastal development is significant, especially in the southern coastal plains and the Cibao Valley, where population density is highest; smaller population clusters exist in the interior mountains (Cordillera Central)

Population growth rate

Komoren

1.34% (2023 est.)

Südafrika

1.08% (2023 est.)

Dominican Republic

0.73% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Komoren

2.69 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Südafrika

2.31 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Dominican Republic

2.13 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Komoren

urban population: 30.1% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 2.97% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Südafrika

urban population: 68.8% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 1.72% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Dominican Republic

urban population: 84.4% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 1.64% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Komoren

2.6% of GDP (2015 est.)

Südafrika

6.6% of GDP (2021 est.)

Dominican Republic

4.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Komoren

total: 11 years

male: 11 years

female: 11 years (2014)

Südafrika

total: 13 years

male: 13 years

female: 14 years (2020)

Dominican Republic

total: 14 years

male: 13 years

female: 15 years (2017)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Komoren

-6.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Südafrika

-4.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Dominican Republic

-3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Komoren

-0.25% (2021 est.)

Südafrika

6.12% (2021 est.)

Dominican Republic

15.89% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Komoren

219,900 (2021 est.)

Südafrika

22.398 million (2021 est.)

Dominican Republic

5.027 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Komoren

42.4% (2013 est.)

Südafrika

55.5% (2014 est.)

Dominican Republic

21% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate

Komoren

9.45% (2021 est.)

9.22% (2020 est.)

8.08% (2019 est.)

Südafrika

33.56% (2021 est.)

29.22% (2020 est.)

28.47% (2019 est.)

Dominican Republic

8.5% (2021 est.)

6.13% (2020 est.)

6.36% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Komoren

32.4% of GDP (2017 est.)

27.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

Südafrika

53% of GDP (2017 est.)

51.6% of GDP (2016 est.)

Dominican Republic

37.2% of GDP (2017 est.)

34.6% of GDP (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Komoren

1% (2017 est.)

1.8% (2016 est.)

Südafrika

4.61% (2021 est.)

3.21% (2020 est.)

4.12% (2019 est.)

Dominican Republic

8.24% (2021 est.)

3.78% (2020 est.)

1.81% (2019 est.)

Exports

Komoren

$139.575 million (2021 est.)

$68.937 million (2020 est.)

$142.21 million (2019 est.)

note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.

Südafrika

$130.885 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$94.123 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$105.988 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Dominican Republic

$20.509 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$14.889 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$20.509 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - partners

Komoren

France 32%, India 23%, Germany 10%, Turkey 9%, Madagascar 7% (2019)

Südafrika

China 15%, United Kingdom 8%, Germany 7%, United States 6%, India 6% (2019)

Dominican Republic

United States 51%, Haiti 7%, Switzerland 7%, India 5%, Netherlands 3% (2021)

Imports

Komoren

$407 million (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$344 million (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$353 million (2019 est.)

Südafrika

$104.806 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$79.022 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$103.92 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Dominican Republic

$28.541 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$20.302 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$24.526 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - partners

Komoren

China 22%, United Arab Emirates 16%, France 11%, Pakistan 9%, India 6% (2019)

Südafrika

China 18%, Germany 11%, United States 6%, India 5% (2019)

Dominican Republic

United States 42%, China 19%, Spain 3%, Brazil 3%, Mexico 3% (2021)

Airports

Komoren

4 (2021)

Südafrika

407 (2021)

Dominican Republic

36 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Komoren

total: 1,066 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.1 (2020 est.)

Südafrika

total: 1,303,057 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2020 est.)

Dominican Republic

total: 1,031,858 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Komoren

total: 221,400 (2021 est.)

percent of population: 27% (2021 est.)

Südafrika

total: 42.48 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 72% (2021 est.)

Dominican Republic

total: 9.35 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 85% (2021 est.)

Südafrika

total: 20,986 km (2014)

standard gauge: 80 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge (80 km electrified)

narrow gauge: 19,756 km (2014) 1.065-m gauge (8,271 km electrified)

other: (2014) 1,150 km (passenger rail, gauge unspecified, 1,115.5 km electrified)

Dominican Republic

total: 496 km (2014)

standard gauge: 354 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

narrow gauge: 142 km (2014) 0.762-m gauge

Roadways

Komoren

total: 880 km (2002)

paved: 673 km (2002)

unpaved: 207 km (2002)

Südafrika

total: 750,000 km (2016)

paved: 158,124 km (2016)

unpaved: 591,876 km (2016)

Dominican Republic

total: 19,705 km (2002)

paved: 9,872 km (2002)

unpaved: 9,833 km (2002)

Telephones - fixed lines

Komoren

total subscriptions: 7,431 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2021 est.)

Südafrika

total subscriptions: 1,472,191 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2021 est.)

Dominican Republic

total subscriptions: 1,154,670 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Komoren

total subscriptions: 853,449 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 104 (2021 est.)

Südafrika

total subscriptions: 100,328,005 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 169 (2021 est.)

Dominican Republic

total subscriptions: 9,735,351 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 88 (2021 est.)

Disputes - international

Komoren

claims French-administered Mayotte and challenges France's and Madagascar's claims to Banc du Geyser, a drying reef in the Mozambique Channel

Südafrika

South Africa-Botswana: none identified

South Africa-Eswatini: Eswatini seeks to reclaim land it says was stolen by South Africa

South Africa-Lesotho: crossborder livestock thieving, smuggling of drugs and arms, and illegal migration are problematic

South Africa-Mozambique: animal poachers cross the South Africa-Mozambique border to hunt wildlife in South Africa’s Kruger National Park; border fences were removed in some areas to allow animals to roam between nature reserves in the two countries; improved patrols, technology, and crossborder cooperation are reducing the problem

South Africa-Namibia: the governments of South Africa and Namibia have not signed or ratified the text of the 1994 Surveyor's General agreement placing the boundary in the middle of the Orange River; the location of the border could affect diamond mining rights; South Africa has always claimed that the northern bank of the Orange River is the border between the two countries, while Namibia’s constitution states that the border lies in the middle of the Orange River

South Africa-various: South Africa has placed military units to assist police operations along the border of Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique to control smuggling, poaching, and illegal migration

South Africa-Zimbabwe: Zimbabweans migrate illegally into South Africa in search of work or smuggle goods to sell at a profit back home

Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic-Haiti: unauthorized migration and smuggling from impoverished and unstable Haiti has led to occasional border tensions and increased security by the Dominican Republic, including the construction of a fence and the deployment of military troops