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Background:
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 Dominica
was the last of the Caribbean islands to be colonized by
Europeans, due chiefly to the fierce resistance of the native
Caribs. France ceded possession to Great Britain in 1763,
which made the island a colony in 1805. In 1980, two years
after independence, Dominica's fortunes improved when a
corrupt and tyrannical administration was replaced by that of
Mary Eugenia CHARLES, the first female prime minister in the
Caribbean, who remained in office for 15 years. Some 3,000
Carib Indians still living on Dominica are the only
pre-Columbian population remaining in the eastern Caribbean. |
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Location:
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Caribbean, island
between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about
one-half of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago |
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Map references:
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Central
America and the Caribbean |
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Area:
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total: 754
sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 754 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly more
than four times the size of Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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148 km |
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Maritime claims - as described in UNCLOS 1982 (see Notes and
Definitions):
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territorial
sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
contiguous zone: 24 NM |
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Climate:
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tropical;
moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall |
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Terrain:
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rugged mountains
of volcanic origin |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Morne Diablatins 1,447 m |
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Natural resources:
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timber,
hydropower, arable land |
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Land use:
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arable land:
4%
permanent crops: 16%
other: 80% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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NA sq km |
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Natural hazards:
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flash floods are
a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected
during the late summer months |
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Environment - current issues:
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NA |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of
the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
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Geography - note:
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known as
"The Nature Island of the Caribbean" due to its
spectacular, lush, and varied flora and fauna, which are
protected by an extensive natural park system; the most
mountainous of the Lesser Antilles, its volcanic peaks are
cones of lava craters and include Boiling Lake, the
second-largest, thermally active lake in the world |
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Population:
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69,278 (July 2004
est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
27.3% (male 9,563; female 9,349)
15-64 years: 64.8% (male 23,097; female 21,804)
65 years and over: 7.9% (male 2,209; female 3,256)
(2004 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 29
years
male: 28.7 years
female: 29.4 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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-0.45% (2004
est.) |
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Birth rate:
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16.25
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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6.9 deaths/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-13.87 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
14.75 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 9.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 19.49 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 74.38 years
male: 71.48 years
female: 77.43 years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA% |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Dominican(s)
adjective: Dominican |
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Ethnic groups:
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black, mixed
black and European, European, Syrian, Carib Amerindian |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic
77%, Protestant 15% (Methodist 5%, Pentecostal 3%, Seventh-Day
Adventist 3%, Baptist 2%, other 2%), none 2%, other 6% |
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Languages:
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English
(official), French patois |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 94%
male: 94%
female: 94% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: Commonwealth of Dominica
conventional short form: Dominica |
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Government type:
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parliamentary
democracy; republic within the Commonwealth |
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Capital:
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Roseau |
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Administrative divisions:
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10 parishes;
Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint
Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick, Saint Paul,
Saint Peter |
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Independence:
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3 November 1978
(from UK) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day,
3 November (1978) |
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Constitution:
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3 November 1978 |
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Legal system:
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based on English
common law |
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Executive branch:
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chief of
state: President Nicholas J. O. LIVERPOOL (since October
2003)
elections: president elected by the House of Assembly
for a five-year term; election last held 1 October 2003 (next
to be held NA October 2008); prime minister appointed by the
president
election results: Nicholas LIVERPOOL elected president;
percent of legislative vote - NA%
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the
advice of the prime minister
head of government: Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT
(since 8 January 2004); note - assumed post after death of
Prime Minister Pierre CHARLES |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral House
of Assembly (30 seats, 9 appointed senators, 21 elected by
popular vote; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 31 January 2000 (next to be held
by 17 July 2005); note - tradition dictates that the election
will be held within five years of the last election, but
technically it is five years from the first seating of
parliament (17 April 2000) plus a 90 day grace period
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats
by party - DLP 10, UWP 9, DFP 2 |
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Judicial branch:
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Eastern Caribbean
Supreme Court, consisting of the Court of Appeal and the High
Court (located in Saint Lucia; one of the six judges must
reside in Dominica and preside over the Court of Summary
Jurisdiction) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Dominica Freedom
Party or DFP [Charles SAVARIN]; Dominica Labor Party or DLP
[Roosevelt SKERRIT]; United Workers Party or UWP [Edison
JAMES] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Dominica
Liberation Movement or DLM (a small leftist party) |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Swinburne LESTRADE
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC
20016
telephone: [1] (202) 364-6781
consulate(s) general: New York
FAX: [1] (202) 364-6791 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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the US does not
have an embassy in Dominica; the US Ambassador to Barbados,
Ambassador Mary E. KRAMER, is accredited to Dominica |
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Economy - overview:
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The Dominican
economy depends on agriculture, primarily bananas, and remains
highly vulnerable to climatic conditions and international
economic developments. Production of bananas dropped
precipitously in 2003, a major reason for the 1% decline in
GDP. Tourism increased in 2003 as the government sought to
promote Dominica as an "ecotourism" destination.
Development of the tourism industry remains difficult,
however, because of the rugged coastline, lack of beaches, and
the absence of an international airport. The government began
a comprehensive restructuring of the economy in 2003 -
including elimination of price controls, privatization of the
state banana company, and tax increases - to address
Dominica's economic crisis and to meet IMF targets. In order
to diversify the island's production base the government is
attempting to develop an offshore financial sector and is
planning to construct an oil refinery on the eastern part of
the island. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power
parity - $380 million (2002 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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-1% (2003 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power
parity - $5,400 (2002 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
18%
industry: 24%
services: 58% (2002 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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30% (2002 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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1% (2001 est.) |
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Labor force:
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25,000 (1999
est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 40%,
industry and commerce 32%, services 28% |
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Unemployment rate:
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23% (2000 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$73.9 million
expenditures: $84.4 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (2001) |
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Industries:
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soap, coconut
oil, tourism, copra, furniture, cement blocks, shoes |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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-10% (1997 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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72.41 million kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel:
47.1%
hydro: 52.9%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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67.35 million kWh
(2001) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2001
est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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600 bbl/day (2001
est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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bananas, citrus,
mangoes, root crops, coconuts, cocoa; forest and fishery
potential not exploited |
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Exports:
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$39 million
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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bananas, soap,
bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges |
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Exports - partners:
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UK 36.1%, Jamaica
16.4%, US 8.2%, Antigua and Barbuda 6.6%, Guyana 4.9%,
Trinidad and Tobago 4.9% (2002) |
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Imports:
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$98.2 million
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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manufactured
goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals |
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Imports - partners:
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China 23.8%, US
23.8%, Trinidad and Tobago 11.9%, South Korea 7.6%, UK 7.1%,
Japan 4.3% (2002) |
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Debt - external:
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$161.5 million
(2001) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$22.8 million
(2003 est.) |
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Currency:
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East Caribbean
dollar (XCD) |
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Currency code:
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XCD |
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Exchange rates:
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East Caribbean
dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001),
2.7 (2000), 2.7 (1999) |
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Fiscal year:
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1 July - 30 June |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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23,700 (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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9,400 (2002) |
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Telephone system:
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general
assessment: NA
domestic: fully automatic network
international: country code - 1-767; microwave radio
relay and SHF radiotelephone links to Martinique and
Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radiotelephone links to Saint Lucia |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 2, FM 4,
shortwave 0 (2004) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (2004) |
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Internet country code:
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.dm |
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Internet hosts:
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464 (2002) |
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Internet users:
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12,500 (2002) |
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Railways:
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0 km |
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Highways:
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total: 780
km
paved: 393 km
unpaved: 387 km (1999 est.) |
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Waterways:
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none |
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Ports and harbors:
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Portsmouth,
Roseau |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 6
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 13,771 GRT/19,736 DWT
foreign-owned: Bahamas 1, Cyprus 1, Estonia 1, Greece
1, Panama 1, Singapore 1 (2003 est.)
by type: cargo 3, container 2, petroleum tanker 1 |
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Airports:
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2 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2003 est.) |
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Military branches:
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no regular
military forces; Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force
(including Coast Guard) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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NA |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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NA |
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Disputes - international:
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joins other
Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island
sustains human habitation, a criterion under UNCLOS, which
permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a
large portion of the Caribbean Sea |
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Illicit drugs:
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transshipment
point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; minor
cannabis producer; anti-money-laundering enforcement is weak,
making the country particularly vulnerable to money laundering |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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