 Definition  Field Listing  Rank
Order
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Background: |
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. Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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Location: |
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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Geographic coordinates: |
15 25 N, 61
20 W |
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Map references: |
Central
America and the Caribbean |
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Area: |
total:
754 sq km
land: 754 sq km
water: 0 sq km
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Area - comparative: |
slightly
more than four times the size of Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries: |
0 km |
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Coastline: |
148 km
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Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
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Climate: |
tropical;
moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall |
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Terrain: |
rugged
mountains of volcanic origin |
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Elevation extremes: |
lowest
point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Morne
Diablatins 1,447 m |
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Natural resources: |
timber,
hydropower, arable land |
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Land use: |
arable
land: 6.67%
permanent crops: 20%
other:
73.33% (2001) |
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Irrigated land: |
NA sq km
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Natural hazards: |
flash floods
are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during
the late summer months |
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Environment - current issues: |
NA |
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Environment - international agreements: |
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: |
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
Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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Population: |
69,278 (July
2004 est.) |
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Age structure: |
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: |
total: 29 years
male: 28.7 years
female: 29.4 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate: |
-0.45% (2004
est.) |
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Birth rate: |
16.25
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate: |
6.9
deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate: |
-13.87
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio: |
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: |
total:
14.75 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 19.49 deaths/1,000
live births
female: 9.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2004
est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 74.38 years
male: 71.48 years
female: 77.43 years (2004 est.) |
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Total fertility rate: |
1.98 children
born/woman (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
NA |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
NA |
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Nationality: |
noun:
Dominican(s)
adjective: Dominican |
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Ethnic groups: |
black, mixed
black and European, European, Syrian, Carib Amerindian |
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Religions: |
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: |
English
(official), French patois |
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Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 94%
male: 94%
female: 94% (2003 est.) Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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Country name: |
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica
conventional short form: Dominica |
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Government type: |
parliamentary democracy; republic within the Commonwealth |
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Capital: |
Roseau
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Administrative divisions: |
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: |
3 November
1978 (from UK) |
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National holiday: |
Independence
Day, 3 November (1978) |
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Constitution: |
3 November
1978 |
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Legal system: |
based on
English common law |
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Suffrage: |
18 years of
age; universal |
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Executive branch: |
chief of
state: President Nicholas J. O. LIVERPOOL (since October 2003)
head of government: Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT
(since 8 January 2004); note - assumed post after death of Prime
Minister Pierre CHARLES
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the
president on the advice of the prime minister
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 |
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Legislative branch: |
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: |
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: |
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: |
Dominica
Liberation Movement or DLM (a small leftist party) |
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International organization participation: |
ACCT, ACP,
C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM
(observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Swinburne LESTRADE
chancery: 3216
New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1]
(202) 364-6781
FAX: [1] (202) 364-6791
consulate(s) general: New York |
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Diplomatic representation from the US: |
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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Flag description: |
green, with
a centered cross of three equal bands - the vertical part is yellow
(hoist side), black, and white and the horizontal part is yellow
(top), black, and white; superimposed in the center of the cross is
a red disk bearing a sisserou parrot encircled by 10 green,
five-pointed stars edged in yellow; the 10 stars represent the 10
administrative divisions (parishes) Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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Economy - overview: |
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: |
purchasing
power parity - $380 million (2002 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate: |
-1% (2003
est.) |
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GDP - per capita: |
purchasing
power parity - $5,400 (2002 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 18%
industry: 24%
services: 58% (2002 est.) |
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Population below poverty line: |
30% (2002
est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest
10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
1% (2001
est.) |
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Labor force: |
25,000 (1999
est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture
40%, industry and commerce 32%, services 28% |
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Unemployment rate: |
23% (2000
est.) |
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Budget: |
revenues: $73.9 million
expenditures: $84.4
million, including capital expenditures of NA (2001) |
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Agriculture - products: |
bananas,
citrus, mangoes, root crops, coconuts, cocoa; forest and fishery
potential not exploited |
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Industries: |
soap,
coconut oil, tourism, copra, furniture, cement blocks, shoes |
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Industrial production growth rate: |
-10% (1997
est.) |
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Electricity - production: |
72.41 million
kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption: |
67.35 million
kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (2001)
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Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh (2001)
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Oil - production: |
0 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption: |
600 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports: |
NA (2001)
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Oil - imports: |
NA (2001)
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Exports: |
$39 million
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Exports - commodities: |
bananas,
soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges |
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Exports - partners: |
UK 21%,
Jamaica 19.4%, Antigua and Barbuda 8.1%, US 8.1%, Guyana 6.5%, Japan
6.5%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.8% (2003 est.) |
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Imports: |
$98.2 million
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Imports - commodities: |
manufactured
goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals |
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Imports - partners: |
US 18.2%,
China 17.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 14.4%, South Korea 9.1%, Japan
6.2%, UK 5.3% (2003 est.) |
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Debt - external: |
$161.5
million (2001) |
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Economic aid - recipient: |
$22.8
million (2003 est.) |
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Currency: |
East
Caribbean dollar (XCD) |
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Currency code: |
XCD |
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Exchange rates: |
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: |
1 July - 30
June Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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Highways: |
total:
780 km
paved: 393 km
unpaved: 387 km (1999
est.) |
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Ports and harbors: |
Portsmouth,
Roseau |
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Merchant marine: |
total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 13,771 GRT/19,736 DWT
by type: cargo 3, container 2, petroleum tanker 1
foreign-owned: Bahamas 1, Cyprus 1, Estonia 1, Greece 1,
Panama 1, Singapore 1 (2003 est.) |
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Airports: |
2 (2003
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2003 est.)
Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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Large portions of this information is from the US government open source publication "The World Factbook", other content copyright © Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc. You may use this information without permission for educational or other non-profit purposes if you refer to us as the source, contact us if you want to use this commercially.
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