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 colonized the island 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.
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about halfway between Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago
15 25 N, 61 20 W
Central America and the Caribbean
total: 751 sq km
land: 751 sq km
water: 0 sq km
slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC
0 km
148 km
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall
rugged mountains of volcanic origin
mean elevation: NA
elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Morne Diablotins 1,447 m
timber, hydropower, arable land
agricultural land: 34.7%
arable land 8%; permanent crops 24%; permanent pasture 2.7%
forest: 59.2%
other: 6.1% (2011 est.)
NA
flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months
NA
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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
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
black 86.6%, mixed 9.1%, indigenous 2.9%, other 1.3%, unspecified 0.2% (2001 est.)
73,757 (July 2016 est.)
15.2 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)
noun: Dominican(s)
adjective: Dominican
English (official), French patois
Roman Catholic 61.4%, Protestant 28.6% (includes Evangelical 6.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 6.1%, Pentecostal 5.6%, Baptist 4.1%, Methodist 3.7%, Church of God 1.2%, other 1.2%), Rastafarian 1.3%, Jehovah's Witness 1.2%, other 0.3%, none 6.1%, unspecified 1.1% (2001 est.)
0-14 years: 21.84% (male 8,239/female 7,871)
15-24 years: 15.7% (male 5,960/female 5,618)
25-54 years: 41.97% (male 15,693/female 15,264)
55-64 years: 9.6% (male 3,787/female 3,294)
65 years and over: 10.89% (male 3,561/female 4,470) (2016 est.)
total: 33 years
male: 32.5 years
female: 33.5 years (2016 est.)
0.2% (2016 est.)
7.9 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)
-5.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)
population is mosly clustered along the coast, with roughly a third living in the parish of St. George, in or around the capital of Roseau; the volcanic interior is sparsely populated
urban population: 69.5% of total population (2015)
rate of urbanization: 0.84% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
ROSEAU (capital) 15,000 (2014)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.15 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
total: 10.9 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 14.5 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.)
total population: 77 years
male: 74 years
female: 80.1 years (2016 est.)
2.04 children born/woman (2016 est.)
5.5% of GDP (2014)
3.8 beds/1,000 population (2012)
improved:
urban: 95.7% of population
unimproved:
urban: 4.3% of population (2015 est.)
improved:
urban: 79.6% of population
rural: 84.3% of population
total: 81.1% of population
unimproved:
urban: 20.4% of population
rural: 15.7% of population
total: 18.9% of population (2007 est.)
NA
NA
NA
note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus (2016)
25.9% (2014)
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica
conventional short form: Dominica
etymology: the island was named by explorer Christopher COLUMBUS for the day of the week on which he spotted it, Sunday ("Domingo" in Latin), 3 November 1493
parliamentary republic
name: Roseau
geographic coordinates: 15 18 N, 61 24 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick, Saint Paul, Saint Peter
3 November 1978 (from the UK)
Emancipation Day (First Monday), celebrated on first Monday in August (1834); Independence Day, 3 November (1978)
previous 1967 (preindependence); latest presented 25 July 1978, entered into force 3 November 1978; amended several times, last in 2015 (2016)
common law based on the English model
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
citizenship by birth: yes
citizenship by descent: yes
dual citizenship recognized: yes
residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
18 years of age; universal
chief of state: President Charles A. SAVARIN (since 2 October 2013)
head of government: Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT (since 8 January 2004)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
elections/appointments: president nominated by the prime minister and leader of the opposition party and elected by the House of Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 30 September 2013 (next to be held in October 2018); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Charles A. SAVARIN (DLP) elected president by a vote of 19-0 on 30 September 2013
description: unicameral House of Assembly (32 seats; 21 representatives directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 9 senators appointed by the Assembly, and 2 ex-officio members - the House Speaker and the Clerk of the House; members serve 5-year terms)
elections: last held on 8 December 2014 (next to be held in 2019); note - tradition dictates that the election is held within five years of the last election, but technically it is five years from the first seating of parliament plus a 90-day grace period
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - DLP 15, UWP 6
highest court(s): the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States to include Dominica; the ECSC - based on St. Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and is comprised of the Court of Appeal with 3 justices and the High Court with 16 judges; sittings of the Court of Appeal and High Court rotate among the 9 member states; 2 High Court judges reside in Dominica; note - Dominica is a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice
judge selection and term of office: chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by the Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, an independent body of judicial officials; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62
subordinate courts: Court of Summary Jurisdiction; magistrates' courts
Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Judith PESTAINA]
Dominica Labor Party or DLP [Roosevelt SKERRIT]
Dominica United Workers Party or UWP [Hector JOHN]
Dominica Liberation Movement or DLM (a small leftist party)
ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, Commonwealth of Nations, ECCU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
chief of mission: Ambassador Hubert J. CHARLES (since 16 July 2010)
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 364-6781
FAX: [1] (202) 364-6791
consulate(s) general: New York
the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Dominica
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, unique to Dominica, encircled by 10 green, five-pointed stars edged in yellow; the 10 stars represent the 10 administrative divisions (parishes); green symbolizes the island's lush vegetation; the triple-colored cross represents the Christian Trinity; the yellow color denotes sunshine, the main agricultural products (citrus and bananas), and the native Carib Indians; black is for the rich soil and the African heritage of most citizens; white signifies rivers, waterfalls, and the purity of aspirations; the red disc stands for social justice
Sisserou parrot, Carib Wood flower; national colors: green, yellow, black, white, red
name: "Isle of Beauty"
lyrics/music: Wilfred Oscar Morgan POND/Lemuel McPherson CHRISTIAN
note: adopted 1967
bananas, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges
29% (2009 est.)
The Dominican economy has been dependent on agriculture - primarily bananas - in years past, but increasingly has been driven by tourism as the government seeks to promote Dominica as an "ecotourism" destination. Moreover, Dominica has an offshore medical
$812 million (2016 est.)
$799.6 million (2015 est.)
$814 million (2014 est.)
note: data are in 2016 dollars
$524 million (2015 est.)
1.5% (2016 est.)
-1.8% (2015 est.)
4.2% (2014 est.)
$11,400 (2016 est.)
$11,300 (2015 est.)
$11,500 (2014 est.)
note: data are in 2016 dollars
4.7% of GDP (2016 est.)
7.4% of GDP (2015 est.)
4.4% of GDP (2014 est.)
household consumption: 70.5%
government consumption: 18.8%
investment in fixed capital: 10.8%
investment in inventories: 0%
exports of goods and services: 28.6%
imports of goods and services: -28.7% (2016 est.)
agriculture: 14.7%
industry: 15.5%
services: 69.8% (2016 est.)
bananas, citrus, mangos, root crops, coconuts, cocoa
note: forest and fishery potential not exploited
soap, coconut oil, tourism, copra, furniture, cement blocks, shoes
1.6% (2016 est.)
25,000 (2000 est.)
agriculture: 40%
industry: 32%
services: 28% (2002 est.)
23% (2000 est.)
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
revenues: $148.1 million
expenditures: $148.1 million (2016 est.)
28.3% of GDP (2016 est.)
0% of GDP (2016 est.)
70% of GDP (2012 est.)
78% of GDP (2009 est.)
1 July - 30 June
1.4% (2016 est.)
-0.8% (2015 est.)
6.5% (31 December 2010)
6.5% (31 December 2009)
8.6% (31 December 2016 est.)
8.7% (31 December 2015 est.)
$114.6 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$96.59 million (31 December 2015 est.)
$504.8 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$480.7 million (31 December 2015 est.)
$296.3 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$259.3 million (31 December 2015 est.)
-$69 million (2016 est.)
-$48 million (2015 est.)
$38.3 million (2016 est.)
$35.2 million (2015 est.)
Japan 38.1%, Jamaica 19%, Antigua and Barbuda 10.4%, Trinidad and Tobago 6.2%, St. Lucia 4.8%, St. Kitts and Nevis 4.2% (2015)
$186.5 million (2016 est.)
$182.9 million (2015 est.)
manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals
Japan 42%, Trinidad and Tobago 17%, US 11.9%, China 6% (2015)
$100 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$126.2 million (31 December 2015 est.)
$288.6 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$275.4 million (31 December 2015 est.)
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -
2.7 (2016 est.)
2.7 (2015 est.)
2.7 (2014 est.)
2.7 (2013 est.)
2.7 (2012 est.)
0 bbl (1 January 2016 es)
population without electricity: 5,900
electrification - total population: 93%
electrification - urban areas: 99%
electrification - rural areas: 80% (2012)
97 million kWh (2014 est.)
90.21 million kWh (2014 est.)
0 kWh (2013 est.)
0 kWh (2013 est.)
33,200 kW (2014 est.)
60.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
18.1% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
21.7% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
1,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)
0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
978.2 bbl/day (2013 est.)
0 cu m (2013 est.)
0 cu m (2013 est.)
0 cu m (2013 est.)
0 cu m (2013 est.)
0 cu m (1 January 2014 es)
100,000 Mt (2013 est.)
total subscriptions: 15,123
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 21 (July 2015 est.)
total: 77,000
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 105 (July 2015 est.)
general assessment: fully automatic network
domestic: fixed-line connections continued to decline slowly with the two active operators providing about 20 fixed-line connections per 100 persons; subscribership among the three mobile-cellular providers is about 105 per 100 persons
international: country code - 1-767; landing points for the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) and the Global Caribbean Network (GCN) submarine cables providing connectivity to other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Tri (2015)
no terrestrial TV service available; subscription cable TV provider offers some locally produced programming plus channels from the US, Latin America, and the Caribbean; state-operated radio broadcasts on 6 stations; privately owned radio broadcasts on ab (2007)
.dm
total: 50,000
percent of population: 67.6% (July 2015 est.)
number of registered air carriers: 0
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 0
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 0
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0 mt-km (2015)
J7 (2016)
2 (2013)
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2013)
total: 1,512 km
paved: 762 km
unpaved: 750 km (2010)
total: 43
by type: bulk carrier 11, cargo 22, chemical tanker 2, petroleum tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: 32 (Australia 1, Estonia 6, Germany 5, Greece 4, India 2, Latvia 2, Norway 1, Russia 3, Saudi Arabia 2, Syria 4, Turkey 1, Ukraine 1)
registered in other countries: 1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2010)
major seaport(s): Portsmouth, Roseau
no regular military forces; Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (includes Coast Guard) (2012)
Dominica is the only Caribbean state to challenge Venezuela's sovereignty claim over Aves Island and joins the other island nations in challenging whether the feature sustains human habitation, a criterion under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ and continental shelf claims over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea
transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; minor cannabis producer (2008)
