Statistical information Dominica 1999Dominica

Map of Dominica | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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Dominica - Introduction 1999
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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.


Dominica - Geography 1999
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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

Geographic coordinates: 15 25 N, 61 20 W

Map referenceCentral America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 750 km²
Land: 750 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 148 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall

Terrain: rugged mountains of volcanic origin

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Morne Diablatins 1,447 m

Natural resources: timber
Land use

Land use
Arable land: 9%
Permanent crops: 13%
Permanent pastures: 3%
Forests and woodland: 67%
Other: 8% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months

Geography


Dominica - People 1999
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Population: 64,881 (July 1999 est.)
Growth rate: -1.41% (1999 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Dominican(s)
Adjective: Dominican

Ethnic groups: black, Carib Amerindian

Languages: English (official), French patois

Religions: Roman Catholic 77%, Protestant 15% (Methodist 5%, Pentecostal 3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Baptist 2%, other 2%), none 2%, other 6%

Demographic profile
Age structure

Age structure
0-14 years: 27% (male 8,680; female 8,530)
15-64 years: 64% (male 21,090; female 20,294)
65 years and over: 9% (male 2,570; female 3,717) (1999 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: -1.41% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 16.92 births/1000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 6.35 deaths/1000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -24.69 migrant(s)/1000 population (1999 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: NA
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 8.75 deaths/1000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.01 years
Male: 75.15 years
Female: 81.01 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.89 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
Total population: 94%
Male: 94%
Female: 94% (1970 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


Dominica - Government 1999
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Country name
Conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica
Conventional short form: Dominica

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Roseau

Administrative divisions: 10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick, Saint Paul, Saint Peter

Dependent areas

Independence: 3 November 1978 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 3 November (1978)

Constitution: 3 November 1978

Legal system: based on English common law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Vernon Lorden SHAW (since 7 October 1998)
Head of government: Prime Minister Edison C. JAMES (since 12 June 1995)
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 7 October 1998 (next to be held NA October 2003); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Vernon Lorden SHAW elected president; percent of legislative vote_NA

Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly (30 seats, 9 appointed senators, 21 elected by popular vote representatives; members serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held 12 June 1995 (next to be held by October 2000); byelections held 13 August 1996
Election results: percent of vote by party_NA; seats by party_UWP 12, DLP 5, DFP 4

Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (located in Saint Lucia), one of the six judges must reside in Dominica and preside over the Court of Summary Jurisdiction

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Nicholas J. O. LIVERPOOL (resident in Dominica)
In the us chancery: 3,216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,016
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 364-6,781
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 364-6,791
In the us consulates general: New York
From the us: the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; the Ambassador to Dominica resides in Bridgetown (Barbados), but travels frequently to Dominica

Flag descriptionflag of 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 encircled by 10 green, five-pointed stars edged in yellow; the 10 stars represent the 10 administrative divisions (parishes)

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


Dominica - Economy 1999
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Economy overview: The economy depends on agriculture and is highly vulnerable to climatic conditions, notably tropical storms. Agriculture, primarily bananas, accounts for 20% of GDP and employs 40% of the labor force. Development of the tourist industry remains difficult because of the rugged coastline, lack of beaches, and the lack of an international airport. Hurricane Luis devastated the country's banana crop in September 1995; tropical storms had wiped out one-quarter of the crop in 1994 as well. The economy began to recover in mid-1998, fueled by increases in construction, soap production, and tourist arrivals. The government is attempting to develop an offshore financial industry in order to diversify the island's production base.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 1.8% (1997)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $3,300 (1997 est.)

Gross national saving
Gdp composition by sector of origin

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 20%
Industry: 16%
Services: 64% (1996 est.)

Agriculture products: bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, coconuts; forest and fishery potential not exploited

Industries: soap, coconut oil, tourism, copra, furniture, cement blocks, shoes

Industrial production growth rate: -10% (1997 est.)

Labor force: 25,000
By occupation agriculture: 40%
By occupation industry and commerce: 32%
By occupation services: 28%
Labor force

Unemployment rate: 15% (1992 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $72 million
Expenditures: $79.9 million, including capital expenditures of $11.5 million (FY97/98)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July_30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $50.4 million (1997)
Commodities: bananas 50%, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges
Partners: Caricom countries 47%, UK 36%, US 7% (1996 est.)

Imports: $104.2 million (1997)
Commodities: manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals
Partners: US 41%, Caricom 25%, UK 13%, Netherlands, Canada

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $105 million (1997 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1_2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)


Dominica - Energy 1999
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Electricity
Production: 40 million kWh (1996)
Production by source fossil fuel: 50%
Production by source hydro: 50%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (1996)
Consumption: 40 million kWh (1996)
Exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Imports: 0 kWh (1996)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


Dominica - Communication 1999
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Telephones: 14,613 (1993 est.)

Telephone system
Domestic: fully automatic network
International: microwave radio relay and SHF radiotelephone links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radiotelephone links to Saint Lucia

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


Dominica - Military 1999
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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $NA
Percent of gdp: NA%

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


Dominica - Transportation 1999
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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 2 (1998 est.)
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2 (1998 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways: 0 km

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: none

Ports and terminals


Dominica - Transnational issues 1999
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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; minor cannabis producer; banking industry is vulnerable to money laundering


Economy Bookings


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