Map of Dominica | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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.


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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 reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 754 km²
Water: 0 km²
Land: 754 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
Territorial sea: 12 NM
Exclusive economic zone: 200 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 hydropower arable land

Land use
Arable land: 4%
Permanent crops: 16%
Other: 80% (1998 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
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


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Population: 69,655 (July 2003 est.)
Growth rate: -0.63% (2003 est.)
Below poverty line: 30% (2002 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Dominican
Adjective: Dominican

Ethnic groups: black mixed black and European European Syrian 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
0-14 years: 27.8% (male 9,807; female 9,571)
15-64 years: 64.3% (male 23,024; female 21,768)
65 years and over: 7.9% (male 2,226; female 3,259) (2003 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 28.4 years
Male: 28.1 years
Female: 28.8 years (2002)

Population growth rate: -0.63% (2003 est.)

Birth rate: 16.78 births/1000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: 6.99 deaths/1000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate: -16.11 migrant(s)/1000 population (2003 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.02 male/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male/female
Total population: 1.01 male/female (2003 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 15.34 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 10.15 deaths/1000 live births (2003 est.)
Male: 20.29 deaths/1000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.12 years
Male: 71.23 years
Female: 77.15 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.99 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA%
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

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% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica
Conventional short form: Dominica

Government type: parliamentary democracy; republic within the Commonwealth

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 Nicholas LIVERPOOL (since 10 November 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 Pierre CHARLES (since 1 October 2000); note - assumed post after death of Prime Minister Roosevelt DOUGLAS

Legislative branch
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

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)

Political parties and leaders: Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Charles SAVARIN]; Dominica Labor Party or DLP [Pierre CHARLES]; United Workers Party or UWP [Edison JAMES]

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Swinburne LESTRADE
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 consulates general: New York
In the us fax: [1] (202) 364-6,791
From the us: the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; US interests are served by the embassy in Bridgetown Barbados

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)

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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. Hurricane Luis devastated the country's banana crop in 1995 after tropical storms wiped out a quarter of the 1994 crop. The economy subsequently has been fueled by increases in construction soap production and tourist arrivals. Development of the tourism industry remains difficult however because of the rugged coastline lack of beaches and the absence of an international airport. Economic growth is sluggish and unemployment is greater than 20%. The government has been attempting to develop an offshore financial sector in order to diversify the island's production base.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 1.2% (2002 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $5,400 (2002 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 18%
Industry: 24%
Services: 58% (2002 est.)

Agriculture products: bananas citrus mangoes root crops coconuts cocoa; 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%

Unemployment rate: 23% (2000 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 30% (2002 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $73.9 million
Expenditures: $84.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1% (2001 est.)

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 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Commodities: bananas soap bay oil vegetables grapefruit oranges
Partners: UK 36.1% Jamaica 18% US 7.5% Antigua and Barbuda 6.4% Guyana 5.4% Trinidad and Tobago 4.4% (2002)

Imports: $135 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Commodities: manufactured goods machinery and equipment food chemicals
Partners: China 23.9% US 23.7% Trinidad and Tobago 11.9% South Korea 7.6% UK 7.3% Japan 4.5% (2002)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $161.5 million (2001)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2002) 2.7 (2001) 2.7 (2000) 2.7 (1999) 2.7 (1998)


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Electricity
Production: 72.41 million kWh (2001)
Production by source fossil fuel: 47.1%
Production by source hydro: 52.9%
Production by source other: 0% (2001)
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 67.35 million kWh (2001)
Exports: 0 kWh (2001)
Imports: 0 kWh (2001)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 19,000 (1996)
Mobile cellular: 461 (1996)

Telephone system
General assessment: NA
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
Country code: .dm
Service providers isps: 16 (2000)
Users: 2000 (2000)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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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


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 2 (2002)
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2 (2002)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways: 0 km

Roadways

Waterways: none

Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: protests Venezuela's claim to give full effect to Aves Island which creates a Venezuelan EEZ/continental shelf extending over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: 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