Map of Dominica | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | 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 colonized the island in 1805. Slavery ended in 1833 and in 1835 the first three men of African descent were elected to the legislative assembly of Dominica. In 1871, Dominica became part first of the British Leeward Islands and then the British Windward Islands until 1958. In 1967, Dominica became an associated state of the UK, and formally took responsibility for its internal affairs. 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. On 18 September 2017, Hurricane Maria passed over the island, causing extensive damage to structures, roads, communications, and the power supply, and largely destroying critical agricultural areas.


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Location: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about halfway between Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago

Geographic coordinates: 15 25 N, 61 20 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 751 km²
Land: 751 km²
Water: NEGL
Comparative: slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries
Total: 0 km

Coastline: 148 km

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

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

Terrain: rugged mountains of volcanic origin

Elevation
Highest point: Morne Diablotins 1,447 m
Lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

Natural resources: timber, hydropower, arable land

Land use
Agricultural land: 34.7% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 8% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 24% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 2.7% (2018 est.)
Forest: 59.2% (2018 est.)
Other: 6.1% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: NA

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 20 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 0 cubic meters (2017 est.)
Agricultural: 1 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 200 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

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
Distribution: 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: 74,656 (2023 est.)
Growth rate: 0.02% (2023 est.)
Below poverty line: 29% (2009 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Dominican(s)
Adjective: Dominican

Ethnic groups: African descent 84.5%, mixed 9%, Indigenous 3.8%, other 2.1%, unspecified 0.6% (2011 est.)

Languages: English (official), French patois

Religions: Roman Catholic 52.7%, Protestant 29.7% (includes Seventh Day Adventist 6.7%, Pentecostal 6.1%, Baptist 5.2%, Christian Union Church 3.9%, Methodist 2.6%, Gospel Mission 2.1%, other Protestant 3.1%), Jehovah's Witness 1.3%, Rastafarian 1.1%, other 4.3%, none 9.4%, unspecified 1.4% (2011 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 20.82% (male 7,954/female 7,592)
15-64 years: 65.82% (male 25,085/female 24,053)
65 years and over: 13.36% (2023 est.) (male 4,712/female 5,260)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 41.2
Youth dependency ratio: 28
Elderly dependency ratio: 13.2
Potential support ratio: 7.6 (2021)

Median age
Total: 36.5 years (2023 est.)
Male: 36 years
Female: 37.1 years

Population growth rate: 0.02% (2023 est.)

Birth rate: 13.6 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate: 8.1 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate: -5.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution: 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

Urbanization
Urban population: 72% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.84% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 15,000 ROSEAU (capital) (2018)

Environment
Current issues: water shortages a continuing concern; pollution from agrochemicals and from untreated sewage; forests endangered by the expansion of farming; soil erosion; pollution of the coastal zone by agricultural and industrial chemicals, and untreated sewage
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, 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
Particulate matter emissions: 8.22 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 0.18 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 0.04 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 11 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Male: 14.9 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 6.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.5 years (2023 est.)
Male: 75.5 years
Female: 81.5 years

Total fertility rate: 2.01 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: NA

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 95.7% of population
Unimproved urban: 4.3% of population

Current health expenditure: 5.7% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density: 1.1 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Hospital bed density: 3.8 beds/1,000 population

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 27.9% (2016)

Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 6.32 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 1.64 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 0.29 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 4.39 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: NA

Education expenditures: 5.5% of GDP (2021 est.)

Literacy
Total population: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA

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
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

Government type: parliamentary republic

Capital
Name: Roseau
Geographic coordinates: 15 18 N, 61 24 W
Time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: the name is French for "reed"; the first settlement was named after the river reeds that grew in the area

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 the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 3 November (1978)

Constitution
History: previous 1967 (preindependence); latest presented 25 July 1978, entered into force 3 November 1978
Amendments: proposed by the House of Assembly; passage of amendments to constitutional sections such as fundamental rights and freedoms, the government structure, and constitutional amendment procedures requires approval by three fourths of the Assembly membership in the final reading of the amendment bill, approval by simple majority in a referendum, and assent of the president; amended several times, last in 2015

Legal system: common law based on the English model

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: yes
Citizenship by descent only: yes
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Sylvanie BURTON (since 2 October 2023)
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 27 September 2023 (next to be held in October 2,028); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: 27 September 2023, parliament elects Sylvanie BURTON (DLP) with 20 votes for and five against; assumed office on 2 October 2023

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral House of Assembly (32 seats; 21 representatives directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 9 senators appointed by the president - 5 on the advice of the prime minister, and 4 on the advice of the leader of the opposition party, plus 2 ex-officio members - the house speaker and the attorney general; members serve 5-year terms)
Elections: last held on 6 December 2022 (next to be held in 2,027); note - tradition dictates that the election is held within 5 years of the last election, but technically it is 5 years from the first seating of parliament plus a 90-day grace period
Election results: percent of vote by party - DLP 82.3%, independent 16.9%; (elected) seats by party - DLP 19, independent 2; (Assembly) composition - men 20, women 12, percent of women 37.5%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - consists of the Court of Appeal - headed by the chief justice and 4 judges - and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal is itinerant, traveling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside in the member states, with 2 in Dominica; note - in 2015, Dominica acceded to the Caribbean Court of Justice as final court of appeal, replacing that of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, in London
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

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: 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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Steve FERROL (since 15 September 2023)
In the us chancery: 3,216 New Mexico Ave 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 email address and website: embdomdc@gmail.com
In the us consulate(s) general: New York
From the us embassy: the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to

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, 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

National symbols: Sisserou parrot, Carib Wood flower; national colors: green, yellow, black, white, red

National anthem
Name: "Isle of Beauty"
Lyrics/music: Wilfred Oscar Morgan POND/Lemuel McPherson CHRISTIAN
Note: adopted 1967

National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites: 1 (natural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales:


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Economy overview: highly agrarian OECS island economy; ECCU-member state; large banana exporter; improved oversight of its citizenship-by-investment program; emerging ecotourism, information and communications, and education industries

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 60.6% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 26.2% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 21.5% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 54.4% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -62.7% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 22.3% (2017 est.)
Industry: 12.6% (2017 est.)
Services: 65.1% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: bananas, yams, grapefruit, taro, milk, coconuts, oranges, yautia, plantains, sugar cane
Note: forest and fishery potential not exploited

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

Industrial production growth rate: 5.01% (2021 est.)

Labor force: 25,000 (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate: 23% (2000 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 29% (2009 est.)

Gini index

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

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $180 million (2021 est.)
Expenditures: $184 million (2021 est.)
Surplus  or deficit: -5.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 40.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Public debt:

Revenue
From forest resources: 0.03% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

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:
Partners: Saudi Arabia 28%, France 6%, United States 5%, Grenada 5%, China 4% (2021)
Commodities: medical instruments, low-voltage protection equipment, sutures, soap, bandages (2021)

Imports:
Partners: United States 75%, China 5%, Trinidad and Tobago 4%, United Kingdom 2%, Italy 2% (2021)
Commodities: refined petroleum, natural gas, crude petroleum, recreational boats, cars (2021)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

Debt external:

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification-total population: 100% (2021)
Installed generating capacity: 42,000 kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 82.078 million kWh (2019 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 8.1 million kWh (2019 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 74.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources solar: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources wind: 0.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 24.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Coal
Production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 1,200 bbl/day (2019 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports: 1,237 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 182,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 182,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 37.513 million Btu/person (2019 est.)


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 7,459 (2021 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 62,000 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 86 (2021 est.)

Telephone system

Broadcast media: 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 about 15 stations (2019)

Internet
Country code: .dm
Users total: 58,320 (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 81% (2021 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 16,000 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 22 (2020 est.)


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces: no regular military forces; Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (includes Coast Guard) under the Ministry of Justice, Immigration, and National Security (2023)

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: J7

Airports: 2 (2021)
With paved runways: 2
With paved runways note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 1,512 km (2018)
Paved: 762 km (2018)
Unpaved: 750 km (2018)

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 84 (2022)
By type: general cargo 31, oil tanker 13, other 40

Ports and terminals
Major seaports: Portsmouth, Roseau


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Disputes international: 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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: a transit point for cocaine and marijuana destined for North America, Europe, and elsewhere in the Caribbean; some local demand for cocaine and some use of synthetic drugs