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.

Geographic coordinates: 13 30 N, 61 20 W

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

Irrigated land: NA km²

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

Population: 66,633 (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: -1.26% (1997 est.)

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%, unknown 1%, other 5%

Age structure
0-14 years: 28% (male 9,287; female 9,115)
15-64 years: 63% (male 21,364; female 20,617)
65 years and over: 9% (male 2,569; female 3,681) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: -1.26% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 17.72 births/1000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 6.24 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -24.04 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)

Environment
Current issues: NA

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: 0.7 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 9.3 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.6 years
Male: 74.74 years
Female: 80.6 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.92 children born/woman (1997 est.)

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

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

Independence: 3 November 1978 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 3 November (1978)

Constitution: 3 November 1978

Legal system: based on English common law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Crispin Anselm SORHAINDO (since 25 October 1993)
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 4 October 1993 (next to be held NA October 1998); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Crispin Anselm SORHAINDO 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; byelections held 13 August 1996 (next to be held by October 2000)
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 Santa Lucia), one of the six judges must reside in Dominica and preside over the Court of Summary Jurisdiction

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Edward I. WATTY (non-resident)
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 description: green with a centered cross of three equal bands - the vertical part is yellow (hoist side), black, and white - 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)

Economy overview: The economy is dependent on agriculture and thus is highly vulnerable to climatic conditions, notably tropical storms. Agriculture, primarily bananas, accounts for 26% 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 government is attempting to develop an offshore financial industry in order to diversify the island's production base.

Real gdp growth rate: 1.7% (1996 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,500 (1996 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 26%
Industry: NA%
Services: NA% (1995)

Agriculture products: bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, coconuts; forestry and fisheries potential not exploited

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

Industrial production growth rate: -10% (1994 est.)

Labor force
Total: 25,000
By occupation agriculture: 40%
By occupation industry and commerce: 32%
By occupation services: 28% (1984)

Unemployment rate: 15% (1992 est.)

Budget
Revenues: $80 million
Expenditures: $95.8 million, including capital expenditures of $N/A (FY95/96 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Exports
Total value: $40 million (f.o.b., 1996)
Commodities: bananas 70%, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges
Partners: UK 55%, Caricom countries, Italy, US

Imports
Total value: $122 million (f.o.b., 1996)
Commodities: manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals
Partners: US 25%, Caricom, UK, Japan, Canada

Debt external: $110 million (1996 est.)

Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (February 1997; fixed rate since 1976)

Electricity
Capacity: 15,000 kW (1994)
Production: 52 million kWh (1994)
Consumption per capita: 479 kWh (1994 est.)

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

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $NA
Percent of gdp: NA%

Airports: 2 (1996 est.)
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (1996 est.)

Railways: 0 km

Merchant marine: none

Disputes international: none

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; minor cannabis producer