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: 15 25 N 61 20 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 754 km²
Land: 754 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 hydropower arable land

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: 70,786 (July 2001 est.)
Growth rate: -0.98% (2001 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Dominican
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%

Age structure
0-14 years: 28.72% (male 10,300; female 10,027)
15-64 years: 63.45% (male 23,056; female 21,855)
65 years and over: 7.83% (male 2,267; female 3,281) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.98% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 17.81 births/1000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 7.19 deaths/1000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: -20.37 migrant(s)/1000 population (2001 est.)

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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.03 male/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male/female
Total population: 1.01 male/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 16.54 deaths/1000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 73.6 years
Male: 70.74 years
Female: 76.61 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.03 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA%
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

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; 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

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 Vernon Lordon SHAW (since 6 October 1998)
Head of government: Prime Minister Pierre CHARLES (since 1 October 2000); note - assumed post after death of Roosevelt DOUGLAS
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 6 October 1998 (next to be held NA October 2003); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Vernon Lordon SHAW elected president; percent of legislative vote - NA%

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 31 January 2000 (next to be held by NA 2005)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -DLP 11, UWP 8, 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 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 WIPO 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; 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)

Economy overview: The economy depends on agriculture and is highly vulnerable to climatic conditions notably tropical storms. Agriculture primarily bananas accounts for 21% 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 subsequent recovery has been 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 growth rate: 0.5% (2000 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,000 (2000 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 21%
Industry: 16%
Services: 63% (1999 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: 20% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

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

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.5% (2000 est.)

Exports: $60.7 million (2000 est.)
Commodities: bananas soap bay oil vegetables grapefruit oranges
Partners: Caricom countries 47% UK 36% US 7% (1996 est.)

Imports: $126 million (2000 est.)
Commodities: manufactured goods machinery and equipment food chemicals
Partners: US 41% Caricom countries 25% UK 13% Netherlands Canada (1996 est.)

Debt external: $108.9 million (1999)

Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)

Electricity
Production: 62 million kWh (1999)
Production by source fossil fuel: 48.39%
Production by source hydro: 51.61%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (1999)
Consumption: 57.7 million kWh (1999)
Exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Imports: 0 kWh (1999)

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

Internet
Country code: .dm
Service providers isps: 16 (2000)
Users: 2000 (2000)

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

Airports: 2 (2000 est.)
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2 (2000 est.)

Railways: 0 km

Waterways: none

Merchant marine: none (2000 est.)

Disputes international: none