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.

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
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
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: 6.67%
Permanent crops: 20%
Other: 73.33% (2001)

Irrigated land: NA km²

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

Population: 69,278 (July 2004 est.)
Growth rate: -0.45% (2004 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%

Age structure
0-14 years: 27.3% (male 9,563; female 9,349)
15-64 years: 64.8% (male 23,097; female 21,804)
65 years and over: 7.9% (male 2,209; female 3,256) (2004 est.)

Median age
Total: 29 years
Male: 28.7 years
Female: 29.4 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.45% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 16.25 births/1000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 6.9 deaths/1000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: -13.87 migrant(s)/1000 population (2004 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: 1.02 male/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male/female
Total population: 1.01 male/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 14.75 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 19.49 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 9.77 deaths/1000 live births (2004 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.38 years
Male: 71.48 years
Female: 77.43 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.98 children born/woman (2004 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% (2003 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 Nicholas J. O. LIVERPOOL (since October 2003)
Head of government: Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT (since 8 January 2004); note - assumed post after death of Prime Minister Pierre CHARLES
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 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

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 [Roosevelt SKERRIT]; United Workers Party or UWP [Edison JAMES]

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

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 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 US Ambassador to Barbados Ambassador Mary E. KRAMER is accredited to Dominica

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 Dominican economy depends on agriculture primarily bananas and remains highly vulnerable to climatic conditions and international economic developments. Production of bananas dropped precipitously in 2003 a major reason for the 1% decline in GDP. Tourism increased in 2003 as the government sought to promote Dominica as an 'ecotourism' destination. Development of the tourism industry remains difficult however because of the rugged coastline lack of beaches and the absence of an international airport. The government began a comprehensive restructuring of the economy in 2003 - including elimination of price controls privatization of the state banana company and tax increases - to address Dominica's economic crisis and to meet IMF targets. In order to diversify the island's production base the government is attempting to develop an offshore financial sector and is planning to construct an oil refinery on the eastern part of the island.

Real gdp growth rate: -1% (2003 est.)

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

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 (1999 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 40%
By occupation industry and commerce: 32%
By occupation services: 28%

Unemployment rate: 23% (2000 est.)

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

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

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

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

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

Exports: $39 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Commodities: bananas soap bay oil vegetables grapefruit oranges
Partners: UK 20% Jamaica 18.5% Antigua and Barbuda 7.7% US 7.7% Guyana 6.2% Japan 6.2% Trinidad and Tobago 4.6% (2003)

Imports: $98.2 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Commodities: manufactured goods machinery and equipment food chemicals
Partners: US 18.5% China 18% Trinidad and Tobago 14.6% Japan 6.3% South Korea 5.4% UK 5.4% (2003)

Debt external: $161.5 million (2001)

Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2003) 2.7 (2002) 2.7 (2001) 2.7 (2000) 2.7 (1999)

Electricity
Production: 72.41 million kWh (2001)
Consumption: 67.35 million kWh (2001)
Exports: 0 kWh (2001)
Imports: 0 kWh (2001)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 23,700 (2002)
Mobile cellular: 9,400 (2002)

Telephone system
General assessment: NA
Domestic: fully automatic network
International: country code - 1-767; microwave radio relay and SHF radiotelephone links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radiotelephone links to Saint Lucia

Internet
Country code: .dm
Hosts: 681 (2003)
Users: 12,500 (2002)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: NA
Percent of gdp: NA

Airports: 2 (2003 est.)
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Merchant marine
Total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 13,771 GRT/19,736 DWT
By type: cargo 3, container 2, petroleum tanker 1
Foreign owned: Bahamas 1, Cyprus 1, Estonia 1, Greece 1, Panama 1, Singapore 1 (2004 est.)

Disputes international: joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation a criterion under UNCLOS which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea

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