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. 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: 751 km²
Land: 751 km²
Water: 0 km²
Rank: 189
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
Mean elevation: NA
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m: highest point: Morne Diablotins 1447 m

Natural resources: timber hydropower arable land

Land use
Agricultural land: 34.7%
Forest: 59.2%
Other: 6.1%

Irrigated land: NA

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
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: 73,757 (July 2016 est.)
Rank: 202
Growth rate: 0.2% (2016 est.)
Growth rate rank: 186
Below poverty line: 29% (2009 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Dominican
Adjective: Dominican

Ethnic groups: black 86.6% mixed 9.1% indigenous 2.9% other 1.3% unspecified 0.2% (2001 est.)

Languages: English (official) French patois

Religions: Roman Catholic 61.4% Protestant 28.6% (includes Evangelical 6.7% Seventh Day Adventist 6.1% Pentecostal 5.6% Baptist 4.1% Methodist 3.7% Church of God 1.2% other 1.2%) Rastafarian 1.3% Jehovah's Witness 1.2% other 0.3% none 6.1% unspecified 1.1% (2001 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 21.84%
15-24 years: 15.7%
25-54 years: 41.97%
55-64 years: 9.6%
65 years and over: 10.89% (2016 est.)

Median age
Total: 33 years
Male: 32.5 years
Female: 33.5 years
Rank: 91

Population growth rate: 0.2% (2016 est.)
Rank: 186

Birth rate: 15.2 births/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 130

Death rate: 7.9 deaths/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 101

Net migration rate: -5.4 migrant(s)/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 197

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: 69.5% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 0.84% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: ROSEAU (capital) 15,000 (2014)

Environment
Current issues: NA
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol 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
0-14 years: 1.05 male/female
15-24 years: 1.06 male/female
25-54 years: 1.03 male/female
55-64 years: 1.15 male/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male/female
Total population: 1.02 male/female

Infant mortality rate
Total: 10.9 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 14.5 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 7.2 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 128

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77 years
Male: 74 years
Female: 80.1 years
Rank: 78

Total fertility rate: 2.04 children born/woman (2016 est.)
Rank: 111

Drinking water source:

Hospital bed density: 3.8 beds/1000 population (2012)

Sanitation facility access:

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

Major infectious diseases
Note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country ; it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex via blood transfusion or during pregnancy in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus (2016)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 25.9% (2014)
Rank: 61

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 3 November 1493

Government type: parliamentary republic

Capital
Name: Roseau
Geographic coordinates: 15 18 N 61 24 W
Time difference: UTC-4

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 the UK)

National holiday: Emancipation Day (First Monday) celebrated on first Monday in August (1834); Independence Day 3 November (1978)

Constitution: previous 1967 (preindependence); latest presented 25 July 1978 entered into force 3 November 1978; amended several times last in 2015 (2016)

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: yes
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Charles A. SAVARIN
Head of government: Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
Electionsappointments: president nominated by the prime minister and leader of the opposition party and elected by the House of Assembly for a 5-year term ; election last held on 30 September 2013 (next to be held in October 2018); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Charles A. SAVARIN elected president by a vote of 19-0 on 30 September 2013

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral House of Assembly
Elections: last held on 8 December 2014 ; note - tradition dictates that the election is held within five years of the last election but technically it is five years from the first seating of parliament plus a 90-day grace period
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - DLP 15 UWP 6

Judicial branch
Highest court: the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States to include Dominica; the ECSC - based on St. Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and is comprised of the Court of Appeal with 3 justices and the High Court with 16 judges; sittings of the Court of Appeal and High Court rotate among the 9 member states; 2 High Court judges reside in Dominica; note - Dominica is a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice
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 Hubert J. CHARLES
In the us chancery: 3,216 New Mexico Avenue NW Washington DC 20,016
In the us telephone: [1] 364-6,781
In the us FAX: [1] 364-6,791
In the us consulate general: New York
From the us: the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; the US Ambassador to Barbados 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 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 and music: Wilfred Oscar Morgan POND/Lemuel McPherson CHRISTIAN
Note: adopted 1967

Economy overview: The Dominican economy has been dependent on agriculture - primarily bananas - in years past but increasingly has been driven by tourism as the government seeks to promote Dominica as an 'ecotourism' destination. Moreover Dominica has an offshore medical education sector. In order to diversify the island's economy the government is also attempting to foster an offshore financial industry and plans to sign agreements with the private sector to develop geothermal energy resources. In 2003 the government began a comprehensive restructuring of the economy - including the elimination of price controls privatization of the state banana company and tax increases - to address an economic and financial crisis and to meet IMF requirements. In 2009 and 2013 the economy contracted as a result of the global recession; growth remains anemic. Although public debt levels continue to exceed pre-recession levels the debt burden declined from 78% of GDP in 2011 to approximately 70% in 2012.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2015 US dollars
Rank: 206

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 206

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2015 US dollars
Rank: 132

Gross national saving:
Rank: 162

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 73.3%
Government consumption: 18.7%
Investment in fixed capital: 11%
Investment in inventories: 0%
Exports of goods and services: 31%
Imports of goods and services: -34%

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 16.5%
Industry: 15.5%
Services: 68%

Agriculture products: bananas citrus mangos root crops coconuts cocoa
Note: forest and fishery potential not exploited

Industries: soap coconut oil tourism copra furniture cement blocks shoes

Industrial production growth rate: 0.5% (2015 est.)
Rank: 157

Labor force: 25,000 (2000 est.)
Rank: 207
By occupation agriculture: 40%
By occupation industry: 32%
By occupation services: 28%

Unemployment rate: 23% (2000 est.)
Rank: 175

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

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

Budget
Revenues: $148.1 million
Expenditures: $148.1 million
Surplus or deficit: 0% of GDP (2015 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 35

Taxes and other revenues: 29.8% of GDP (2015 est.)
Rank: 82

Public debt:
Rank: 44

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 23

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 51

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 97

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 187

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 182

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 180

Current account balance:
Rank: 61

Exports:
Rank: 206
Commodities: bananas soap bay oil vegetables grapefruit oranges
Partners: Japan 38.1% Jamaica 19% Antigua and Barbuda 10.4% Trinidad and Tobago 6.2% St. Lucia 4.8% St. Kitts and Nevis 4.2% (2015)

Imports:
Rank: 208
Commodities: manufactured goods machinery and equipment food chemicals
Partners: Japan 42% Trinidad and Tobago 17% US 11.9% China 6% (2015)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 165

Debt external:
Rank: 186

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access population without electricity: 5,900
Access electrification total population: 93%
Access electrification urban areas: 99%
Access electrification rural areas: 80%
Production: 97 million kWh (2014 est.)
Production rank: 200
Consumption: 90.21 million kWh (2014 est.)
Consumption rank: 200
Exports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 132
Imports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 142
Installed generating capacity: 33,200 kW (2014 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 197
Generation sources fossil fuels: 60.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 133
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 80
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 18.1% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 97
Generation sources other renewable sources: 21.7% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 15

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 126
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 117
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 182
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2016 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 125

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products production rank: 175
Products consumption: 1000 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products consumption rank: 204
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products exports rank: 175
Products imports: 978.2 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products imports rank: 198

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Production rank: 179
Consumption: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Consumption rank: 138
Exports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 89
Imports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 189
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 es)
Proven reserves rank: 131

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 100,000 Mt (2013 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 207

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 15,123
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 21
Fixed lines rank: 188
Mobile cellular total: 77,000
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 105
Mobile cellular rank: 192

Telephone system
General assessment: fully automatic network
Domestic: fixed-line connections continued to decline slowly with the two active operators providing about 20 fixed-line connections per 100 persons; subscribership among the three mobile-cellular providers is about 105 per 100 persons
International: country code - 1-767; landing points for the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System and the Global Caribbean Network (GCN) submarine cables providing connectivity to other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; microwave radio relay and SHF radiotelephone links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radiotelephone links to Saint Lucia (2015)

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 (2007)

Internet
Country code: .dm
Users total: 50,000
Users percent of population: 67.6%
Users rank: 190

National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 0
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 0
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 0
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0 mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: J7 (2016)

Airports: 2 (2013)
Rank: 199
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1

Roadways
Total: 1512 km
Paved: 762 km
Unpaved: 750 km
Rank: 178

Merchant marine
Total: 43
By type: bulk carrier 11 cargo 22 chemical tanker 2 petroleum tanker 4 refrigerated cargo 3 roll on/roll off 1
Foreign owned: 32
Registered in other countries: 1 (2010)
Rank: 73

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Portsmouth Roseau

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

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; minor cannabis producer (2008)