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.

Geographic coordinates: 15 25 N, 61 20 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 751 km²
Land: 751 km²
Rank: 188
Comparative: slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 148 km

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

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

Terrain: rugged mountains of volcanic origin

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

Natural resources: timber, hydropower, arable land

Land use
Agricultural land: 34.7% (2011 est.)
Forest: 59.2% (2011 est.)
Other: 6.1% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land
Note: NA

Natural hazards: flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer monthsvolcanism: Dominica was the last island to be formed in the Caribbean some 26 million years ago, it lies in the middle of the volcanic island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends from the island of Saba in the north to Grenada in the south; of the 16 volcanoes that make up this arc, five are located on Dominica, more than any other island in the Caribbean: Morne aux Diables (861 m), Morne Diablotins (1,430 m), Morne Trois Pitons (1,387 m), Watt Mountain (1,224 m), which last erupted in 1997, and Morne Plat Pays (940 m); the two best known volcanic features on Dominica, the Valley of Desolation and the Boiling Lake thermal areas, lie on the flanks of Watt Mountain and both are popular tourist destinations

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: 74,243 (July 2020 est.)
Rank: 201
Growth rate: 0.13% (2020 est.)
Growth rate rank: 183
Below poverty line: 29% (2009 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Dominican(s)
Adjective: Dominican

Ethnic groups: African descent 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: 21.41% (male 8,135/female 7,760)
15-24 years: 13.15% (male 5,017/female 4,746)
25-54 years: 42.79% (male 16,133/female 15,637)
55-64 years: 10.53% (male 4,089/female 3,731)
65 years and over: 12.12% (male 4,128/female 4,867) (2020 est.)

Median age
Total: 34.9 years
Male: 34.4 years
Female: 35.5 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 87

Population growth rate: 0.13% (2020 est.)
Rank: 183

Birth rate: 14.5 births/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 126

Death rate: 8 deaths/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 91

Net migration rate: -5.3 migrant(s)/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 198

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: 71.1% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 0.94% annual rate of change

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, 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(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 9.7 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 12.7 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 6.5 deaths/1000 live births (2020 est.)
Rank: 133

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.7 years
Male: 74.7 years
Female: 80.9 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 76

Total fertility rate: 2.02 children born/woman (2020 est.)
Rank: 109

Current health expenditure: 5.9% (2017)

Physicians density: 1.12 physicians/1000 population (2017)

Hospital bed density: 3.8 beds/1000 population (2010)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.6% (2018)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 61
People living with hivaids note: <500 (2018)
Deaths note: <100 (2018)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 27.9% (2016)
Rank: 33

Education expenditures: 5.6% of GDP (2019)
Rank: 31

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

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 Charles A. SAVARIN (since 2 October 2013)
Head of government: Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT (since 8 January 2004)
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 (eligible for a second term); election last held on 1 October 2018 (next to be held in October 2023); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Charles A. SAVARIN (DLP) reelected president unopposed

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 2019 (next to be held in 2024); 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 59.0%, UWP 41.0%; seats by party - DLP 18, UWP 3

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: Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Judith PESTAINA]Dominica Labor Party or DLP [Roosevelt SKERRIT]Dominica United Workers Party or UWP [Lennox LINTON]

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 Vince HENDERSON (since 18 January 2017)
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 consulate: 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
Lyricsmusic: Wilfred Oscar Morgan POND/Lemuel McPherson CHRISTIAN
Note: adopted 1967

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

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 217

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
Rank: 113

Gross national saving:
Rank: 160

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, 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: -13% (2017 est.)
Rank: 199

Labor force: 25,000 (2000 est.)
Rank: 207
By occupation agriculture: 40%
By occupation industry: 32%
By occupation services: 28% (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate: 23% (2000 est.)
Rank: 193

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

Budget
Revenues: 227.8 million (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 260.4 million (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -5.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 181

Taxes and other revenues: 40.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 34

Public debt:
Rank: 33

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 46

Current account balance:
Rank: 83

Exports:
Rank: 207
Partners: Saudi Arabia 42.6%, Trinidad and Tobago 9.3%, Jamaica 8.1%, St. Kitts and Nevis 7.1%, Guyana 6.7% (2017)
Commodities: bananas, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges

Imports:
Rank: 210
Commodities: manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals
Partners: US 61.3%, Trinidad and Tobago 9.8% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 172

Debt external:
Rank: 186

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2020)
Production: 111.4 million kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 199
Consumption: 103.6 million kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 201
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 128
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 142
Installed generating capacity: 27,800 kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 200
Generation sources fossil fuels: 72% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 101
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 79
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 25% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 76
Generation sources other renewable sources: 3% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 124

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 128
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 115
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 118
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 124

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 137
Products consumption: 1300 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 202
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 148
Products imports: 1237 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 198

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 124
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 140
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 95
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 117
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 128

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 199,600 Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 199

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 2,751
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3.71 (2019 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 214
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 78,437
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 105.79 (2019 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 198

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: 51,538
Users percent of population: 69.62% (July 2018 est.)
Users rank: 196

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 11,514
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 16 (2018 est.)
Rank: 167

Military and security forces: no regular military forces; Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (includes Coast Guard) (2019)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: J7 (2016)

Airports: 2 (2020)
Rank: 197
With paved runways total: 2 (2019)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1

Roadways
Total: 1512 km (2018)
Paved: 762 km (2018)
Unpaved: 750 km (2018)
Rank: 174

Merchant marine
Total: 108
By type: general cargo 29, oil tanker 29, other 50 (2019)
Rank: 85

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