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 Britain in 1763, and Dominica became a British colony 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 first part of the British Leeward Islands and then the British Windward Islands until 1958. In 1967, Dominica became an associated state of the UK, formally taking responsibility for its internal affairs, and the country gained its independence in 1978. In 1980, Dominica's fortunes improved when Mary Eugenia CHARLES -- the first female prime minister in the Caribbean -- replaced a corrupt and tyrannical administration, and she served for the next 15 years. In 2017, Hurricane Maria passed over the island, causing extensive damage to structures, roads, communications, and the power supply, and largely destroying critical agricultural areas.

Area
Total: 751 km²
Land: 751 km²
Water: NEGL
Comparative: slightly more than four times the size of Washington, D.C.

Land boundaries
Total: 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
Highest point: Morne Diablotins 1,447 m
Lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

Land use
Agricultural land: 33.3% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 8% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 22.7% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 2.7% (2023 est.)
Forest: 76.6% (2023 est.)
Other: 0% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: NA

Natural hazards: flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months
Volcanism: Dominica 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 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
Total: 74,661 (2024 est.)
Male: 37,753
Female: 36,908
Distribution: population is mostly 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
Growth rate: -0.01% (2024 est.)

Languages: English (official), French patois

Religions: Roman Catholic 52.7%, Protestant 29.7% (includes Seventh Day Adventist 6.7%, Pentecostal 6.1%, Baptist 5.2%, Christian Union Church 3.9%, Methodist 2.6%, Gospel Mission 2.1%, other Protestant 3.1%), Jehovah's Witness 1.3%, Rastafarian 1.1%, other 4.3%, none 9.4%, unspecified 1.4% (2011 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 20.7% (male 7,891/female 7,530)
15-64 years: 65.6% (male 25,000/female 24,009)
65 years and over: 13.7% (2024 est.) (male 4,862/female 5,369)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 52.3 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 31.5 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 20.9 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 4.8 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 37 years (2024 est.)
Male: 36.5 years
Female: 37.6 years

Population growth rate: -0.01% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 13.3 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 8.1 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Population distribution: population is mostly 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: 72% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.84% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 15,000 ROSEAU (capital) (2018)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 36 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 10.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 14.5 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 6.8 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.7 years (2024 est.)
Male: 75.8 years
Female: 81.8 years

Total fertility rate: 2.01 children born/woman (2024 est.)

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

Legal system: common law based on the English model

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Sylvanie BURTON (since 2 October 2023)
Head of government: Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT (since 8 January 2004)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
Election/appointment process: 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); prime minister appointed by the president
Most recent election date: 27 September 2023
2023: parliament elects Sylvanie BURTON (DLP) with 20 votes for and five against
2018: Charles A. SAVARIN (DLP) reelected president unopposed
Expected date of next election: October 2,028

Legislative branch
Legislature name: House of Assembly
Legislative structure: unicameral
Number of seats: 32 (21 directly elected; 9 appointed)
Electoral system: proportional representation
Scope of elections: full renewal
Term in office: 5 years
Most recent election date: 12/6/2022
Parties elected and seats per party: Dominica Labor Party (DLP) (19); Independents (2)
Percentage of women in chamber: 40.6%
Expected date of next election: December 2,027

Flag description: green with a centered cross of three equal bands in yellow, black, and white; in the center of the cross is a red disk with a Sisserou parrot surrounded by 10 five-pointed green stars edged in yellow

National anthem
Title: 'Isle of Beauty'
Lyrics/music: Wilfred Oscar Morgan POND/Lemuel McPherson CHRISTIAN
History: adopted 1967

Real gdp growth rate: 2.1% (2024 est.); 3.7% (2023 est.); 10.4% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: 2.1% (2024 est.); 3.7% (2023 est.); 10.4% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 87.7% (2018 est.)
Government consumption: 27.4% (2018 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 32.7% (2018 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0% (2018 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 29.2% (2018 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -77.8% (2018 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 12.2% (2024 est.)
Industry: 13.9% (2024 est.)
Services: 56.9% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

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

Industrial production growth rate: 8.8% (2024 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Budget
Revenues: $233.831 million (2017 est.)
Expenditures: $164.673 million (2017 est.)
Note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Exports: $212.753 million (2024 est.); $188.818 million (2023 est.); $173.93 million (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: iron blocks, medical instruments, excavation machinery, power equipment, soap (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $387.532 million (2024 est.); $417.164 million (2023 est.); $354.27 million (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: refined petroleum, ships, plastic products, semi-finished iron, cars (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 41,000 kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 145.827 million kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 8 million kWh (2023 est.)
Access electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 84.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources solar: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources wind: 0.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 15% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Petroleum
Refined petroleum consumption: 1,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 168,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 168,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 36.395 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 7,000 (2021 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 11 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 57,000 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 86 (2021 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 84% (2023 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 14,000 (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 21 (2022 est.)

Airports: 2 (2025)

Merchant marine
Total: 77 (2023)
By type: general cargo 26, oil tanker 10, other 41