Dominica

§1. Dominica Introduction

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.

§2. Dominica Geography

Location:
  Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean,
  about one-half of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago

Geographic coordinates:
  15 25 N, 61 20 W

Map references:
  Central_America_and_the_Caribbean

Area:
  total: 754 km²
  land: 754 km²
  water: 0 km²

Area - 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
  highest point: Morne Diablatins 1,447 m

Natural resources:
  timber, hydropower, arable land

Land use:
  arable land: 6.67%
  permanent crops: 21.33%
  other: 72% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  NA km²

Natural hazards:
  flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected
  during the late summer months

Environment - current issues:
  NA

Environment - 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
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

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

§3. Dominica People

Population:
  68,910 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 26.1% (male 9,084/female 8,885)
  15-64 years: 66% (male 23,419/female 22,079)
  65 years and over: 7.9% (male 2,186/female 3,257) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 30.1 years
  male: 29.8 years
  female: 30.4 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  -0.08% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  15.27 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  6.73 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  -9.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 13.71 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 18.09 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 9.11 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 74.87 years
  male: 71.95 years
  female: 77.93 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  1.94 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  NA

Nationality:
  noun: Dominican(s)
  adjective: Dominican

Ethnic groups:
  black, mixed black and European, European, Syrian, Carib Amerindian

Religions:
  Roman Catholic 77%, Protestant 15% (Methodist 5%, Pentecostal 3%,
  Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Baptist 2%, other 2%), other 6%, none 2%

Languages:
  English (official), French patois

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
  total population: 94%
  male: 94%
  female: 94% (2003 est.)

§4. Dominica Government

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 October 2008); prime
    minister appointed by the president
  election results: Nicholas LIVERPOOL elected president; percent of
    legislative vote - NA%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral House of Assembly (30 seats, 9 appointed senators, 21 elected by
  popular vote; members serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 5 May 2005 (next to be held by 5 August 2010); 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 (12 May 2005) plus a 90-day grace period
  election results: percent of vote by party - DLP 52.08%, UWP 43.6%, DFP
    3.15%; seats by party - DLP 12, UWP 8, independent 1

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]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Dominica Liberation Movement or DLM (a small leftist party)

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 Judith Anne ROLLE, Third Secretary
  chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
  telephone: [1] (202) 364-6781
  FAX: [1] (202) 364-6791
  consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation 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 encircled by 10 green, five-pointed stars
  edged in yellow; the 10 stars represent the 10 administrative divisions
  (parishes)

§5. Dominica Economy

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.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $384 million (2003 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  NA

GDP - real growth rate:
  -1% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $5,500 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 18%
  industry: 24%
  services: 58% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
  25,000 (1999 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 40%, industry and commerce 32%, 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%

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

Budget:
  revenues: $73.9 million
  expenditures: $84.4 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2001)

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.)

Electricity - production:
  69.98 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  65.09 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  0 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - consumption:
  800 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Exports:
  $74 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  bananas, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges

Exports - partners:
  UK 21.6%, Jamaica 14.8%, Antigua and Barbuda 8.8%, Guyana 7.5%, Japan 5.4%,
  Trinidad and Tobago 4.8%, US 4.3%, Saint Lucia 4% (2004)

Imports:
  $234 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals

Imports - partners:
  China 20.4%, US 16.8%, Trinidad and Tobago 12.3%, UK 6.9%, South Korea
  4.6%, Japan 4.3% (2004)

Debt - external:
  $161.5 million (2001)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $22.8 million (2003 est.)

Currency (code):
  East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Exchange rates:
  East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003),
  2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  1 July - 30 June

§6. Dominica Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  21,000 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  41,800 (2004)

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

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 0 (2004)

Television broadcast stations:
  1 (2004)

Internet country code:
  .dm

Internet hosts:
  446 (2005)

Internet users:
  18,500 (2005)

§7. Dominica Transportation

Airports:
  2 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 780 km
  paved: 393 km
  unpaved: 387 km (1999)

Merchant marine:
  total: 40 ships (1000 GRT or over) 313,180 GRT/506,662 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 25, chemical tanker 3, container 1,
    petroleum tanker 5, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/ roll off 1,
    specialized tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 34 (Estonia 8, Greece 3, Latvia 2, Norway 1, Russia 2, Saudi
    Arabia 1, Singapore 11, Syria 2, Turkey 1, UAE 3) (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  Portsmouth, Roseau

§8. Dominica Military

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  NA

§9. Dominica Transnational Issues

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 (UNCLOS), which permits Venezuela to
  extend its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and continental shelf claims 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


<Factbook 2006>
