from
CIA World Factbook 2006
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.
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 15 25 N, 61 20 W
coordinates:
Map Central America and the Caribbean
references:
Area: total: 754 sq km
land: 754 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - slightly more than four times the size of Washington,
comparative: DC
Land 0 km
boundaries:
Coastline: 148 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm
claims: 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 lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
extremes: highest point: Morne Diablatins 1,447 m
Natural timber, hydropower, arable land
resources:
Land use: arable land: 6.67%
permanent crops: 21.33%
other: 72% (2005)
Irrigated NA
land:
Natural flash floods are a constant threat; destructive
hazards: hurricanes can be expected during the late summer
months
Environment - NA
current
issues:
Environment - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
international Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
agreements: 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 - known as "The Nature Island of the Caribbean" due to
note: 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
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 -0.08% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 15.27 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 6.73 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration -9.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
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 total: 13.71 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 18.09 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 9.11 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 74.87 years
expectancy at male: 71.95 years
birth: female: 77.93 years (2006 est.)
Total 1.94 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - NA
deaths:
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.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica
conventional short form: Dominica
Government parliamentary democracy
type:
Capital: name: Roseau
geographic coordinates: 15 18 N, 61 24 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC
during Standard Time)
Administrative 10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George,
divisions: Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint
Patrick, Saint Paul, Saint Peter
Independence: 3 November 1978 (from UK)
National Independence Day, 3 November (1978)
holiday:
Constitution: 3 November 1978
Legal system: based on English common law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive chief of state: President Nicholas J. O. LIVERPOOL
branch: (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 unicameral House of Assembly (30 seats, 9 appointed
branch: 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
52.07%, UWP 43.6%, DFP 3.15%; seats by party - DLP 12,
UWP 8, independent 1
Judicial Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the
branch: 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 Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Charles SAVARIN];
parties and Dominica Labor Party or DLP [Roosevelt SKERRIT];
leaders: Dominica United Workers Party or UWP [Earl WILLIAMS]
Political Dominica Liberation Movement or DLM (a small leftist
pressure party)
groups and
leaders:
International ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICCt,
organization ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
participation: Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM
(observer), OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Judith Anne ROLLE, Third
representation Secretary
in the US: 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 the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; the US
representation Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Dominica
from the US:
Flag green, with a centered cross of three equal bands - the
description: 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
Economy - The Dominican economy depends on agriculture, primarily
overview: 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 $384 million (2003 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $279 million
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 3.1% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $3,800 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 17.7%
composition by industry: 32.8%
sector: services: 49.5% (2002 est.)
Labor force: 25,000 (1999 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: 40%
by occupation: industry: 32%
services: 28%
Unemployment 23% (2000 est.)
rate:
Population 30% (2002 est.)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: NA%
income or highest 10%: NA%
consumption by
percentage
share:
Inflation rate -0.1% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Budget: revenues: $73.9 million
expenditures: $84.4 million; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2001)
Agriculture - bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, coconuts, cocoa;
products: forest and fishery potential not exploited
Industries: soap, coconut oil, tourism, copra, furniture, cement
blocks, shoes
Industrial -10% (1997 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 69.98 million kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 47.1%
production by hydro: 52.9%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 65.09 million kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 0 bbl/day (2003)
production:
Oil - 800 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Exports: $74 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - bananas, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges
commodities:
Exports - UK 26.2%, Jamaica 9.8%, South Korea 8.7%, Antigua and
partners: Barbuda 8.6%, Guyana 7.2%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.7%
(2005)
Imports: $234 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food,
commodities: chemicals
Imports - US 25.3%, China 20.3%, Trinidad and Tobago 12.3%, South
partners: Korea 7.1%, Japan 4.6%, UK 4.4% (2005)
Debt - $213 million (2004)
external:
Economic aid - $29.2 million (2004 est.)
recipient:
Currency East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
(code):
Currency code: XCD
Exchange East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2005), 2.7
rates: (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
Communications
Telephones - 21,000 (2004)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 41,800 (2004)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: NA
system: 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 AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 0 (2004)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 46,000 (1997)
Television 1 (2004)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 6,000 (1997)
Internet .dm
country code:
Internet 263 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 16 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 20,500 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 2 (2006)
Airports - total: 2
with paved 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)
runways:
Roadways: total: 780 km
paved: 393 km
unpaved: 387 km (1999)
Merchant total: 48 ships (1000 GRT or over) 634,668 GRT/
marine: 1,100,558 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 24, chemical tanker 4,
container 2, petroleum tanker 6, refrigerated cargo 4,
roll on/roll off 1, vehicle carrier 1
foreign-owned: 45 (Estonia 11, Germany 1, Greece 5,
Latvia 1, Norway 1, NZ 4, Russia 2, Saudi Arabia 3,
Singapore 9, Syria 1, Turkey 3, UAE 2, Ukraine 2)
(2006)
Ports and Portsmouth, Roseau
terminals:
Military
Military no regular military forces; Commonwealth of Dominica
branches: Police Force (includes coast guard)
Manpower males age 18-49: 18,227 (2005 est.)
available for
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 15,136 (2005 est.)
for military
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 602 (2005 est.)
reaching
military
service age
annually:
Military NA
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military NA
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - Dominica is the only Caribbean state to challenge
international: 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