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  Dominica  
Flag of Dominica
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  Introduction
  Geography
  People
  Government
  Economy
  Communications
  Transportation
  Military
  Transnational Issues

In general, information available as of 1 January 2003
was used in the preparation of The World Factbook 2003.


This page was last updated on 1 August, 2003


Map of Dominica

Legend: Definition Definition Field Listing Field Listing Rank Order Rank Order
   Introduction    Dominica
Background:
Definition Field Listing
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    Dominica
Location:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
15 25 N, 61 20 W
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 754 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 754 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
0 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
148 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
rugged mountains of volcanic origin
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Morne Diablatins 1,447 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
timber, hydropower, arable land
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 4%
permanent crops: 16%
other: 80% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
NA sq km
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Environment - international agreements:
Definition Field Listing
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, 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:
Definition Field Listing
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
   People    Dominica
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
69,655 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 27.8% (male 9,807; female 9,571)
15-64 years: 64.3% (male 23,024; female 21,768)
65 years and over: 7.9% (male 2,226; female 3,259) (2003 est.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing
total: 28.4 years
male: 28.1 years
female: 28.8 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
-0.63% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
16.78 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
6.99 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
-16.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
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: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 15.34 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 10.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 20.29 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 74.12 years
male: 71.23 years
female: 77.15 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.99 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Dominican(s)
adjective: Dominican
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
black, mixed black and European, European, Syrian, Carib Amerindian
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Roman Catholic 77%, Protestant 15% (Methodist 5%, Pentecostal 3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Baptist 2%, other 2%), none 2%, other 6%
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
English (official), French patois
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 94%
male: 94%
female: 94% (2003 est.)
   Government    Dominica
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica
conventional short form: Dominica
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
parliamentary democracy; republic within the Commonwealth
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
Roseau
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick, Saint Paul, Saint Peter
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
3 November 1978 (from UK)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Independence Day, 3 November (1978)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
3 November 1978
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
based on English common law
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
chief of state: President Vernon Lordon SHAW (since 6 October 1998)
elections: president elected by the House of Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 6 October 1998 (next to be held NA October 2003); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Vernon Lordon SHAW elected president; percent of legislative vote - NA%
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
head of government: Prime Minister Pierre CHARLES (since 1 October 2000); note - assumed post after death of Prime Minister Roosevelt DOUGLAS
Legislative branch:
Definition Field Listing
unicameral House of Assembly (30 seats, 9 appointed senators, 21 elected by popular vote; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 31 January 2000 (next to be held by 17 July 2005) 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 (17 April 2000) plus a 90 day grace period
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -DLP 10, UWP 9, DFP 2
Judicial branch:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Charles SAVARIN]; Dominica Labor Party or DLP [Pierre CHARLES]; United Workers Party or UWP [Edison JAMES]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
Dominica Liberation Movement or DLM (a small leftist party)
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador Swinburne LESTRADE
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 364-6781
consulate(s) general: New York
FAX: [1] (202) 364-6791
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; US interests are served by the embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
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)
   Economy    Dominica
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
The Dominican economy depends on agriculture, primarily bananas, and remains highly vulnerable to climatic conditions and international economic developments. Hurricane Luis devastated the country's banana crop in 1995 after tropical storms wiped out a quarter of the 1994 crop. The economy subsequently has been fueled by increases in construction, soap production, and tourist arrivals. Development of the tourism industry remains difficult however, because of the rugged coastline, lack of beaches, and the absence of an international airport. Economic growth is sluggish, and unemployment is greater than 20%. The government has been attempting to develop an offshore financial sector in order to diversify the island's production base.
GDP:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
purchasing power parity - $380 million (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.2% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
purchasing power parity - $5,400 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 18%
industry: 24%
services: 58% (2002 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
30% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1% (2001 est.)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
25,000
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture 40%, industry and commerce 32%, services 28%
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
23% (2000 est.)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $73.9 million
expenditures: $84.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001)
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
soap, coconut oil, tourism, copra, furniture, cement blocks, shoes
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
-10% (1997 est.)
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
72.41 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source:
Definition Field Listing
fossil fuel: 47.1%
hydro: 52.9%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
67.34 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
600 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA (2001)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, coconuts, cocoa; forest and fishery potential not exploited
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$50 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
bananas, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
Caricom countries 47%, UK 36%, US 7% (2000)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$135 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
US 41%, Caricom countries 25%, UK 13%, Netherlands, Canada (2000)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$161.5 million (2001)
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
$24.4 million (1995)
Currency:
Definition Field Listing
East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
Currency code:
Definition Field Listing
XCD
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001), 2.7 (2000), 2.7 (1999), 2.7 (1998)
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
1 July - 30 June
   Communications    Dominica
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
19,000 (1996)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
461 (1996)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
general assessment: NA
domestic: fully automatic network
international: microwave radio relay and SHF radiotelephone links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radiotelephone links to Saint Lucia
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 3, FM 10, shortwave 0 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
0 (however, there is one cable television company) (1997)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.dm
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
Definition Field Listing
16 (2000)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2,000 (2000)
   Transportation    Dominica
Railways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 km
Highways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 780 km
paved: 390 km
unpaved: 390 km (2001)
Waterways:
Definition Field Listing
none
Ports and harbors:
Definition Field Listing
Portsmouth, Roseau
Merchant marine:
Definition Field Listing
none (2002 est.)
Airports:
Definition Field Listing
2 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2002)
   Military    Dominica
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing
Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (including Special Service Unit, Coast Guard)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA%
   Transnational Issues    Dominica
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
protests Venezuela's claim to give full effect to Aves Island, which creates a Venezuelan EEZ/continental shelf extending over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea
Illicit drugs:
Definition Field Listing
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

This page was last updated on 1 August, 2003


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