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Introduction Dominica
Background:
 Dominica previously last of Caribbean islands to be colonized by Europeans, due chiefly to fierce resistance of native Caribs. France ceded possession to Great Britain in 1763, which made island a colony in 1805. In 1980, two years after independence, Dominica's fortunes improved when a corrupt and tyrannical administration previously replaced by that of Mary Eugenia CHARLES, first female prime minister in Caribbean, who remained in office for 15 years. Some 3,000 Carib Indians still living on Dominica are only pre-Columbian population remaining in eastern Caribbean.
Geography Dominica
Location:
 Caribbean, island between Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago
Geographic coordinates:
 15 25 N, 61 20 W
Map references:
 Central America and Caribbean
Area:
 total: 754 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 754 sq km
Area - comparative:
 slightly more than four times size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
 0 km
Coastline:
 148 km
Maritime claims:
 contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 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: 4%
permanent crops: 16%
other: 80% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
 NA sq km
Natural hazards:
 flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during late summer months
Environment - current issues:
 NA
Environment - international agreements:
 party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of selected agreements
Geography - note:
 known as "The Nature Island of Caribbean" due to its spectacular, lush, and varied flora and fauna, which are protected by an extensive natural park system; most mountainous of Lesser Antilles, its volcanic peaks are cones of lava craters and include Boiling Lake, second-largest, thermally active lake in world
People Dominica
Total Population:
 69,655 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
 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:
 total: 28.4 years
male: 28.1 years
female: 28.8 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
 -0.63% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
 16.78 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
 6.99 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
 -16.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 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: 0.68 male(s)/female
Population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
 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:
 Population: 74.12 years
male: 71.23 years
female: 77.15 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
 1.99 children born/woman (2003 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%), none 2%, other 6%
Languages:
 English (official), French patois
Literacy:
 definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
Population: 94%
male: 94%
female: 94% (2003 est.)
Government Dominica
Country name:
 conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica
conventional short form: Dominica
Government type:
 parliamentary democracy; republic within 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 LIVERPOOL (since 10 November 2003)
elections: president elected by House of Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 1 October 2003 (next to be held NA October 2008); prime minister appointed by president
election results: Nicholas LIVERPOOL elected president; percent of legislative vote - NA%
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by president on advice of 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:
 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 election will be held within five years of last election, but technically it is five years from 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:
 Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of Court of Appeal and High Court (located in Saint Lucia; one of six judges must reside in Dominica and preside over Court of Summary Jurisdiction)
Political parties and leaders:
 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:
 Dominica Liberation Movement or DLM (a limited leftist party)
International organization participation:
 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 US:
 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 US:
 US does not have an embassy in Dominica; US interests are served by embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados
Flag description:
 green, with a centered cross of three equal bands - vertical part is yellow (hoist side), black, and white and horizontal part is yellow (top), black, and white; superimposed in center of cross is a red disk bearing a sisserou parrot encircled by 10 green, five-pointed stars edged in yellow; 10 stars represent 10 administrative divisions (parishes)
Economy Dominica
Economy - overview:
 Dominican economy depends on agriculture, primarily bananas, and remains highly vulnerable to climatic conditions and international economic developments. Hurricane Luis devastated countries banana crop in 1995 after tropical storms wiped out a quarter of 1994 crop. economy subsequently has been fueled by increases in construction, soap production, and tourist arrivals. Development of tourism industry remains difficult however, because of rugged coastline, lack of beaches, and absence of an international airport. Economic growth is sluggish, and unemployment is greater than 20%. government has been attempting to develop an offshore financial sector in order to diversify island's production base.
GDP:
 buying power parity - $380 million (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
 1.2% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
 buying power parity - $5,400 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
 agriculture: 18%
industry: 24%
services: 58% (2002 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.)
Labor force:
 25,000
Labor force - by occupation:
 agriculture 40%, industry and commerce 32%, services 28%
Unemployment rate:
 23% (2000 est.)
Budget:
 revenues: $73.9 million
expenditures: $84.4 million, includes capital expenditures of $NA (2001)
Industries:
 soap, coconut oil, tourism, copra, furniture, cement blocks, shoes
Industrial production growth rate:
 -10% (1997 est.)
Electricity - production:
 72.41 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source:
 fossil fuel: 47.1%
hydro: 52.9%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
 67.35 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
 0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
 600 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
 NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
 NA (2001)
Agriculture - products:
 bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, coconuts, cocoa; forest and fishery potential not exploited
Exports:
 $50 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:
 bananas, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges
Exports - partners:
 UK 36.1%, Jamaica 18%, US 7.5%, Antigua and Barbuda 6.4%, Guyana 5.4%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.4% (2002)
Imports:
 $135 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:
 manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals
Imports - partners:
 China 23.9%, US 23.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 11.9%, South Korea 7.6%, UK 7.3%, Japan 4.5% (2002)
Debt - external:
 $161.5 million (2001)
Economic aid - recipient:
 $24.4 million (1995)
Currency:
 East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
Currency code:
 XCD
Exchange rates:
 East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001), 2.7 (2000), 2.7 (1999), 2.7 (1998)
Fiscal year:
 1 July - 30 June
Communications Dominica
Telephones - main lines in use:
 19,000 (1996)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
 461 (1996)
Telephone system:
 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:
 AM 3, FM 10, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios:
 46,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
 0 (however, there is one cable television company) (1997)
Televisions:
 6,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
 .dm
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
 16 (2000)
Internet users:
 2,000 (2000)
Transportation Dominica
Railways:
 0 km
Highways:
 total: 780 km
paved: 393 km
unpaved: 387 km (1999 est.)
Waterways:
 none
Ports and harbors:
 Portsmouth, Roseau
Merchant marine:
 none (2002 est.)
Airports:
 2 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways:
 total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2002)
Military Dominica
Military branches:
 Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (including Special Service Unit, Coast Guard)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
 $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
 NA%
Transnational Issues Dominica
Disputes - international:
 protests Venezuela's claim to give full effect to Aves Island, which creates a Venezuelan EEZ/continental shelf extending over a large portion of Caribbean Sea
Illicit drugs:
 transshipment point for narcotics bound for US and Europe; minor cannabis producer; anti-money-laundering enforcement is weak, making country particularly vulnerable to money laundering