Dominica Population: 74,027
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| History | |
| 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 colonized the island 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 part first of the British Leeward Islands and then the British Windward Islands until 1958. In 1967 Dominica became an associated state of the UK, and formally took responsibility for its internal affairs. 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. On 18 September 2017, Hurricane Maria passed over the island causing extensive damage to structures, roads, communications, and the power supply, and largely destroying critical agricultural areas. |
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| Geography | |
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| Location: | Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about halfway between Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago |
| Geographic coordinates: | 15 25 N, 61 20 W |
| Area: | total: 751 sq km land: 751 sq km water: NEGL Size comparison: slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC |
| Land Boundaries: | 0 km |
| Coastline: | 148 km |
| Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm |
| Climate: | tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall |
| Terrain: | rugged mountains of volcanic origin |
| Natural resources: | timber, hydropower, arable land |
| Land use: | agricultural land: 34.7% (2011 est.) arable land: 8% (2011 est.) permanent crops: 24% (2011 est.) permanent pasture: 2.7% (2011 est.) forest: 59.2% (2011 est.) other: 6.1% (2011 est.) |
| Irrigated land: | n/a |
| Natural hazards: | flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months volcanism: Dominica was the last island to be formed in the Caribbean some 26 million years ago, it 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 |
| Current Environment Issues: | water shortages a continuing concern; pollution from agrochemicals and from untreated sewage; forests endangered by the expansion of farming; soil erosion; pollution of the coastal zone by agricultural and industrial chemicals, and untreated sewage |
| International Environment 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 |
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| People | |
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| Nationality: | noun: Dominican(s) adjective: Dominican |
| Ethnic groups: | African descent 86.6%, mixed 9.1%, indigenous 2.9%, other 1.3%, unspecified 0.2% (2001 est.) |
| Languages: | English (official), French patois |
| Religions: | Roman Catholic 61.4%, Protestant 28.6% (includes Evangelical 6.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 6.1%, Pentecostal 5.6%, Baptist 4.1%, Methodist 3.7%, Church of God 1.2%, other 1.2%), Rastafarian 1.3%, Jehovah's Witness 1.2%, other 0.3%, none 6.1%, unspecified 1.1% (2001 est.) |
| Population: | 74,027 (July 2018 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 21.62% (male 8,187 /female 7,815) 15-24 years: 14.37% (male 5,473 /female 5,167) 25-54 years: 42.59% (male 15,985 /female 15,541) 55-64 years: 9.99% (male 3,927 /female 3,470) 65 years and over: 11.43% (male 3,814 /female 4,648) (2018 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 34 years male: 33.5 years female: 34.5 years (2018 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 0.17% (2018 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 15 births/1,000 population (2018 est.) |
| Death rate: | 7.9 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -5.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.) |
| Urbanization: | urban population: 70.5% of total population (2018) rate of urbanization: 0.94% annual rate of change (2015-20 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 15-24 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 1.13 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2018 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 10.3 deaths/1,000 live births male: 13.6 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 77.4 years male: 74.4 years female: 80.5 years (2018 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 2.03 children born/woman (2018 est.) |
| Physicians density: | 1.08 physicians/1,000 population (2017) |
| Hospital bed density: | 3.8 beds/1,000 population (2010) |
| Drinking water source: | improved: urban: 95.7% of population unimproved: urban: 4.3% of population |
| Sanitation facility access: | improved: urban: 79.6% of population (2007 est.) rural: 84.3% of population (2007 est.) total: 81.1% of population (2007 est.) unimproved: urban: 20.4% of population (2007 est.) rural: 15.7% of population (2007 est.) total: 18.9% of population (2007 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | n/a |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | n/a |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | n/a |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate: | 27.9% (2016) |
| Education expenditures: | 3.4% of GDP (2015) |
| Literacy: | |
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| Government | |
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| Country name: | conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica conventional short form: Dominica etymology: the island was named by explorer Christopher COLUMBUS for the day of the week on which he spotted it, Sunday ("Domingo" in Latin), 3 November 1493 |
| Government type: | parliamentary republic |
| 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 |
| Independence: | 3 November 1978 (from the UK) |
| National holiday: | Independence Day, 3 November (1978) |
| Constitution: | history: previous 1967 (preindependence); latest presented 25 July 1978, entered into force 3 November 1978 amendments: proposed by the House of Assembly; passage of amendments to constitutional sections such as fundamental rights and freedoms, the government structure, and constitutional amendment procedures requires approval by three-fourths of the Assembly membership in the final reading of the amendment bill, approval by simple majority in a referendum, and assent to by the president; amended several times, last in 2015 (2018) |
| Legal system: | common law based on the English model |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: President Charles A. SAVARIN (since 2 October 2013) head of government: Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT (since 8 January 2004) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister elections/appointments: 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); election last held on 1 October 2018 (next to be held in October 2023); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Charles A. SAVARIN (DLP) reelected president unopposed |
| Legislative branch: | description: unicameral House of Assembly (32 seats; 21 representatives directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 9 senators appointed by the Assembly, and 2 ex-officio members - the House Speaker and the Clerk of the House; members serve 5-year terms) elections: last held on 8 December 2014 (next to be held in 2019); note - tradition dictates that the election is held within 5 years of the last election, but technically it is 5 years from the first seating of parliament plus a 90-day grace period election results: percent of vote by party - DLP 57.0%, UWP 42.9%, other 0.1%; seats by party - DLP 15, UWP 6; composition - men 25, women 7, percent of women 21.9% |
| Judicial branch: | highest courts: the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - consists of the Court of Appeal - headed by the chief justice and 4 judges - and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal is itinerant, travelling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside in the member states, with 2 in Dominica; note - in 2015, Dominica acceded to the Caribbean Court of Justice as final court of appeal, replacing that of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, in London judge selection and term of office: chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by the Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, an independent body of judicial officials; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62 subordinate courts: Court of Summary Jurisdiction; magistrates' courts |
| Political parties and leaders: | Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Judith PESTAINA] Dominica Labor Party or DLP [Roosevelt SKERRIT] Dominica United Workers Party or UWP [Lennox LINTON] |
| International organization participation: | ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, Commonwealth of Nations, ECCU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| National symbol(s): | Sisserou parrot, Carib Wood flower; national colors: green, yellow, black, white, red |
| National anthem: | name: Isle of Beauty lyrics/music: Wilfred Oscar Morgan POND/Lemuel McPherson CHRISTIAN note: adopted 1967 |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Vince HENDERSON (since 18 January 2017) 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 |
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| Economy | |
The Dominican economy was dependent on agriculture - primarily bananas - in years past, but increasingly has been driven by tourism, as the government seeks to promote Dominica as an "ecotourism" destination. However, Hurricane Maria, which passed through the island in September 2017, destroyed much of the country’s agricultural sector and caused damage to all of the country’s transportation and physical infrastructure. Before Hurricane Maria, the government had attempted to foster an offshore financial industry and planned to sign agreements with the private sector to develop geothermal energy resources. At a time when government finances are fragile, the government’s focus has been to get the country back in shape to service cruise ships. The economy contracted in 2015 and recovered to positive growth in 2016 due to a recovery of agriculture and tourism. Dominica suffers from high debt levels, which increased from 67% of GDP in 2010 to 77% in 2016. Dominica is one of five countries in the East Caribbean that have citizenship by investment programs whereby foreigners can obtain passports for a fee and revenue from this contribute to government budgets. | |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | $783 million (2017 est.) $821.5 million (2016 est.) $800.4 million (2015 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | $557 million (2017 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | -4.7% (2017 est.) 2.6% (2016 est.) -3.7% (2015 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | $11,000 (2017 est.) $11,600 (2016 est.) $11,300 (2015 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars |
| Gross national saving: | 10.8% of GDP (2017 est.) 20% of GDP (2016 est.) 14.3% of GDP (2015 est.) GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption: 60.6% (2017 est.) government consumption: 26.2% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 21.5% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 54.4% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -62.7% (2017 est.) GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 22.3% (2017 est.) industry: 12.6% (2017 est.) services: 65.1% (2017 est.) |
| Agriculture - products: | bananas, citrus, mangos, root crops, coconuts, cocoa note: forest and fishery potential not exploited |
| Industries: | soap, coconut oil, tourism, copra, furniture, cement blocks, shoes |
| Industrial production growth rate: | -13% (2017 est.) |
| Labor force: | 25,000 (2000 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 40% industry: 32% services: 28% (2002 est.) |
| Unemployment rate: | 23% (2000 est.) |
| Population below poverty line: | 29% (2009 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: n/a highest 10%: n/a |
| Budget: | revenues: 227.8 million (2017 est.) expenditures: 260.4 million (2017 est.) |
| Taxes and other revenues: | 40.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.) Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): -5.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.) |
| Public debt: | 82.7% of GDP (2017 est.) 71.7% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Fiscal year: | 1 July - 30 June |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 0.6% (2017 est.) 0% (2016 est.) |
| Current account balance: | -$70 million (2017 est.) $5 million (2016 est.) |
| Exports: | $28 million (2017 est.) $43.7 million (2016 est.) |
| Exports - commodities: | bananas, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges |
| Exports - partners: | Saudi Arabia 42.6%, Trinidad and Tobago 9.3%, Jamaica 8.1%, St. Kitts and Nevis 7.1%, Guyana 6.7% (2017) |
| Imports: | $206.6 million (2017 est.) $188.4 million (2016 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: | manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals |
| Imports - partners: | US 61.3%, Trinidad and Tobago 9.8% (2017) |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $212.3 million (31 December 2017 est.) $221.9 million (31 December 2016 est.) |
| Debt - external: | $280.4 million (31 December 2017 est.) $314.2 million (31 December 2015 est.) |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: | $372.7 million (31 December 2017 est.) |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: | $220,000 (31 December 2017 est.) |
| Exchange rates: | East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2017 est.) 2.7 (2016 est.) 2.7 (2015 est.) 2.7 (2014 est.) 2.7 (2013 est.) |
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| Energy | |
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| Electricity - production: | 111.4 million kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - consumption: | 103.6 million kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity: | 27,800 kW (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels: | 72% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - from nuclear fuels: | 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants: | 25% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
| Electricity - from other renewable sources: | 3% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
| Crude oil - production: | 0 bbl/day (2017 est.) |
| Crude oil - exports: | 0 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
| Crude oil - imports: | 0 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
| Crude oil - proved reserves: | 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - production: | 0 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption: | 1,300 bbl/day (2016 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - exports: | 0 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - imports: | 1,237 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2017 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2017 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2017 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2017 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.) |
| Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy: | 199,600 Mt (2017 est.) |
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| Communications | |
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| Cellular Phones in use: | total subscriptions: 78,444 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 106 (July 2016 est.) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: fully automatic network; there are multiple operators licensed to provide services, most of them are small and localized the telecom sector across the Caribbean region remains one of the key growth areas (2018) domestic: fixed-line connections continued to decline slowly with the two active operators providing about 18 fixed-line connections per 100 persons; subscribership among the three mobile-cellular providers is about 106 per 100 persons (2018) international: country code - 1-767; landing points for the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) and the Global Caribbean Network (GCN) submarine cables providing connectivity to other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; microwave radio relay and SHF radiotelephone links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radiotelephone links to Saint Lucia |
| Broadcast media: | no terrestrial TV service available; subscription cable TV provider offers some locally produced programming plus channels from the US, Latin America, and the Caribbean; state-operated radio broadcasts on 6 stations; privately owned radio broadcasts on about 15 stations (2019) |
| Internet country code: | .dm |
| Internet users: | total: 49,439 percent of population: 67% (July 2016 est.) |
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| Transportation | |
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| Airports: | 2 (2013) |
| Airports (paved runways): | total 2 (2017) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2017) 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2017) |
| Roadways: | total 1,512 km (2018) paved: 762 km (2018) unpaved: 750 km (2018) |
| Merchant marine: | total 100 by type: general cargo 26, oil tanker 25, other 49 (2018) |
| Ports and terminals: | major seaport(s): Portsmouth, Roseau |
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| Military | |
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| Military branches: | no regular military forces; Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (includes Coast Guard) (2012) |
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| Transnational Issues | |
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| 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, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ and continental shelf claims over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea |
| Illicit drugs: | transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; minor cannabis producer |
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Source: CIA - The World Factbook