2008 Edition
CIA World Factbook 2008 (Project Gutenberg)
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
Area
total: 754 sq km land: 754 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC
Climate
tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall
Coastline
148 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Morne Diablatins 1,447 m
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
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
total: 0.02 cu km/yr per capita: 213 cu m/yr (1996)
Geographic coordinates
15 25 N, 61 20 W
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
Irrigated land
NA
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 6.67% permanent crops: 21.33% other: 72% (2005)
Location
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about half way between Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Natural hazards
flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months
Natural resources
timber, hydropower, arable land
Terrain
rugged mountains of volcanic origin
Total renewable water resources
NA
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 24.7% (male 9,175/female 8,762) 15-64 years: 65.1% (male 24,192/female 22,995) 65 years and over: 10.2% (male 3,178/female 4,212) (2008 est.)
Birth rate
15.73 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate
8.32 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Education expenditures
5% of GDP (1999)
Ethnic groups
black 86.8%, mixed 8.9%, Carib Amerindian 2.9%, white 0.8%, other 0.7% (2001 census)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
Infant mortality rate
total: 14.12 deaths/1,000 live births male: 19 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Languages
English (official), French patois
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 75.33 years male: 72.39 years female: 78.41 years (2008 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 94% male: 94% female: 94% (2003 est.)
Median age
total: 29.4 years male: 29 years female: 29.8 years (2008 est.)
Nationality
noun: Dominican(s) adjective: Dominican
Net migration rate
-5.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Population
72,514 (July 2008 est.)
Population growth rate
0.196% (2008 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 61.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 6%, Pentecostal 5.6%, Baptist 4.1%, Methodist 3.7%, Church of God 1.2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.2%, other Christian 7.7%, Rastafarian 1.3%, other or unspecified 1.6%, none 6.1% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 13 years male: 13 years female: 14 years (2005)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate
2.1 children born/woman (2008 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick, Saint Paul, Saint Peter
Capital
name: Roseau geographic coordinates: 15 18 N, 61 24 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Constitution
3 November 1978
Country name
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica conventional short form: Dominica
Diplomatic representation from the US
the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Dominica
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); note - Judith Ann ROLLE (Charge d'Affaires) chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6781
Executive branch
chief of state: President Nicholas J. O. LIVERPOOL (since October 2003) 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: president elected by the House of Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 1 October 2003 (next to be held in October 2008); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Nicholas LIVERPOOL elected president; percent of legislative vote - NA%
FAX
[1] (202) 364-6791 consulate(s) general: New York
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)
Government type
parliamentary democracy
Independence
3 November 1978 (from UK)
International organization participation
ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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)
Legal system
based on English common law; accepts ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch
unicameral House of Assembly (30 seats; 9 members appointed, 21 elected by popular vote; to 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 52.1%, UWP 43.6%, DFP 3.2%, other 1.1%; seats by party - DLP 12, UWP 8, independent 1
National holiday
Independence Day, 3 November (1978)
Political parties and leaders
Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Charles SAVARIN]; Dominica Labor Party or DLP [Roosevelt SKERRIT]; Dominica United Workers Party or UWP [Earl WILLIAMS]
Political pressure groups and leaders
Dominica Liberation Movement or DLM (a small leftist party)
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture - products
bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, coconuts, cocoa; forest and fishery potential not exploited
Budget
revenues: $73.9 million expenditures: $84.4 million (2001)
Central bank discount rate
6.5% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate
9.17% (31 December 2007)
Currency (code)
East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
Currency code
XCD
Current account balance
-$72 million (2007 est.)
Debt - external
$213 million (2004)
Economic aid - recipient
$15.17 million (2005 est.)
Economy - overview
The Dominican economy depends on agriculture, primarily bananas, and remains highly vulnerable to climatic conditions and international economic developments. Tourism has increased as the government seeks to promote Dominica as an "ecotourism" destination. In 2003, the government began a comprehensive restructuring of the economy - including elimination of price controls, privatization of the state banana company, and tax increases - to address Dominica's economic and financial crisis of 2001-02 and to meet IMF targets. This restructuring paved the way for the current economic recovery - real growth for 2006 reached a two-decade high - and will help to reduce the debt burden, which remains at about 100% of GDP. In order to diversify the island's production base, the government is attempting to develop an offshore financial sector and is researching Dominica's capability to export geothermal energy.
Electricity - consumption
83.7 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production
90 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel: 47.1% hydro: 52.9% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Exchange rates
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003)
Exports
$94 million f.o.b. (2006)
Exports - commodities
bananas, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges
Exports - partners
China 24.4%, Jamaica 10.3%, Antigua and Barbuda 10.1%, Guyana 8.5%, UK 8.2%, Trinidad and Tobago 5.5%, Saint Lucia 4.6%, Saint Kitts & Nevis 4% (2007)
Fiscal year
1 July - 30 June
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 17.7% industry: 32.8% services: 49.5% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$9,000 (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
0.9% (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$311 million (2007 est.)
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$648 million (2007 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$296 million f.o.b. (2006)
Imports - commodities
manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals
Imports - partners
US 24.1%, China 21.2%, Trinidad and Tobago 13.2%, Japan 11.1% (2007)
Industrial production growth rate
-10% (1997 est.)
Industries
soap, coconut oil, tourism, copra, furniture, cement blocks, shoes
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.7% (2007 est.)
Labor force
25,000 (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture: 40% industry: 32% services: 28% (2000 est.)
Natural gas - consumption
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - production
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Oil - consumption
850.5 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports
0 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports
669.6 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - production
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - proved reserves
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line
30% (2002 est.)
Stock of domestic credit
$193.1 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of money
$73.71 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money
$269.1 million (31 December 2007)
Unemployment rate
23% (2000 est.)
Communications
Internet country code
.dm
Internet hosts
29 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
16 (2000)
Internet users
26,500 (2006)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 0 (2003)
Radios
46,000 (1997)
Telephone system
general assessment: NA domestic: fully automatic network international: country code - 1-767; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to 13 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
Telephones - main lines in use
21,000 (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular
41,800 (2004)
Television broadcast stations
1 (2004)
Televisions
6,000 (1997)
Transportation
Airports
2 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2007)
Merchant marine
total: 53 by type: bulk carrier 14, cargo 27, chemical tanker 3, petroleum tanker 5, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 1, vehicle carrier 1 foreign-owned: 47 (Australia 2, Estonia 7, Greece 10, India 2, Latvia 1, Norway 1, Russia 3, Saudi Arabia 2, Singapore 7, Syria 2, Turkey 5, Ukraine 4, UAE 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals
Portsmouth, Roseau
Roadways
total: 780 km paved: 393 km unpaved: 387 km (2000)
Military and Security
Manpower available for military service
males age 16-49: 18,584 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 16-49: 15,648 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually
male: 756 female: 713 (2008 est.)
Military branches
no regular military forces; Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (includes Coast Guard) (2008)
Military expenditures
NA (2006)
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 eastern 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 This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008