2012 Edition

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.

Area

751 sq km 751 sq km 0 sq km

total

751 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

Caribbean Sea 0 m Morne Diablotins 1,447 m

highest point

Morne Diablotins 1,447 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

Environment - current issues

NA

Environment - international agreements

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling none of the selected 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)

0.02 cu km/yr 213 cu m/yr (1996)

per capita

213 cu m/yr (1996)

total

0.02 cu km/yr

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

6.67% 21.33% 72% (2005)

arable land

6.67%

other

72% (2005)

permanent crops

21.33%

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

12 nm 24 nm 200 nm

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 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

Age structure

22.6% (male 8,433/ female 8,077) 67.1% (male 25,177/ female 23,892) 10.3% (male 3,282/ female 4,265) (2012 est.)

0-14 years

22.6% (male 8,433/ female 8,077)

15-64 years

67.1% (male 25,177/ female 23,892)

65 years and over

10.3% (male 3,282/ female 4,265) (2012 est.)

Birth rate

15.6 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)

Death rate

8.03 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)

Education expenditures

4.7% of GDP (2008)

Ethnic groups

black 86.8%, mixed 8.9%, Carib Amerindian 2.9%, white 0.8%, other 0.7% (2001 census)

Health expenditures

5.9% of GDP (2009)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Hospital bed density

3.8 beds/1,000 population (2009)

Infant mortality rate

12.38 deaths/1,000 live births 16.54 deaths/1,000 live births 8.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)

female

8.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)

total

12.38 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

English (official), French patois

Life expectancy at birth

76.18 years 73.23 years 79.29 years (2012 est.)

female

79.29 years (2012 est.)

total population

76.18 years

Literacy

age 15 and over has ever attended school 94% 94% 94% (2003 est.)

definition

age 15 and over has ever attended school

female

94% (2003 est.)

male

94%

total population

94%

Major cities - population

ROSEAU (capital) 14,000 (2009)

Median age

31.3 years 30.8 years 31.7 years (2012 est.)

female

31.7 years (2012 est.)

male

30.8 years

total

31.3 years

Nationality

Dominican(s) Dominican

adjective

Dominican

noun

Dominican(s)

Net migration rate

-5.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)

Physicians density

0.5 physicians/1,000 population (1997)

Population

73,126 (July 2012 est.)

Population growth rate

0.216% (2012 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 61.4%, Protestant 20.6% (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)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 80% of population rural: 84% of population total: 81% of population urban: 20% of population rural: 16% of population total: 19% of population

rural

16% of population

total

19% of population

urban

20% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

13 years 13 years 13 years (2008)

female

13 years (2008)

male

13 years

total

13 years

Sex ratio

1.05 male(s)/female 1.04 male(s)/female 1.05 male(s)/female 0.77 male(s)/female 1.02 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

15-64 years

1.05 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.77 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.02 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

under 15 years

1.04 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

2.06 children born/woman (2012 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

26% 26.2% 25.4% (2001)

female

25.4% (2001)

total

26%

Urbanization

67% of total population (2010) 0.3% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

rate of urbanization

0.3% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

67% of total population (2010)

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

Roseau 15 18 N, 61 24 W UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

geographic coordinates

15 18 N, 61 24 W

name

Roseau

time difference

UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

3 November 1978

Country name

Commonwealth of Dominica Dominica

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

Ambassador Hubert J. CHARLES 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 [1] (202) 364-6781 [1] (202) 364-6791 New York

chancery

3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016

chief of mission

Ambassador Hubert J. CHARLES

consulate(s) general

New York

FAX

[1] (202) 364-6791

telephone

[1] (202) 364-6781

Executive branch

President Eliud WILLIAMS (since 17 September 2012) Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT (since 8 January 2004) Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister president elected by the House of Assembly for a five-year term; election last held on 1 October 2003 (next to be held in October 2013); prime minister appointed by the president WILLIAMS was elected president following the resignation of Nicholas LIVERPOOL

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister

chief of state

President Eliud WILLIAMS (since 17 September 2012)

election results

WILLIAMS was elected president following the resignation of Nicholas LIVERPOOL

elections

president elected by the House of Assembly for a five-year term; election last held on 1 October 2003 (next to be held in October 2013); prime minister appointed by the president

head of government

Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT (since 8 January 2004)

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, unique to Dominica, encircled by 10 green, five-pointed stars edged in yellow; the 10 stars represent the 10 administrative divisions (parishes); green symbolizes the island's lush vegetation; the triple-colored cross represents the Christian Trinity; the yellow color denotes sunshine, the main agricultural products (citrus and bananas), and the native Carib Indians; black is for the rich soil and the African heritage of most citizens; white signifies rivers, waterfalls, and the purity of aspirations; the red disc stands for social justice

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Independence

3 November 1978 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, Commonwealth of Nations, ECCU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

Magistrates Court, a Court of Summary Jurisdiction, and the 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

common law based on the English model

Legislative branch

unicameral House of Assembly (32 seats; 9 members appointed, 21 elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms, 1 speaker elected from among persons who are not members of the House, responsible for the management and general administration of the House, and one ex-officio Clerk of the House) last held on 18 December 2009 (next to be held in 2015); 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 percent of vote by party - DLP 61.2%, UWP 34.9%, other 3.9%; seats by party - DLP 18, UWP 3

election results

percent of vote by party - DLP 61.2%, UWP 34.9%, other 3.9%; seats by party - DLP 18, UWP 3

elections

last held on 18 December 2009 (next to be held in 2015); 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

National anthem

"Isle of Beauty" Wilfred Oscar Morgan POND/Lemuel McPherson CHRISTIAN adopted 1967

lyrics/music

Wilfred Oscar Morgan POND/Lemuel McPherson CHRISTIAN

name

"Isle of Beauty"

National holiday

Independence Day, 3 November (1978)

National symbol(s)

Sisserou parrot

Political parties and leaders

Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Judith PESTAINA]; Dominica Labor Party or DLP [Roosevelt SKERRIT]; Dominica United Workers Party or UWP [Hector JOHN]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Dominica Liberation Movement or DLM (a small leftist party)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

bananas, citrus, mangos, root crops, coconuts, cocoa forest and fishery potential not exploited

Budget

$148.1 million $185.2 million (2012 est.)

expenditures

$185.2 million (2012 est.)

revenues

$148.1 million

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-7.5% of GDP (2012 est.)

Central bank discount rate

6.5% (31 December 2010 est.) 6.5% (31 December 2009 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

9% (31 December 2012 est.) 8.88% (31 December 2011 est.)

Current account balance

-$117.4 million (2012 est.) -$84.71 million (2011 est.)

Debt - external

$253.8 million (31 December 2012 est.) $257.7 million (31 December 2011 est.)

Economy - overview

The Dominican economy has been 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. In order to diversify the island's production base, the government also is attempting to develop an offshore financial sector and has signed an agreement with the EU to develop geothermal energy resources. 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 an economic and financial crisis and to meet IMF requirements. This restructuring paved the way for an economic recovery and helped to reduce the debt burden, which remains at about 80% of GDP. Hurricane Dean struck the island in August 2007 causing damages equivalent to 20% of GDP. In 2009, the economy contracted as a result of the global recession and growth remains anemic.

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2012 est.) 2.7 (2011 est.) 2.7 (2010 est.) 2.7 (2009)

Exports

$41 million (2012 est.) $33.04 million (2011 est.)

Exports - commodities

bananas, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges

Exports - partners

Japan 46.2%, Antigua and Barbuda 8.3%, Jamaica 7.3%, Guyana 7%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.5% (2011)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP - composition by sector

13.4% 14.9% 71.7% (2012 est.)

agriculture

13.4%

industry

14.9%

services

71.7% (2012 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$14,600 (2012 est.) $14,600 (2011 est.) $14,400 (2010 est.) data are in 2012 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

0.4% (2012 est.) 1% (2011 est.) 1.2% (2010 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$497 million (2012 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$1.035 billion (2012 est.) $1.03 billion (2011 est.) $1.02 billion (2010 est.) data are in 2012 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

NA% NA%

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

$218.6 million (2012 est.) $192.6 million (2011 est.)

Imports - commodities

manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals

Imports - partners

Japan 34.2%, US 15.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 13.9%, China 5.7%, Singapore 5.5% (2011)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2% (2012 est.) 2.8% (2011 est.)

Labor force

25,000 (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

40% 32% 28% (2002 est.)

agriculture

40%

industry

32%

services

28% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line

29% (2009 est.)

Public debt

78% of GDP (2009 est.) 85% of GDP (2006 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$85 million (31 December 2012 est.) $81.12 million (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of broad money

$413.7 million (31 December 2012 est.) $383 million (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$296.3 million (31 December 2012 est.) $280.4 million (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$70.74 million (31 December 2012 est.) $70.27 million (31 December 2011 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

29.8% of GDP (2012 est.)

Unemployment rate

23% (2000 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

141,200 Mt (2010 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2011 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2012 est.)

Electricity - consumption

79.52 million kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2010 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

72.1% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

27% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0.9% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2010 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

22,200 kW (2009 est.)

Electricity - production

85.5 million kWh (2009 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2010 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2010 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2010 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2010 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

918 bbl/day (2011 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2008 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

911.8 bbl/day (2008 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2008 est.)

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 (2007)

Internet country code

.dm

Internet hosts

723 (2012)

Internet users

28,000 (2009)

Telephone system

fully automatic network fixed-line connections continued to decline slowly with the two active operators providing about 20 fixed-line connections per 100 persons; subscribership among the three mobile-cellular providers continued to increase with teledensity reaching 150 per 100 persons 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

domestic

fixed-line connections continued to decline slowly with the two active operators providing about 20 fixed-line connections per 100 persons; subscribership among the three mobile-cellular providers continued to increase with teledensity reaching 150 per 100 persons

general assessment

fully automatic network

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

Telephones - main lines in use

15,500 (2010)

Telephones - mobile cellular

111,000 (2011)

Airports

2 (2012)

Airports - with paved runways

1 (2012)

1,524 to 2,437 m

1

914 to 1,523 m

1 (2012)

total

2

Merchant marine

bulk carrier 11, cargo 22, chemical tanker 2, petroleum tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 1 32 (Australia 1, Estonia 6, Germany 5, Greece 4, India 2, Latvia 2, Norway 1, Russia 3, Saudi Arabia 2, Syria 4, Turkey 1, Ukraine 1) 1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2010)

foreign-owned

32 (Australia 1, Estonia 6, Germany 5, Greece 4, India 2, Latvia 2, Norway 1, Russia 3, Saudi Arabia 2, Syria 4, Turkey 1, Ukraine 1)

registered in other countries

1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2010)

total

43

Ports and terminals

Portsmouth, Roseau

Roadways

780 km 393 km 387 km (2000)

total

780 km

unpaved

387 km (2000)

Manpower available for military service

19,075 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

19,075 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

16,035 15,499 (2010 est.)

females age 16-49

15,499 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

16,035

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

636 (2010 est.)

female

636 (2010 est.)

male

675

Military branches

no regular military forces; Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (includes Coast Guard) (2012)

Military expenditures

NA

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 (2008)