2015 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 colonized the island 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

land

751 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

highest point

Morne Diablotins 1,447 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 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)

per capita

244.1 cu m/yr (2004)

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

arable land 8%; permanent crops 24%; permanent pasture 2.7%

agricultural land

34.7%

forest

59.2%

other

6.1% (2011 est.)

Location

Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about halfway between Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

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

0-14 years

21.96% (male 8,265/female 7,902)

15-24 years

16.14% (male 6,117/female 5,762)

25-54 years

41.83% (male 15,617/female 15,170)

55-64 years

9.39% (male 3,696/female 3,213)

65 years and over

10.69% (male 3,463/female 4,402) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

15.41 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Death rate

7.91 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 95.7% of population

urban: 4.3% of population (2015 est.)

Ethnic groups

black 86.6%, mixed 9.1%, indigenous 2.9%, other 1.3%, unspecified 0.2% (2001 est.)

Health expenditures

6% of GDP (2013)

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 (2012)

Infant mortality rate

female

7.36 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

14.94 deaths/1,000 live births

total

11.25 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

English (official), French patois

Life expectancy at birth

female

79.91 years (2015 est.)

male

73.82 years

total population

76.79 years

Major urban areas - population

ROSEAU (capital) 15,000 (2014)

Median age

female

33 years (2015 est.)

male

32.1 years

total

32.6 years

Nationality

adjective

Dominican

noun

Dominican(s)

Net migration rate

-5.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

25.9% (2014)

Population

73,607 (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

0.21% (2015 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 61.4%, Protestant 20.6% (inclues Evangelical 6.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 6.1%, Pentecostal 5.6%, Baptist 4.1%, Methodist 3.7%, Church of God 1.2%, other 1.3%), Rastafarian 1.3%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.2%, other 0.3%, none 6.1%, unspecified 1.1% (2001 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 79.6% of population

rural: 84.3% of population

total: 81.1% of population

urban: 20.4% of population

rural: 15.7% of population

total: 18.9% of population (2007 est.)

Sex ratio

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

1.15 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.79 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.02 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.04 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.84% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

69.5% of total population (2015)

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

geographic coordinates

15 18 N, 61 24 W

name

Roseau

time difference

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

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

yes

citizenship by descent

yes

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

Constitution

previous 1967 (preindependence); latest presented 25 July 1978, entered into force 3 November 1978; amended several times, last in 1984 (2015)

Country name

conventional long form

Commonwealth of Dominica

conventional short form

Dominica

etymology

island named by Christopher COLUMBUS after the day of the week on which he spotted it, Sunday ("Domingo" in Latin), 3 November 1493

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

chancery

3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016

chief of mission

Ambassador Hubert J. CHARLES (since 16 July 2010)

consulate(s) general

New York

FAX

[1] (202) 364-6791

telephone

[1] (202) 364-6781

Executive branch

cabinet

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

chief of state

President Charles A. SAVARIN (since 2 October 2013)

election results

Charles A. SAVARIN (DLP) elected president by a vote of 19-0 on 30 September 2013

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 30 September 2013 (next to be held in October 2018); 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, 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

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States to include Dominica; the ECSC - based on St. Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and is comprised of the Court of Appeal with 3 justices and the High Court with 16 judges; sittings of the Court of Appeal and High Court rotate among the 9 member states; 2 High Court judges reside in Dominica; note - Dominica is a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice

judge selection and term of office

ECSC chief justice appointed by Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission; 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

Legal system

common law based on the English model

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)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - DLP 15, UWP 6

elections

last held on 8 December 2014 (next to be held in 2019); note - tradition dictates that the election is held within five years of the last election, but technically it is five years from the first seating of parliament plus a 90-day grace period

National anthem

lyrics/music

Wilfred Oscar Morgan POND/Lemuel McPherson CHRISTIAN

name

"Isle of Beauty"

note

adopted 1967

National holiday

Independence Day, 3 November (1978)

National symbol(s)

Sisserou parrot, Carib Wood flower; national colors: green, yellow, black, white, red

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

note

forest and fishery potential not exploited

Budget

expenditures

$148.1 million (2014 est.)

revenues

$148.1 million

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

0% of GDP (2014 est.)

Central bank discount rate

6.5% (31 December 2010)

6.5% (31 December 2009)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

8.94% (31 December 2014 est.)

9.08% (31 December 2013 est.)

Current account balance

-$68 million (2014 est.)

-$68 million (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$292.9 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$292.9 million (31 December 2013 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. Moreover, Dominica has an offshore medical education sector. In order to diversify the island's economy, the government is also attempting to foster an offshore financial industry and plans to sign agreements with the private sector to develop geothermal energy resources. In 2003, the government began a comprehensive restructuring of the economy - including the 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. In 2009 and 2013, the economy contracted as a result of the global recession; growth remains anemic. Although public debt levels continue to exceed pre-recession levels, the debt burden declined from 78% of GDP in 2011 to approximately 70% in 2012.

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -

2.7 (2014 est.)

2.7 (2013 est.)

2.7 (2012 est.)

2.7 (2011 est.)

2.7 (2010 est.)

Exports

$38.6 million (2014 est.)

$41 million (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

Japan 35.7%, Jamaica 18.4%, Antigua and Barbuda 10.1%, Trinidad and Tobago 6.3%, St. Lucia 4.6%, St. Kitts and Nevis 4% (2014)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP - composition, by end use

(2014 est.)

exports of goods and services

58.2%

government consumption

21.5%

household consumption

59.3%

imports of goods and services

-64.6%

investment in fixed capital

25.6%

investment in inventories

0%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

14.8%

industry

14.3%

services

70.9% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$11,200 (2014 est.)

$10,700 (2013 est.)

$10,700 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

3.9% (2014 est.)

0.6% (2013 est.)

-1.3% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$524 million (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$790 million (2014 est.)

$760.5 million (2013 est.)

$756 million (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

1.7% of GDP (2014 est.)

0.4% of GDP (2013 est.)

-3.5% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

$186.9 million (2014 est.)

$178.6 million (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals

Imports - partners

Japan 40%, Trinidad and Tobago 16.9%, US 12%, China 7% (2014)

Industrial production growth rate

1% (2014 est.)

Industries

soap, coconut oil, tourism, copra, furniture, cement blocks, shoes

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0.8% (2014 est.)

0% (2013 est.)

Labor force

25,000 (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

40%

industry

32%

services

28% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line

29% (2009 est.)

Public debt

70% of GDP (2012 est.)

78% of GDP (2009 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$100 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$103 million (31 December 2014 est.)

Stock of broad money

$463.3 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$429.1 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$314.8 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$319.6 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$86.92 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$78.84 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

28.3% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

23% (2000 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

132,100 Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2015 est.)

Electricity - consumption

89.75 million kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

60.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

18.1% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

21.7% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

33,200 kW (2012 est.)

Electricity - production

96.5 million kWh (2012 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

900 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

915.9 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2012 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 users

percent of population

59.1% (2014 est.)

total

43,400

Radio broadcast stations

AM 4, FM 18, shortwave 0 (2009)

Telephone system

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 (2010)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

24 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

17,600

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

126 (2014 est.)

total

92,200

Television broadcast stations

1 (2004)

Airports

2 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1

914 to 1,523 m

1 (2013)

total

2

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 11, cargo 22, chemical tanker 2, petroleum tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 1

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

major seaport(s)

Portsmouth, Roseau

Roadways

paved

762 km

total

1,512 km

unpaved

750 km (2010)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49

19,075 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

15,499 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

16,035

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

636 (2010 est.)

male

675

Military branches

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

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)