2018 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. 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.

Area

land

751 sq km

total

751 sq km

water

NEGL

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

0 m lowest point: Caribbean Sea

note

1447 highest point: Morne Diablotins

Environment Current 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

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

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% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 24% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 2.7% (2011 est.)

agricultural land

34.7% (2011 est.)

forest

59.2% (2011 est.)

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 monthsvolcanism: 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

Natural Resources

timber, hydropower, arable land

Population Distribution

population is mosly clustered along the coast, with roughly a third living in the parish of St. George, in or around the capital of Roseau; the volcanic interior is sparsely populated

Terrain

rugged mountains of volcanic origin

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.)

Birth Rate

15 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Death Rate

7.9 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Drinking Water Source

improved: urban: 95.7% of population

unimproved: urban: 4.3% of population

Education Expenditures

3.4% of GDP (2015)

Ethnic Groups

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

Health Expenditures

5.5% of GDP (2014)

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 (2010)

Infant Mortality Rate

female

6.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

male

13.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

total

10.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

English (official), French patois

Life Expectancy At Birth

female

80.5 years (2018 est.)

male

74.4 years (2018 est.)

total population

77.4 years (2018 est.)

Major Infectious Diseases

note

active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus

Major Urban Areas Population

15,000 ROSEAU (capital) (2018)

Median Age

female

34.5 years (2018 est.)

male

33.5 years

total

34 years

Nationality

adjective

Dominican

noun

Dominican(s)

Net Migration Rate

-5.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

27.9% (2016)

People Note

3,000-3,500 Kalinago (Carib) still living on Dominica are the only pre-Columbian population remaining in the Caribbean; only 70-100 may be "pure" Kalinago because of years of integration into the broader population

Population

74,027 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

0.17% (2018 est.)

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.)

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.)

Sex Ratio

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

15-24 years

1.06 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

25-54 years

1.03 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

55-64 years

1.15 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

65 years and over

0.79 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

at birth

1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

total population

1.02 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

2.03 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.94% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population

70.5% of total population (2018)

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 only

yes

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

Constitution

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)

history

previous 1967 (preindependence); latest presented 25 July 1978, entered into force 3 November 1978 (2018)

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

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

note

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 Vince HENDERSON (since 18 January 2017)

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) reelected president unopposed

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

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 republic

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 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 at 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 Commmitte 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

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 - DLP 57.0%, UWP 42.9%, other 0.1%; 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 5 years of the last election, but technically it is 5 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 [Lennox LINTON]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

bananas, citrus, mangos, root crops, coconuts, cocoa

note

forest and fishery potential not exploited

Budget

expenditures

260.4 million (2017 est.)

revenues

227.8 million (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-5.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

6.5% (31 December 2010)

6.5% (31 December 2009)

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

8.08% (31 December 2017 est.)

8.28% (31 December 2016 est.)

Current Account Balance

-$70 million (2017 est.)

$5 million (2016 est.)

Debt External

$280.4 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$314.2 million (31 December 2015 est.)

Economy Overview

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.

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.)

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)

Fiscal Year

1 July - 30 June

Gdp Composition By End Use

exports of goods and services

54.4% (2017 est.)

government consumption

26.2% (2017 est.)

household consumption

60.6% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-62.7% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

21.5% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0% (2017 est.)

Gdp Composition By Sector Of Origin

agriculture

22.3% (2017 est.)

industry

12.6% (2017 est.)

services

65.1% (2017 est.)

Gdp Official Exchange Rate

$557 million (2017 est.) (2017 est.)

Gdp Per Capita Ppp

$11,000 (2017 est.)

$11,600 (2016 est.)

$11,300 (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

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 Real Growth Rate

-4.7% (2017 est.)

2.6% (2016 est.)

-3.7% (2015 est.)

Gross National Saving

10.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

20% of GDP (2016 est.)

14.3% of GDP (2015 est.)

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

highest 10%

NA

lowest 10%

NA

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)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

-13% (2017 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

0.6% (2017 est.)

0% (2016 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

82.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

71.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

$212.3 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$221.9 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Broad Money

$113.2 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$112 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad

$220,000 (31 December 2017 est.)

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment At Home

$372.7 million (31 December 2017 est.)

Stock Of Domestic Credit

$182.2 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$195.9 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Narrow Money

$113.2 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$112 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Taxes And Other Revenues

40.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

23% (2000 est.)

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

199,600 Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Production

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

electrification - rural areas

80% (2012)

electrification - total population

93% (2012)

electrification - urban areas

99% (2012)

population without electricity

5,900 (2012)

Electricity Consumption

103.6 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

72% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

25% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

3% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

27,800 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

111.4 million kWh (2016 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 Production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 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.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

21 (2017 est.)

total

15,487 (2017 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

67% (July 2016 est.)

total

49,439 (July 2016 est.)

Telephone System

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 (2017)

general assessment

fully automatic network; there are multiple operators licensed to provide services, most of them are small and localised; the telecom sector across the Caribbean region remains one of the key growth areas (2017)

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 (2016)

Telephones Fixed Lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

18 (July 2016 est.)

total subscriptions

13,328 (July 2016 est.)

Telephones Mobile Cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

106 (July 2016 est.)

total subscriptions

78,444 (July 2016 est.)

Airports

2 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1 (2017)

914 to 1,523 m

1 (2017)

total

2 (2017)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

J7 (2016)

Merchant Marine

by type

general cargo 24, oil tanker 15, other 37 (2017)

total

76 (2017)

National Air Transport System

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

0 mt-km (2015)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

0 (2015)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

0 (2015)

number of registered air carriers

0 (2015)

Ports And Terminals

major seaport(s)

Portsmouth, Roseau

Roadways

paved

762 km (2010)

total

1,512 km (2010)

unpaved

750 km (2010)

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, 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