2019 Edition

CIA World Factbook 2019 Archive (Wayback Machine)

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Countries

267

Data Records

66,981

Dominica

2019 Edition · 254 data fields

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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 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.

Geography

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

Highest Point: Morne Diablotins 1,447 m
Lowest Point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

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

Land Boundaries

0 km

Land Use

Agricultural Land: 34.7% (2011 est.)
Agricultural Land Arable Land: 8% (2011 est.)
Agricultural Land Permanent Crops: 24% (2011 est.)
Agricultural Land Permanent Pasture: 2.7% (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

People and Society

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.)

Current Health Expenditure

5.3% (2016)

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

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

HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate

0.6% (2018)

HIV/AIDS Deaths

<100 (2018)

HIV/AIDS People Living With HIV/AIDS

<500 (2018)

Hospital Bed Density

3.8 beds/1,000 population (2010)

Infant Mortality Rate

Female: 6.8 deaths/1,000 live births
Male: 13.6 deaths/1,000 live births
Total: 10.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

English (official), French patois

Life Expectancy at Birth

Female: 80.5 years
Male: 74.4 years
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
Male: 33.5 years
Total: 34 years (2018 est.)

Nationality

Adjective: Dominican
Noun: Dominican(s)

Net Migration Rate

-5.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 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

Physicians Density

1.08 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

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 Rural: 84.3% of population (2007 est.)
Improved Total: 81.1% of population (2007 est.)
Improved Urban: 79.6% of population (2007 est.)
Unimproved Rural: 15.7% of population (2007 est.)
Unimproved Total: 18.9% of population (2007 est.)
Unimproved Urban: 20.4% 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: 1.13 male(s)/female
65 Years And Over: 0.82 male(s)/female
At Birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Total Population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2018 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: 70.8% of total population (2019)

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

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 of the president; amended several times, last in 2015 (2018)
History: previous 1967 (preindependence); latest presented 25 July 1978, entered into force 3 November 1978

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

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, traveling 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

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 president - 5 on the advice of the prime minister, and 4 on the advice of the leader of the opposition party, plus 2 ex-officio members - the house speaker and the attorney general; 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; composition - men 25, women 7, percent of women 21.9%
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

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

Economy

Agriculture Products

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

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

31 December 2009: 6.5%
31 December 2010: 6.5%

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

31 December 2016: 8.28%
31 December 2017: 8.08%

Current Account Balance

2016: $5 million
2017: -$70 million

Debt External

31 December 2015: $314.2 million
31 December 2017: $280.4 million

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

2013: 2.7
2014: 2.7
2015: 2.7
2016: 2.7
2017: 2.7
Currency: East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -

Exports

2016: $43.7 million
2017: $28 million

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.)

GDP Per Capita Ppp

2015: $11,300
2016: $11,600
2017: $11,000

GDP Purchasing Power Parity

2015: $800.4 million
2016: $821.5 million
2017: $783 million

GDP Real Growth Rate

2015: -3.7%
2016: 2.6%
2017: -4.7%

Gross National Saving

2015: 14.3% of GDP
2016: 20% of GDP
2017: 10.8% of GDP

Imports

2016: $188.4 million
2017: $206.6 million

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

2016: 0%
2017: 0.6%

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

2016: 71.7% of GDP
2017: 82.7% of GDP

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

31 December 2016: $221.9 million
31 December 2017: $212.3 million

Stock Of Broad Money

31 December 2016: $112 million
31 December 2017: $113.2 million

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad

31 December 2017: $220,000

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment at Home

31 December 2017: $372.7 million

Stock Of Domestic Credit

31 December 2016: $195.9 million
31 December 2017: $182.2 million

Stock Of Narrow Money

31 December 2016: $112 million
31 December 2017: $113.2 million

Taxes And Other Revenues

40.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

2000: 23%

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants: 21 (2017 est.)
Total: 15,487

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

Percent Of Population: 67% (July 2016 est.)
Total: 49,439

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 (2018)
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)
International: country code - 1-767; landing points for the ECFS and the Southern Caribbean Fiber submarine cables providing connectivity to other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad and to the US; microwave radio relay and SHF radiotelephone links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radiotelephone links to Saint Lucia (2019)

Telephones Fixed Lines

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants: 18 (July 2016 est.)
Total Subscriptions: 13,328

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants: 106 (July 2016 est.)
Total Subscriptions: 78,444

Transportation

Airports

2 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M: 1
914 To 1 523 M: 1
Total: 2 (2019)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

J7 (2016)

Merchant Marine

By Type: general cargo 26, oil tanker 25, other 49 (2018)
Total: 100

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

Portsmouth, Roseau

Roadways

Paved: 762 km (2018)
Total: 1,512 km (2018)
Unpaved: 750 km (2018)

Military and Security

Military And Security Forces

no regular military forces; Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (includes Coast Guard). (2019)

Military Note

Dominica participates in The Regional Security System (RSS) an international agreement for the defense and security of the eastern Caribbean region. (2019)

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, 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