Dominica

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Introduction - Dominica:
Country	Dominica


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, Dominicas 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.


Location - Dominica:
Location	Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago

Geographic coordinates	15 25 N, 61 20 W

Map references	Central America and the Caribbean

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

Land boundaries	0 km

Coastline	148 km

Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate	tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall

Terrain	rugged mountains of volcanic origin

Elevation extremes	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Morne Diablatins 1,447 m

Natural resources	timber, hydropower, arable land

Land use	arable land: 6.67% permanent crops: 21.33% other: 72% (2005)

Irrigated land	NA

Natural hazards	flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months

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

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

People - Dominica:
Population	72,386 (July 2007 est.)

Age structure	0-14 years: 25.6% (male 9,481/female 9,048) 15-64 years: 64.2% (male 23,822/female 22,656) 65 years and over: 10.2% (male 3,165/female 4,214) (2007 est.)

Median age	total: 29.1 years male: 28.7 years female: 29.6 years (2007 est.)

Population growth rate	0.184% (2007 est.)

Birth rate	15.75 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Death rate	8.44 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Net migration rate	-5.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Sex ratio	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.048 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.051 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.751 male(s)/female total population: 1.015 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate	total: 14.61 deaths/1,000 live births male: 19.68 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

Life expectancy at birth	total population: 75.1 years male: 72.17 years female: 78.18 years (2007 est.)

Total fertility rate	2.12 children born/woman (2007 est.)

Hiv aids adult prevalence rate	NA

Hiv aids people living with hiv aids	NA

Hiv aids deaths	NA

Nationality	noun: Dominican(s) adjective: Dominican

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

Religions	Roman Catholic 61.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 6%, Pentecostal 5.6%, Baptist 4.1%, Methodist 3.7%, Church of God 1.2%, Jehovahs Witnesses 1.2%, other Christian 7.7%, Rastafarian 1.3%, other or unspecified 1.6%, none 6.1% (2001 census)

Languages	English (official), French patois

Literacy	definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 94% male: 94% female: 94% (2003 est.)

Government - Dominica:
Country name	conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica conventional short form: Dominica

Government type	parliamentary democracy

Capital	name: Roseau geographic coordinates: 15 18 N, 61 24 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions	10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick, Saint Paul, Saint Peter

Independence	3 November 1978 (from UK)

National holiday	Independence Day, 3 November (1978)

Constitution	3 November 1978

Legal system	based on English common law

Suffrage	18 years of age; universal

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%

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

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)

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)

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, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the us	chief of mission: vacant chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6781 FAX: [1] (202) 364-6791 consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the us	the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Dominica

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)

Economy - Dominica:
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. Development of the tourism industry remains difficult, however, because of the rugged coastline, lack of beaches, and the absence of an international airport. The government began a comprehensive restructuring of the economy in 2003 - including elimination of price controls, privatization of the state banana company, and tax increases - to address Dominicas economic crisis and to meet IMF targets. In order to diversify the islands production base, the government is attempting to develop an offshore financial sector and is planning to construct an oil refinery on the eastern part of the island.

Gdp purchasing power parity	$485 million (2006 est.)

Gdp official exchange rate	$279 million (2005)

Gdp real growth rate	3.1% (2005 est.)

Gdp per capita ppp	$3,800 (2005 est.)

Gdp composition by sector	agriculture: 17.7% industry: 32.8% services: 49.5% (2004 est.)

Labor force	25,000 (1999 est.)

Labor force by occupation	agriculture: 40% industry: 32% services: 28%

Unemployment rate	23% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line	30% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate consumer prices	-0.1% (2005 est.)

Budget	revenues: $73.9 million expenditures: $84.4 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2001)

Agriculture products	bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, coconuts, cocoa; forest and fishery potential not exploited

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

Industrial production growth rate	-10% (1997 est.)

Electricity production	83.88 million kWh (2004)

Electricity consumption	78.01 million kWh (2004)

Electricity exports	0 kWh (2004)

Electricity imports	0 kWh (2004)

Oil production	0 bbl/day (2004)

Oil consumption	900 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil exports	NA bbl/day

Oil imports	NA bbl/day

Oil proved reserves	0 bbl

Natural gas production	0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas consumption	0 cu m (2004 est.)

Exports	$74 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

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

Exports partners	UK 22.7%, Jamaica 10.3%, South Korea 9.1%, Antigua and Barbuda 9%, Guyana 7.6%, China 7.2%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.9%, Saint Lucia 4.1% (2006)

Imports	$234 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports commodities	manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals

Imports partners	US 24.3%, China 21.8%, Trinidad and Tobago 13.2%, South Korea 7.6% (2006)

Debt external	$213 million (2004)

Economic aid recipient	$29.2 million (2004 est.)

Currency code	East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Exchange rates	East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002)

Communications - Dominica:
Fiscal year	1 July - 30 June

Telephones main lines in use	21,000 (2004)

Telephones mobile cellular	41,800 (2004)

Telephone system	general assessment: NA domestic: fully automatic network international: country code - 1-767; microwave radio relay and SHF radiotelephone links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radiotelephone links to Saint Lucia

Radio broadcast stations	AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 0 (2003)

Television broadcast stations	1 (2004)

Internet country code	.dm

Internet hosts	263 (2006)

Internet users	26,000 (2005)

Transportation - Dominica:
Airports	2 (2006)

Airports with paved runways	total: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)

Roadways	total: 780 km paved: 393 km unpaved: 387 km (1999)

Merchant marine	total: 48 ships (1000 GRT or over) 634,668 GRT/1,100,558 DWT by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 24, chemical tanker 4, container 2, petroleum tanker 6, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 1, vehicle carrier 1 foreign-owned: 45 (Estonia 11, Germany 1, Greece 5, Latvia 1, Norway 1, NZ 4, Russia 2, Saudi Arabia 3, Singapore 9, Syria 1, Turkey 3, UAE 2, Ukraine 2) (2006)

Ports and terminals	Portsmouth, Roseau

Military - Dominica:
Military branches	no regular military forces; Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (includes coast guard) (2006)

Manpower available for military service	males age 18-49: 18,227 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service	males age 18-49: 15,136 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually	males age 18-49: 602 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures percent of gdp	NA (2006)

Disputes international	Dominica is the only Caribbean state to challenge Venezuelas 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