Dominica Population: 73,286
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| 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. |
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| Geography | |
| 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 | |
| Location: | Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about half way between Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago |
| Geographic coordinates: | 15 25 N, 61 20 W |
| Area: | total: 751 sq km land: 751 sq km water: 0 sq km Size comparison: 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 Diablotins 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 |
| Current Environment Issues: | NA |
| International Environment 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 |
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| People | |
| Population: | 73,286 (July 2013 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 22.3% (male 8,354/female 7,994) 15-24 years: 17.2% (male 6,475/female 6,100) 25-54 years: 41.2% (male 15,337/female 14,841) 55-64 years: 9% (male 3,487/female 3,074) 65 years and over: 10.4% (male 3,328/female 4,296) (2013 est.) population pyramid: |
| Median age: | total: 31.3 years male: 30.8 years female: 31.7 years (2012 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 0.216% (2012 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 15.6 births/1,000 population (2012 est.) |
| Death rate: | 8.03 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -5.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2011 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 12.38 deaths/1,000 live births male: 16.54 deaths/1,000 live births female: 8.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 76.18 years male: 73.23 years female: 79.29 years (2012 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 2.06 children born/woman (2013 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%, 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) |
| Languages: | English (official), French patois |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 94% male: 94% female: 94% (2003 est.) |
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| Government | |
| 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 the UK) |
| National holiday: | Independence Day, 3 November (1978) |
| Constitution: | 3 November 1978 |
| Legal system: | common law based on the English model |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: President Eliud WILLIAMS (since 17 September 2012) head of government: Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT (since 8 January 2004) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) 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 election results: WILLIAMS was elected president following the resignation of Nicholas LIVERPOOL |
| 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) 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 election results: percent of vote by party - DLP 61.2%, UWP 34.9%, other 3.9%; seats by party - DLP 18, UWP 3 |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 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 |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Hubert J. CHARLES 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 |
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| Economy | |
| 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 successfully developed an offshore medical education sector. In order to diversify the island's economy, the government is also attempting to develop an offshore financial sector 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 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. 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. Economic growth in 2010-2011 was about 1%. Although debt levels in 2012 continued to exceed pre-recession levels, the debt burden notably declined from 80% to approximately 70% of GDP. | |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.035 billion (2012 est.) $1.03 billion (2011 est.) $1.02 billion (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | GDP (official exchange rate): $497 million (2012 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 0.4% (2012 est.) 1% (2011 est.) 1.2% (2010 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | GDP - per capita (PPP): $14,600 (2012 est.) $14,600 (2011 est.) $14,400 (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 13.4% industry: 14.9% services: 71.7% (2012 est.) |
| Labor force: | 25,000 (2000 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 40% industry: 32% services: 28% (2002 est.) |
| Unemployment rate: | 23% (2000 est.) |
| Population below poverty line: | 29% (2009 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2% (2012 est.) 2.8% (2011 est.) |
| Budget: | revenues: $148.1 million expenditures: $185.2 million (2012 est.) |
| Public debt: | 70% of GDP (2012 est.) 78% of GDP (2009 est.) |
| Agriculture - products: | bananas, citrus, mangos, root crops, coconuts, cocoa note: forest and fishery potential not exploited |
| Industries: | soap, coconut oil, tourism, copra, furniture, cement blocks, shoes |
| Industrial production growth rate: | NA% |
| Electricity - production: | 85.5 million kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 200 |
| Electricity - consumption: | 79.52 million kWh (2009 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2010 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2010 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 - proved reserves: | 0 cu m (1 January 2012 est.) |
| Current account balance: | -$117.4 million (2012 est.) -$84.71 million (2011 est.) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $85 million (31 December 2012 est.) $81.12 million (31 December 2011 est.) |
| Debt - external: | $253.8 million (31 December 2012 est.) $257.7 million (31 December 2011 est.) |
| Exchange rates: | East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2012 est.) 2.7 (2011 est.) 2.7 (2010 est.) 2.7 (2009) |
| Fiscal year: | 1 July - 30 June |
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| Communications | |
| Telephones in use: | 15,500 (2010) country comparison to the world: 195 |
| Cellular Phones in use: | 111,000 (2011) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: fully automatic network 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 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) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | |
| Television broadcast stations: | |
| Internet country code: | .dm |
| Internet hosts: | 723 (2012) |
| Internet users: | 28,000 (2009) |
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| Transportation | |
| Airports: | 2 (2012) country comparison to the world: 199 |
| Airports (paved runways): | total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2012) |
| Roadways: | total: 780 km paved: 393 km unpaved: 387 km (2000) |
| Merchant marine: | total: 43 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) |
| Ports and terminals: | Portsmouth, Roseau |
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| Military | |
| Military branches: | no regular military forces; Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (includes Coast Guard) (2012) |
| Manpower available for military service: | males age 16-49: 19,075 (2010 est.) |
| Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 16,035 females age 16-49: 15,499 (2010 est.) |
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