Dominica

Geography

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

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total area: 750 sq km
land area: 750 sq km
comparative area: slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 148 km

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

International disputes: none

Climate: tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall

Terrain: rugged mountains of volcanic origin

Natural resources: timber

Land use:
arable land: 9%
permanent crops: 13%
meadows and pastures: 3%
forest and woodland: 41%
other: 34%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Environment:
current issues: NA
natural hazards: flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling

People

Population: 82,608 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 29% (female 11,665; male 12,130)
15-64 years: 64% (female 25,606; male 26,890)
65 years and over: 7% (female 3,724; male 2,593) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.4% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 18.63 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 5.33 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: -9.36 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 9.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.2 years
male: 74.35 years
female: 80.2 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.95 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Dominican(s)
adjective: Dominican

Ethnic divisions: black, Carib Indians

Religions: Roman Catholic 77%, Protestant 15% (Methodist 5%, Pentecostal 3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Baptist 2%, other 2%), none 2%, unknown 1%, other 5%

Languages: English (official), French patois

Literacy: age 15 and over has ever attended school (1970)
total population: 94%
male: 94%
female: 94%

Labor force: 25,000
by occupation: agriculture 40%, industry and commerce 32%, services 28% (1984)

Government

Names:
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica
conventional short form: Dominica

Digraph: DO

Type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Roseau

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 Crispin Anselm SORHAINDO (since 25 October 1993) election last held 4 October 1993 (next to be held NA October 1998); results - President Crispin Anselm SORHAINDO was elected by the House of Assembly to a five-year term
head of government: Prime Minister (Mary) Eugenia CHARLES (since 21 July 1980, elected for a third term 28 May 1990)
cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister

Legislative branch: unicameral
House of Assembly: elections last held 28 May 1990 (next to be held by October 1995); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (30 total; 9 appointed senators and 21 elected representatives) DFP 11, UWP 6, DLP 4

Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: Dominica Freedom Party (DFP), Brian ALLEYNE; Dominica Labor Party (DLP), Rosie DOUGLAS; United Workers Party (UWP), Edison JAMES

Other political or pressure groups: Dominica Liberation Movement (DLM), a small leftist group

Member of: ACCT, ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in US: Dominica has no embassy in the US
consulate(s) general: New York

US diplomatic representation: no official presence since the Ambassador resides in Bridgetown (Barbados), but travels frequently to Dominica

Flag: green with a centered cross of three equal bands - the vertical part is yellow (hoist side), black, and white - 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

Overview: The economy is dependent on agriculture and thus is highly vulnerable to climatic conditions. Agriculture accounts for about 30% of GDP and employs 40% of the labor force. Principal products include bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, and coconuts. Development of the tourist industry remains difficult because of the rugged coastline and the lack of an international airport. In 1994 a tropical storm devastated the banana industry.

National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $200 million (1994 est.)

National product real growth rate: 1.6% (1994 est.)

National product per capita: $2,260 (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.6% (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate: 15% (1992 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $70 million
expenditures: $84 million, including capital expenditures of $26 million (FY90/91 est.)

Exports: $48.3 million (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities: bananas, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges
partners: UK 55%, CARICOM countries, Italy, US

Imports: $98.8 million (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities: manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals
partners: US 25%, CARICOM, UK, Japan, Canada

External debt: $92.8 million (1992)

Industrial production: growth rate -10% (1994 est.); accounts for 7% of GDP

Electricity:
capacity: 7,000 kW
production: 30 million kWh
consumption per capita: 347 kWh (1993)

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

Agriculture: accounts for 30% of GDP; principal crops - bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, coconuts; bananas provide the bulk of export earnings; forestry and fisheries potential not exploited

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; minor cannabis producer

Economic aid:
recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $120 million

Currency: 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Transportation

Railroads: 0 km

Highways:
total: 750 km
paved: 370 km
unpaved: gravel or earth 380 km

Ports: Portsmouth, Roseau

Merchant marine: none

Airports:
total: 2
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1
with paved runways under 914 m: 1

Communications

Telephone system: 4,600 telephones; fully automatic network
local: NA
intercity: NA
international: SHF radio and microwave radio relay links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radio links to Saint Lucia

Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 2, shortwave 0
radios: NA

Television:
broadcast stations: 1 cable
televisions: NA

Defense Forces

Branches: Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (includes Special Service Unit, Coast Guard)

Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP