Dominica

Airports

2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air

NA

Highways

750 km total; 370 km paved, 380 km gravel and earth

Ports

Roseau, Portsmouth

Telecommunications

4,600 telephones in fully automatic network; VHF and UHF link to St. Lucia; new SHF links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; stations--3 AM, 2 FM, 1 cable TV

Branches

Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force

Defense expenditures

NA

Military manpower

NA

Agriculture

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

Aid

Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $109 million

Budget

revenues $60 million; expenditures $52 million, including capital expenditures of $18 million (FY88)

Currency

East Caribbean dollar (plural--dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents

Electricity

7,000 kW capacity; 16 million kWh produced, 190 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates

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

Exports

$46 million (f.o.b., 1987); commodities--bananas, coconuts, grapefruit, soap, galvanized sheets; partners--UK 72%, Jamaica 10%, OECS 6%, US 3%, other 9%

External debt

$63.6 million (December 1987)

Fiscal year

1 July-30 June

GDP

$137 million, per capita $1,408; real growth rate 5.6% (1988 est.)

Imports

$66.0 million (c.i.f., 1987); commodities--food, oils and fats, chemicals, fuels and lubricants, manufactured goods, machinery and equipment; partners--US 23%, UK 18%, CARICOM 15%, OECS 15%, Japan 5%, Canada 3%, other 21%

Industrial production

growth rate 5.9% in manufacturing (1987)

Industries

agricultural processing, tourism, soap and other coconut-based products, cigars, pumice mining

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.9% (1987)

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, coconuts, citrus, and root crops. In 1988 the economy achieved a 5.6% growth in real GDP on the strength of a boost in construction, higher agricultural production, and growth of the small manufacturing sector based on soap and garment industries. The tourist industry remains undeveloped because of a rugged coastline and the lack of an international-class airport.

Unemployment rate

10% (1989 est.)

Climate

tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall

Coastline

148 km

Comparative area

slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC

Contiguous zone

24 nm;

Environment

flash floods a constant hazard; occasional hurricanes

Extended economic zone

200 nm;

Land boundaries

none

Land use

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

Natural resources

timber

Note

located 550 km southeast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea

Terrain

rugged mountains of volcanic origin

Territorial sea

12 nm

Total area

750 km2; land area: 750 km2

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

Roseau

Communists

negligible

Constitution

3 November 1978

Diplomatic representation

there is no Chancery in the US; US--no official presence since the Ambassador resides in Bridgetown (Barbados), but travels frequently to Dominica

Executive branch

president, prime minister, Cabinet

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)

Independence

3 November 1978 (from UK)

Judicial branch

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court Chief of State--President Sir Clarence Augustus SEIGNORET (since 19 December 1983); Head of Government--Prime Minister (Mary) Eugenia CHARLES (since 21 July 1980)

Legal system

based on English common law

Legislative branch

unicameral House of Assembly (includes 9 appointed senators and 21 elected representatives)

Long-form name

Commonwealth of Dominica

Member of

ACP, CARICOM, Commonwealth, FAO, GATT (de facto), G-77, IBRD, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, OAS, OECS, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

National holiday

Independence Day, 3 November (1978)

Other political or pressure groups

Dominica Liberation Movement (DLM), a small leftist group

Political parties and leaders

Dominica Freedom Party (DFP), (Mary) Eugenia Charles; Labor Party of Dominica (LPD, a leftist-dominated coalition), Michael Douglas; United Workers Party (UWP), Edison James

Suffrage

universal at age 18 President--last held 20 December 1988 (next to be held December 1993); the president is elected by the House of Assembly; House of Assembly--last held 1 July 1985 (next to be held July 1990); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(21 total) DFP 17, LPD 4

Type

parliamentary democracy

Birth rate

26 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate

5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic divisions

mostly black; some Carib indians

Infant mortality rate

13 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force

25,000; 40% agriculture, 32% industry and commerce, 28% services (1984)

Language

English (official); French patois widely spoken

Life expectancy at birth

73 years male, 79 years female (1990)

Literacy

80% (est.)

Nationality

noun--Dominican(s); adjective--Dominican

Net migration rate

- 4 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Organized labor

25% of labor force

Population

84,854 (July 1990), growth rate 1.7% (1990)

Religion

80% Roman Catholic; Anglican, Methodist

Total fertility rate

2.6 children born/woman (1990)