Dominica

Airports

total: 2 usable: 2 with permanent-surface runways: 2 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 0 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 1

Highways

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

Ports

Roseau, Portsmouth

Telecommunications

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

Branches

Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA% of GDP

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

Budget

revenues: $70 million expenditures: $84 million, including capital expenditures of $26 million (FY91 est.)

Currency

1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents

Economic aid

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

Electricity

capacity: 7,000 kW production: 16 million kWh consumption per capita: 185 kWh (1992)

Exchange rates

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

Exports

$54.6 million (1992) commodities: bananas, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges partners: UK 50%, CARICOM countries, Italy, US

External debt

$92.8 million (1992)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and Europe

Imports

$97.5 million (1992) commodities: manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals partners: US 25%, CARICOM, UK, Canada

Industrial production

growth rate 4.2% (1992); accounts for 7% of GDP

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.2% (1992 est.)

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $185 million (1992 est.)

National product per capita

$2,100 (1992 est.)

National product real growth rate

2.6% (1992 est.)

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.

Unemployment rate

15% (1992 est.)

Area

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

Climate

tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall

Coastline

148 km

Environment

current issues: NA natural hazards: flash floods are a constant threat; occasional hurricanes international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

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

Location

Caribbean, in the eastern Caribbean Sea, about halfway between Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

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

Natural resources

timber

Terrain

rugged mountains of volcanic origin

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

Constitution

3 November 1978

Digraph

DO

Diplomatic representation in US

Dominica has no chancery in the US consulate(s) general: New York

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

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)

House of Assembly

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

Independence

3 November 1978 (from UK)

Judicial branch

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court

Legal system

based on English common law

Legislative branch

unicameral

Member of

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

Names

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

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), Brian ALLEYNE; Dominica Labor Party (DLP), Rosie DOUGLAS; United Workers Party (UWP), Edison JAMES

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type

parliamentary democracy

US diplomatic representation

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

Birth rate

20.46 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate

4.98 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Ethnic divisions

black, Carib Indians

Infant mortality rate

10.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Labor force

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

Languages

English (official), French patois

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 76.96 years male: 74.12 years female: 79.95 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

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

Nationality

noun: Dominican(s) adjective: Dominican

Net migration rate

-2.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population

87,696 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

1.32% (1994 est.)

Religions

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

Total fertility rate

1.99 children born/woman (1994 est.)