Dominica

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

16 (2000)

Internet country code

.dm

Internet users

2,000 (2000)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 3, FM 10, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

46,000 (1997)

Telephone system

general assessment: NA domestic: fully automatic network international: microwave radio relay and SHF radiotelephone links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radiotelephone links to Saint Lucia

Telephones - main lines in use

19,000 (1996)

Telephones - mobile cellular

461 (1996)

Television broadcast stations

0 (however, there is one cable television company) (1997)

Televisions

6,000 (1997)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $72 million expenditures: $79.9 million, including capital expenditures of $11.5 million (FY97/98)

Currency

East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Currency code

XCD

Debt - external

$150 million (2000) (2000)

Economic aid - recipient

$24.4 million (1995) (1995)

Economy - overview

The Dominican economy depends on agriculture, primarily bananas, and remains highly vulnerable to climatic conditions. Hurricane Luis devastated the country's banana crop in 1995 after tropical storms wiped out a quarter of the 1994 crop. The subsequent recovery has been fueled by increases in construction, soap production, and tourist arrivals. Development of the tourism industry remains difficult however, because of the rugged coastline, lack of beaches, and the absence of an international airport. Economic growth is sluggish, and unemployment is greater than 20%. The government has been attempting to develop an offshore financial sector in order to diversify the island's production base.

Electricity - consumption

62.31 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - production

67 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 48% hydro: 52% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)

Exports

$49 million f.o.b. (2000 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

Caricom countries 47%, UK 36%, US 7% (1996 est.)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP

purchasing power parity - $262 million (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 18% industry: 23% services: 59% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $3,700 (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

-3.2% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$132 million c.i.f. (2000 est.)

Imports - commodities

manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals

Imports - partners

US 41%, Caricom countries 25%, UK 13%, Netherlands, Canada (1996 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

-10% (1997 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1% (2001 est.)

Labor force

25,000

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 40%, industry and commerce 32%, services 28%

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

23% (2000 est.)

Area

total: 754 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 754 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall

Coastline

148 km

Elevation extremes

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

Environment - current issues

NA

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, 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

Geographic coordinates

15 25 N, 61 20 W

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

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 4% permanent crops: 16% other: 80% (1998 est.)

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

Maritime claims

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

Natural hazards

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

Natural resources

timber, hydropower, arable land

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

Country name

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; US interests are served by the embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Swinburne LESTRADE chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6781 consulate(s) general: New York FAX: [1] (202) 364-6791

Executive branch

chief of state: President Vernon Lordon SHAW (since 6 October 1998) elections: president elected by the House of Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 6 October 1998 (next to be held NA October 2003); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Vernon Lordon SHAW elected president; percent of legislative vote - NA% cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister head of government: Prime Minister Pierre CHARLES (since 1 October 2000); note - assumed post after death of Prime Minister Roosevelt DOUGLAS

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)

Government type

parliamentary democracy; republic within the Commonwealth

Independence

3 November 1978 (from UK)

International organization participation

ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

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)

Legal system

based on English common law

Legislative branch

unicameral House of Assembly (30 seats, 9 appointed senators, 21 elected by popular vote; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 31 January 2000 (next to be held by 17 July 2005) 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 (17 April 2000) plus a 90 day grace period election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -DLP 10, UWP 9, DFP 2

National holiday

Independence Day, 3 November (1978)

Political parties and leaders

Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Charles SAVARIN]; Dominica Labor Party or DLP [Pierre CHARLES]; United Workers Party or UWP [Edison JAMES]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Dominica Liberation Movement or DLM (a small leftist party)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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.

Military branches

Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (including Special Service Unit, Coast Guard)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA%

Age structure

0-14 years: 28.3% (male 10,052; female 9,800) 15-64 years: 63.8% (male 23,011; female 21,782) 65 years and over: 7.9% (male 2,245; female 3,268) (2002 est.)

Birth rate

17.3 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate

7.11 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Ethnic groups

black, mixed black and European, European, Syrian, Carib Amerindian

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA%

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

15.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Languages

English (official), French patois

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 73.86 years female: 76.88 years (2002 est.) male: 70.98 years

Literacy

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

Nationality

noun: Dominican(s) adjective: Dominican

Net migration rate

-18.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Population

70,158 (July 2002 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.81% (2002 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 77%, Protestant 15% (Methodist 5%, Pentecostal 3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Baptist 2%, other 2%), none 2%, other 6%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.01 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; minor cannabis producer; anti-money-laundering enforcement is weak, making the country particularly vulnerable to money laundering

Airports

2 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2002)

Highways

total: 780 km paved: 390 km unpaved: 390 km (2001)

Merchant marine

none (2002 est.)

Ports and harbors

Portsmouth, Roseau

Railways

0 km

Waterways

none