Dominica

Internet country code

.dm

Internet hosts

681 (2003)

Internet users

12,500 (2002)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 0 (2004)

Telephone system

general assessment: NA domestic: fully automatic network international: country code - 1-767; microwave radio relay and SHF radiotelephone links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radiotelephone links to Saint Lucia

Telephones - main lines in use

23,700 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular

9,400 (2002)

Television broadcast stations

1 (2004)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $73.9 million expenditures: $84.4 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2001)

Currency

East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Currency code

XCD

Debt - external

$161.5 million (2001)

Economic aid - recipient

$22.8 million (2003 est.)

Economy - overview

The Dominican economy depends on agriculture, primarily bananas, and remains highly vulnerable to climatic conditions and international economic developments. Production of bananas dropped precipitously in 2003, a major reason for the 1% decline in GDP. Tourism increased in 2003 as the government sought to promote Dominica as an "ecotourism" destination. Development of the tourism industry remains difficult, however, because of the rugged coastline, lack of beaches, and the absence of an international airport. The government began a comprehensive restructuring of the economy in 2003 - including elimination of price controls, privatization of the state banana company, and tax increases - to address Dominica's economic crisis and to meet IMF targets. In order to diversify the island's production base the government is attempting to develop an offshore financial sector and is planning to construct an oil refinery on the eastern part of the island.

Electricity - consumption

67.35 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

72.41 million kWh (2001)

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001), 2.7 (2000), 2.7 (1999)

Exports

$39 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

UK 20%, Jamaica 18.5%, Antigua and Barbuda 7.7%, US 7.7%, Guyana 6.2%, Japan 6.2%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.6% (2003)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP

purchasing power parity - $380 million (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 18% industry: 24% services: 58% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $5,400 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

-1% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA

Imports

$98.2 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities

manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals

Imports - partners

US 18.5%, China 18%, Trinidad and Tobago 14.6%, Japan 6.3%, South Korea 5.4%, UK 5.4% (2003)

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 (1999 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

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

Oil - consumption

600 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line

30% (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate

23% (2000 est.)

Area

total: 754 sq km land: 754 sq km water: 0 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: 6.67% permanent crops: 20% other: 73.33% (2001)

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

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 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; the US Ambassador to Barbados, Ambassador Mary E. KRAMER, is accredited to Dominica

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 FAX: [1] (202) 364-6791 consulate(s) general: New York

Executive branch

chief of state: President Nicholas J. O. LIVERPOOL (since October 2003) head of government: Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT (since 8 January 2004); note - assumed post after death of Prime Minister Pierre CHARLES cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister elections: president elected by the House of Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 1 October 2003 (next to be held NA October 2008); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Nicholas LIVERPOOL elected president; percent of legislative vote - NA

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, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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 [Roosevelt SKERRIT]; 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

no regular military forces; Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (including Coast Guard)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA

Age structure

0-14 years: 27.3% (male 9,563; female 9,349) 15-64 years: 64.8% (male 23,097; female 21,804) 65 years and over: 7.9% (male 2,209; female 3,256) (2004 est.)

Birth rate

16.25 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate

6.9 deaths/1,000 population (2004 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

total: 14.75 deaths/1,000 live births male: 19.49 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)

Languages

English (official), French patois

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 74.38 years male: 71.48 years female: 77.43 years (2004 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 94% male: 94% female: 94% (2003 est.)

Median age

total: 29 years male: 28.7 years female: 29.4 years (2004 est.)

Nationality

noun: Dominican(s) adjective: Dominican

Net migration rate

-13.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Population

69,278 (July 2004 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.45% (2004 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: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.98 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Disputes - international

joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UNCLOS, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea

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 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Highways

total: 780 km paved: 393 km unpaved: 387 km (1999 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 13,771 GRT/19,736 DWT by type: cargo 3, container 2, petroleum tanker 1 foreign-owned: Bahamas 1, Cyprus 1, Estonia 1, Greece 1, Panama 1, Singapore 1 (2004 est.)

Ports and harbors

Portsmouth, Roseau