Dominica

Broadcast media

no terrestrial TV service available; subscription cable TV provider offers some locally produced programming plus channels from the US, Latin America, and the Caribbean; state-operated radio broadcasts on 6 stations; privately owned radio broadcasts on about 15 stations (2007)

Internet country code

.dm

Internet users

total: 49,439 | percent of population: 67.0% (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 190

Telephone system

general assessment: fully automatic network | domestic: fixed-line connections continued to decline slowly with the two active operators providing about 18 fixed-line connections per 100 persons; subscribership among the three mobile-cellular providers is about 105 per 100 persons | international: country code - 1-767; landing points for the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) and the Global Caribbean Network (GCN) submarine cables providing connectivity to other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; microwave radio relay and SHF radiotelephone links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radiotelephone links to Saint Lucia (2016)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 13,328 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 18 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 188

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 78,444 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 106 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 192

Agriculture - products

bananas, citrus, mangos, root crops, coconuts, cocoa | note: forest and fishery potential not exploited

Budget

revenues: $148.1 million | expenditures: $148.1 million (2016 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

0% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 41

Central bank discount rate

6.5% (31 December 2010) | 6.5% (31 December 2009) | country comparison to the world: 56

Commercial bank prime lending rate

8.33% (31 December 2016 est.) | 8.67% (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 102

Current account balance

$5 million (2016 est.) | $-85.6 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 71

Debt - external

$288.6 million (31 December 2016 est.) | $314.2 million (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 187

Economy - overview

The Dominican economy has been dependent on agriculture - primarily bananas - in years past, but increasingly has been driven by tourism as the government seeks to promote Dominica as an "ecotourism" destination. Moreover, Dominica has an offshore medical education sector. In order to diversify the island's economy, the government is also attempting to foster an offshore financial industry and plans to sign agreements with the private sector to develop geothermal energy resources. In 2003, the government began a comprehensive restructuring of the economy - including the elimination of price controls, privatization of the state banana company, and tax increases - to address an economic and financial crisis and to meet IMF requirements. In 2009 and 2013, the economy contracted as a result of the global recession; growth remains anemic. Although public debt levels continue to exceed pre-recession levels, the debt burden declined from 78% of GDP in 2011 to approximately 70% in 2012.

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - | 2.7 (2016 est.) | 2.7 (2015 est.) | 2.7 (2014 est.) | 2.7 (2013 est.) | 2.7 (2012 est.)

Exports

$43.7 million (2016 est.) | $44.9 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 207

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

Trinidad and Tobago 15.4%, Jamaica 13.3%, Saudi Arabia 13%, St. Kitts and Nevis 11.8%, Guyana 9.3%, Barbados 5.1%, US 5.1%, Antigua and Barbuda 4.5%, Egypt 4.1% (2016)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP (official exchange rate)

$581 million (2016 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$805 million (2016 est.) | $774 million (2015 est.) | $786 million (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 205

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 73.8% | government consumption: 22.8% | investment in fixed capital: 12.5% | investment in inventories: 0% | exports of goods and services: 39.1% | imports of goods and services: -48.2% (2016 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 14.7% | industry: 13.4% | services: 71.9% (2016 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$11,300 (2016 est.) | $11,000 (2015 est.) | $11,300 (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 132

GDP - real growth rate

2.6% (2016 est.) | -2.5% (2015 est.) | 4.4% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 180

Gross national saving

20.4% of GDP (2016 est.) | 14.6% of GDP (2015 est.) | 7.7% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 160

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$186.4 million (2016 est.) | $194.4 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 208

Imports - commodities

manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals

Imports - partners

US 23.4%, Trinidad and Tobago 18.1%, Italy 8.7%, UK 5.4% (2016)

Industrial production growth rate

1.6% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 122

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0% (2016 est.) | -0.8% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 55

Labor force

25,000 (2000 est.) | country comparison to the world: 209

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 40% | industry: 32% | services: 28% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line

29% (2009 est.)

Public debt

81% of GDP (2016 est.) | 83% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 35

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$221.9 million (31 December 2016 est.) | $126.2 million (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 156

Stock of broad money

$509.7 million (31 December 2016 est.) | $480.9 million (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 185

Stock of domestic credit

$195.9 million (31 December 2016 est.) | $277.8 million (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 184

Stock of narrow money

$112 million (31 December 2016 est.) | $96.59 million (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 189

Taxes and other revenues

28.5% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 91

Unemployment rate

23% (2000 est.) | country comparison to the world: 189

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

100,000 Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 208

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 115

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 119

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 127

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 127

Electricity - consumption

87.42 million kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 200

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 130

Electricity - from fossil fuels

60.2% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 128

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

18.1% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 95

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 79

Electricity - from other renewable sources

21.7% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 29

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 143

Electricity - installed generating capacity

33,200 kW (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 200

Electricity - production

94 million kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 199

Electricity access

population without electricity: 5,900 | electrification - total population: 93% | electrification - urban areas: 99% | electrification - rural areas: 80% (2012)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 176

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 94

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 118

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 128

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 es) | country comparison to the world: 133

Refined petroleum products - consumption

1,000 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 206

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 149

Refined petroleum products - imports

978.2 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 202

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 136

Area

total: 751 sq km | land: 751 sq km | water: 0 sq km | country comparison to the world: 189

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

mean elevation: NA | elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m | highest point: Morne Diablotins 1,447 m

Environment - current issues

water shortages a continuing concern; pollution from chemicals used in farming and from untreated sewage; forests endangered by the expansion of farming activities

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

agricultural land: 34.7% | arable land 8%; permanent crops 24%; permanent pasture 2.7% | forest: 59.2% | other: 6.1% (2011 est.)

Location

Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about halfway between Puerto Rico and 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 | volcanism: Dominica was the last island to be formed in the Caribbean some 26 million years ago, it lies in the middle of the volcanic island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends from the island of Saba in the north to Grenada in the south; of the 16 volcanoes that make up this arc, five are located on Dominica, more than any other island in the Caribbean: Morne aux Diables (861 m), Morne Diablotins (1,430 m), Morne Trois Pitons (1,387 m), Watt Mountain (1,224 m), which last erupted in 1997, and Morne Plat Pays (940 m); the two best known volcanic features on Dominica, the Valley of Desolation and the Boiling Lake thermal areas, lie on the flanks of Watt Mountain and both are popular tourist destinations

Natural resources

timber, hydropower, arable land

Population - distribution

population is mostly clustered along the coast, with roughly a third living in the parish of St. George, in or around the capital of Roseau; the volcanic interior is sparsely populated

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

name: Roseau | geographic coordinates: 15 18 N, 61 24 W | time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: yes | citizenship by descent: yes | dual citizenship recognized: yes | residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Constitution

previous 1967 (preindependence); latest presented 25 July 1978, entered into force 3 November 1978; amended several times, last in 2015 (2016)

Country name

conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica | conventional short form: Dominica | etymology: the island was named by explorer Christopher COLUMBUS for the day of the week on which he spotted it, Sunday ("Domingo" in Latin), 3 November 1493

Diplomatic representation from the US

the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Dominica

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Vince HENDERSON (since 18 January 2017) | 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 Charles A. SAVARIN (since 2 October 2013) | head of government: Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT (since 8 January 2004) | cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister | elections/appointments: president nominated by the prime minister and leader of the opposition party and elected by the House of Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 30 September 2013 (next to be held in October 2018); prime minister appointed by the president | election results: Charles A. SAVARIN (DLP) elected president; House of Assembly vote - 19-0

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, unique to Dominica, encircled by 10 green, five-pointed stars edged in yellow; the 10 stars represent the 10 administrative divisions (parishes); green symbolizes the island's lush vegetation; the triple-colored cross represents the Christian Trinity; the yellow color denotes sunshine, the main agricultural products (citrus and bananas), and the native Carib Indians; black is for the rich soil and the African heritage of most citizens; white signifies rivers, waterfalls, and the purity of aspirations; the red disc stands for social justice

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

3 November 1978 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, Commonwealth of Nations, ECCU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - consists of the Court of Appeal - headed by the chief justice and 4 judges - and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal is itinerant, travelling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside at the member states with 2 in Dominica; note - Dominica is a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice | judge selection and term of office: chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by the Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, an independent body of judicial officials; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62 | subordinate courts: Court of Summary Jurisdiction; magistrates' courts

Legal system

common law based on the English model

Legislative branch

description: unicameral House of Assembly (32 seats; 21 representatives directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 9 senators appointed by the Assembly, and 2 ex-officio members - the House Speaker and the Clerk of the House; members serve 5-year terms) | elections: last held on 8 December 2014 (next to be held in 2019); note - tradition dictates that the election is held within 5 years of the last election, but technically it is 5 years from the first seating of parliament plus a 90-day grace period | election results: percent of vote by party - DLP 57.0%, UWP 42.9%, other 0.1%; seats by party - DLP 15, UWP 6

National anthem

name: "Isle of Beauty" | lyrics/music: Wilfred Oscar Morgan POND/Lemuel McPherson CHRISTIAN | note: adopted 1967

National holiday

Independence Day, 3 November (1978)

National symbol(s)

Sisserou parrot, Carib Wood flower; national colors: green, yellow, black, white, red

Political parties and leaders

Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Judith PESTAINA] | Dominica Labor Party or DLP [Roosevelt SKERRIT] | Dominica United Workers Party or UWP [Lennox LINTON]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Dominica Trade Union [Harold SEALY] | Dominca Public Service Union [Mervin ANTHONY]

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 colonized the island 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. On 18 September 2017, Hurricane Maria passed over the island causing extensive damage to structures, roads, communications, and the power supply, and largely destroying critical agricultural areas.

Military branches

no regular military forces; Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (includes Coast Guard) (2012)

Age structure

0-14 years: 21.72% (male 8,210/female 7,843) | 15-24 years: 15.14% (male 5,758/female 5,428) | 25-54 years: 42.2% (male 15,809/female 15,372) | 55-64 years: 9.81% (male 3,860/female 3,387) | 65 years and over: 11.14% (male 3,679/female 4,551) (2017 est.)

Birth rate

15.1 births/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 127

Death rate

7.9 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 93

Drinking water source

urban: 95.7% of population | urban: 4.3% of population (2015 est.)

Ethnic groups

black 86.6%, mixed 9.1%, indigenous 2.9%, other 1.3%, unspecified 0.2% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Health expenditures

5.5% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 126

Hospital bed density

3.8 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant mortality rate

total: 10.6 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 14 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 132

Languages

English (official), French patois

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 77.2 years | male: 74.2 years | female: 80.3 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 76

Major infectious diseases

note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus (2016)

Major urban areas - population

ROSEAU (capital) 15,000 (2014)

Median age

total: 33.5 years | male: 33 years | female: 34 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 91

Nationality

noun: Dominican(s) | adjective: Dominican

Net migration rate

-5.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 194

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

27.9% (2016) | country comparison to the world: 33

People - note

some 3,000 Carib Indians still living on Dominica are the only pre-Columbian population remaining in the eastern Caribbean

Population

73,897 (July 2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 202

Population distribution

population is mosly clustered along the coast, with roughly a third living in the parish of St. George, in or around the capital of Roseau; the volcanic interior is sparsely populated

Population growth rate

0.18% (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 186

Religions

Roman Catholic 61.4%, Protestant 28.6% (includes Evangelical 6.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 6.1%, Pentecostal 5.6%, Baptist 4.1%, Methodist 3.7%, Church of God 1.2%, other 1.2%), Rastafarian 1.3%, Jehovah's Witness 1.2%, other 0.3%, none 6.1%, unspecified 1.1% (2001 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 79.6% of population | rural: 84.3% of population | total: 81.1% of population | urban: 20.4% of population | rural: 15.7% of population | total: 18.9% of population (2007 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.06 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 1.15 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female | total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.03 children born/woman (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 115

Urbanization

urban population: 70.1% of total population (2017) | rate of urbanization: 0.85% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Disputes - international

Dominica is the only Caribbean state to challenge Venezuela's sovereignty claim over Aves Island and joins the other island nations in challenging whether the feature sustains human habitation, a criterion under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ and continental shelf claims over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea

Illicit drugs

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

Airports

2 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 199

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 | 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2017)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

J7 (2016)

Merchant marine

total: 43 | by type: bulk carrier 11, cargo 22, chemical tanker 2, petroleum tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 1 | foreign-owned: 32 (Australia 1, Estonia 6, Germany 5, Greece 4, India 2, Latvia 2, Norway 1, Russia 3, Saudi Arabia 2, Syria 4, Turkey 1, Ukraine 1) | registered in other countries: 1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2010) | country comparison to the world: 75

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 0 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 0 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 0 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0 mt-km (2015)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Portsmouth, Roseau

Roadways

total: 1,512 km | paved: 762 km | unpaved: 750 km (2010) | country comparison to the world: 178