General Information: Dominica was the last of the Caribbean islands to be colonized by Europeans, mainly due to the fierce resistance of the indigenous people – the Carib Indians. France ceded the island to Great Britain in 1763, the latter made the island its colony in 1805. In 1980, two years after independence, a corrupt and tyrannical government was replaced by an administration led by Mary Eugenia CHARLES, the first in the Caribbean, a female prime minister who has served for 15 years. See areacodesexplorer.com to know more about Dominica History.
Geography
Location: Caribbean Sea region, an island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about halfway from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago.
Geographical coordinates: 15° 25′ N. latitude, 61° 20’W e.
Reference map: Central America and the Caribbean.
Area: total: 754 km2; land surface area: 754 km2; water surface area: 0 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than four times the size of Washington, DC.
Land borders: 0 km.
Coastline: 148 km.
Maritime claims: neutral waters: 24 nautical miles; exclusive economic zone: 200 nautical miles; territorial waters: 12 nautical miles.
Climate: tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds, heavy rainfall.
Relief: sheer mountains of volcanic origin.
Maximum and minimum heights: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m; highest point: Morne-Diablotin volcano 1,447 m.
Natural resources: timber, hydropower, cultivated land.
Land use: arable land: 9%; cultivated land: 13%; pastures: 3%; forests and plantations: 67%; others: 8% (1993 est.).
Irrigated land: no data.
Natural Hazards: floods are a constant threat, and devastating hurricanes can be expected at the end of summer.
Current environmental issues: no data available.
International environmental agreements: member: Biodiversity, Climate change, Desertification, Endangered species, Environmental change, Hazardous waste, Law of the sea, Ozone layer protection, Whaling; signed but not ratified: no.
Note to the section “Geography”:
Population
Population: 70 86 people (July 2001 est.).
Age structure: under 14: 28.72% (men 10,300; women 10,027); 15 to 64 years old: 63.45% (male 23,056; female 21,855); over 65: 7.83% (male 2,267; female 3,281) (2001 est.).
Population growth: -0.98% (2001 est.).
Birth rate: 17.81 newborns / 1000 people. (2001 est.).
Mortality: 7.19 deaths / 1000 people. (2001 est.).
Migration: -20.37 people / 1000 people (2001 est.).
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male/female; up to 15 years: 1.03 male/female; 15 to 64 years old: 1.05 male/female; over 65: 0.69 male/female; for the general population: 1.01 male/female (2001 est.);
Child mortality: 16.54 deaths/1000 births (2001 est.).
Life expectancy: for the general population: 73.6 years; men: 70.74 years; women: 76.61 years (2001 est.).
General birth rate: 2.03 children/wives. (2001 est.).
Proportion of the adult population infected with HIV: no data available.
Number of people infected with HIV: no data.
Mortality due to AIDS: no data available.
Nationality: noun: resident of Dominica; adjective: Dominican.
Ethnic groups: Blacks, Indians-Caribbeans.
Faithful: Roman Catholic 77%, Protestant 15% (Methodist 5%, Pentecostal 3%, Seventh Day Adventist 3%, Baptist 2%, other 2%), non-denominational 2%, other 6%.
Languages): English (official), local dialect of French.
Literacy: Definition: Persons aged 15 and over who have ever attended school; for the general population: 94%; men: 94%; women: 94% (1970 est.).
Politics
Common long form: Commonwealth of Dominica;
Common short form: Dominica.
State structure: parliamentary democracy; republic within the Commonwealth.
Capital: Roseau.
Administrative divisions: 10 districts: St. Andrew, St. David, St. Joseph, St. John, St. George, St. Luke, St. Mark, St. Patrick, St. Peter, St. Pop.
Independence: from November 3, 1978 (until 1978 – a colony of Great Britain).
National holiday: Independence Day, November 3 (1978).
Constitution: adopted November 3, 1978.
Legal system: based on English common law.
Suffrage: from 18 pet; universal.
chief of state: President Vernon Lorden SHAW (since 6 October 1998);
head of government: Prime Minister Pierre CHARLES (since 1 October 2000); note – took over after the death of Prime Minister Roosevelt DOUGLAS;
Government: cabinet appointed by the president on the nomination of the prime minister; elections: the president is elected by the House of Assembly for 5 years; elections last held 6 October 1998 (next to be held in October 2003); the prime minister is appointed by the president; election results: Faithful Lorden SHOW elected president; Percentage of votes won by legislators: n.d.a.
Legislature: unicameral House of Assembly (30 seats, 9 appointed senators, 21 representatives elected by popular vote; term of office of members is five years); elections: elections last held 31 January 2000 (next to be held in 2005); election results: distribution of votes between parties: no data; seat distribution among parties: DLP 11, LJWP 8, DFP 2.
Judiciary: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the Court of Appeal and the High Court (located in Saint Lucia), one of the six judges must be a resident of Dominica and preside over the Court of General jurisdiction.
Political parties and leaders: Dominica Freedom Party (DFP) (Charles SAVARIN); Dominches Labor Party (DLP) (Pierre CHARLES); United Workers! party (UWP) (Edison JAMES [Edison JAMES]) Political pressure groups and their leaders Dominica Liberation Movement (DLM) (not a big left party).
Political influence groups and their leaders:
Participation in international organizations: ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO.
Diplomatic representation in the USA: Head of Mission: Ambassador Nicholas J. O. LIVERPOOL (resident in Dominica); office: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016; phone: [1] (202) 364-6781; fax: [C (202) 364-6791; Consulate General: New York.
US Diplomatic Mission: The US does not have an embassy in Dominica; US interests are represented by the embassy in Bridgetown (Barbados).
Flag Description: green with a cross in the center (vertical part of the cross of three equal stripes of yellow [left], black and white, horizontal part of three equal stripes of yellow [top], black and white); in the center, a red disk is superimposed on the cross, in which a parrot is depicted, surrounded by ten green five-pointed stars, outlined in yellow along the contours; 10 stars symbolize ten administrative divisions (districts).
