|
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
Geographic coordinates: 15 25 N, 61 20 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 750 sq km
land: 750 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area—comparative: slightly more than four times the
size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 148 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds;
heavy rainfall
Terrain: rugged mountains of volcanic origin
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Morne Diablatins 1,447 m
Natural resources: timber
Land use:
arable land: 9%
permanent crops: 13%
permanent pastures: 3%
forests and woodland: 67%
other: 8% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: flash floods are a constant threat; destructive
hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months
Environment—current issues: NA
Environment—international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone
Layer Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Population: 64,881 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 27% (male 8,680; female 8,530)
15-64 years: 64% (male 21,090; female 20,294)
65 years and over: 9% (male 2,570; female 3,717) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: -1.41% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 16.92 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 6.35 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -24.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 8.75 deaths/1,000 live births (1999
est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.01 years
male: 75.15 years
female: 81.01 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.89 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Dominican(s)
adjective: Dominican
Ethnic groups: black, Carib Amerindian
Religions: Roman Catholic 77%, Protestant 15% (Methodist
5%, Pentecostal 3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Baptist 2%, other
2%), none 2%, other 6%
Languages: English (official), French patois
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 94%
male: 94%
female: 94% (1970 est.)
Country name:
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica
conventional short form: Dominica
Data code: DO
Government type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Roseau
Administrative divisions: 10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint
David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint
Mark, Saint Patrick, Saint Paul, Saint Peter
Independence: 3 November 1978 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 3 November (1978)
Constitution: 3 November 1978
Legal system: based on English common law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Vernon Lorden SHAW (since 7 October
1998)
head of government: Prime Minister Edison C. JAMES (since
12 June 1995)
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 7 October 1998 (next to be
held NA October 2003); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Vernon Lorden SHAW elected president;
percent of legislative vote—NA
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly (30 seats,
9 appointed senators, 21 elected by popular vote representatives;
members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 12 June 1995 (next to be held by October
2000); byelections held 13 August 1996
election results: percent of vote by party—NA; seats
by party—UWP 12, DLP 5, DFP 4
Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (located
in Saint Lucia), one of the six judges must reside in Dominica and
preside over the Court of Summary Jurisdiction
Political parties and leaders: Dominica Freedom Party
or DFP [Charles SAVARIN]; Dominica Labor Party or DLP [Rosie DOUGLAS];
United Workers Party or UWP [Edison JAMES]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Dominica Liberation
Movement or DLM (a small leftist party)
International organization participation: 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, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Nicholas J. O. LIVERPOOL (resident
in Dominica)
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 364-6781
FAX: [1] (202) 364-6791
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not
have an embassy in Dominica; the Ambassador to Dominica resides
in Bridgetown (Barbados), but travels frequently to Dominica
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)
Economy—overview: The economy depends on agriculture
and is highly vulnerable to climatic conditions, notably tropical
storms. Agriculture, primarily bananas, accounts for 20% of GDP
and employs 40% of the labor force. Development of the tourist industry
remains difficult because of the rugged coastline, lack of beaches,
and the lack of an international airport. Hurricane Luis devastated
the country's banana crop in September 1995; tropical storms had
wiped out one-quarter of the crop in 1994 as well. The economy began
to recover in mid-1998, fueled by increases in construction, soap
production, and tourist arrivals. The government is attempting to
develop an offshore financial industry in order to diversify the
island's production base.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$216 million (1997 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: 1.8% (1997)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$3,300
(1997 est.)
GDP—composition by sector:
agriculture: 20%
industry: 16%
services: 64% (1996 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.2% (1997)
Labor force: 25,000
Labor force—by occupation: agriculture 40%, industry
and commerce 32%, services 28%
Unemployment rate: 15% (1992 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $72 million
expenditures: $79.9 million, including capital expenditures
of $11.5 million (FY97/98)
Industries: soap, coconut oil, tourism, copra, furniture,
cement blocks, shoes
Industrial production growth rate: -10% (1997 est.)
Electricity—production: 40 million kWh (1996)
Electricity—production by source:
fossil fuel: 50%
hydro: 50%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity—consumption: 40 million kWh (1996)
Electricity—exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity—imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture—products: bananas, citrus, mangoes, root
crops, coconuts; forest and fishery potential not exploited
Exports: $50.4 million (1997)
Exports—commodities: bananas 50%, soap, bay oil,
vegetables, grapefruit, oranges
Exports—partners: Caricom countries 47%, UK 36%,
US 7% (1996 est.)
Imports: $104.2 million (1997)
Imports—commodities: manufactured goods, machinery
and equipment, food, chemicals
Imports—partners: US 41%, Caricom 25%, UK 13%, Netherlands,
Canada
Debt—external: $105 million (1997 est.)
Economic aid—recipient: $24.4 million (1995)
Currency: 1 East Caribbean dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1—2.7000
(fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal year: 1 July—30 June
Telephones: 14,613 (1993 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: fully automatic network
international: microwave radio relay and SHF radiotelephone
links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radiotelephone links
to Saint Lucia
Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 2, shortwave 0
Radios: 45,000 (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 0 (there is one cable television
company) (1997)
Televisions: 5,200 (1993 est.)
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 780 km
paved: 393 km
unpaved: 387 km (1996 est.)
Ports and harbors: Portsmouth, Roseau
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 2 (1998 est.)
Airports—with paved runways:
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (1998 est.)
Military branches: Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force
(includes Special Service Unit, Coast Guard)
Military expenditures—dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures—percent of GDP: NA%
Disputes—international: none
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for narcotics bound
for the US and Europe; minor cannabis producer; banking industry
is vulnerable to money laundering
Source: 1999 CIA World Factbook
|
