Dominica

• tropical;
• moderated by northeast trade winds;
• heavy rainfall

agricultural land:

33.3% (2023 est.)

arable land:

8% (2023 est.)

permanent crops:

22.7% (2023 est.)

permanent pasture:

2.7% (2023 est.)

forest:

76.6% (2023 est.)

other:

0% (2023 est.)

• 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

• known as "The Nature Island of the Caribbean" due to its 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

noun:

Dominican(s)

adjective:

Dominican

total:

37.5 years (2025 est.)

male:

36.5 years

female:

37.6 years

• 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

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.91 male(s)/female

total population:

1.02 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

10.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male:

14.5 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

6.8 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

78.7 years (2024 est.)

male:

75.8 years

female:

81.8 years

total:

6.32 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

1.64 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

0.29 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

4.39 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

• 3,000-3,500 Kalinago (Carib) still living on Dominica are the only pre-Columbian population remaining in the Caribbean;
• only 70-100 may be "pure" Kalinago because of years of integration into the broader population

• pollution from agrochemicals and from untreated sewage;
• forests endangered by the expansion of farming;
• soil erosion;
• pollution of the coastal zone from agricultural/industrial chemicals and untreated sewage

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, 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

• tropical;
• moderated by northeast trade winds;
• heavy rainfall

agricultural land:

33.3% (2023 est.)

arable land:

8% (2023 est.)

permanent crops:

22.7% (2023 est.)

permanent pasture:

2.7% (2023 est.)

forest:

76.6% (2023 est.)

other:

0% (2023 est.)

urban population:

72% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

0.84% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

13,200 tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

12.6% (2022 est.)

municipal:

19 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial:

0 cubic meters (2022 est.)

agricultural:

1 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

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 Spanish, dominica dies in Latin), 3 November 1493

name:

Roseau

geographic coordinates:

15 18 N, 61 24 W

time difference:

UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology:

the name is French for "reed;" the first settlement was named after the river reeds that grew in the area

history:

previous 1967 (pre-independence); latest presented 25 July 1978, entered into force 3 November 1978

amendment process:

proposed by the House of Assembly; passage of amendments to constitutional sections such as fundamental rights and freedoms, the government structure, and constitutional amendment procedures requires approval by three fourths of the Assembly membership in the final reading of the amendment bill, approval by simple majority in a referendum, and assent of the president

citizenship by birth:

yes

citizenship by descent only:

yes

dual citizenship recognized:

yes

residency requirement for naturalization:

5 years

chief of state:

President Sylvanie BURTON (since 2 October 2023)

head of government:

Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT (since 8 January 2004)

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister

election/appointment process:

• 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);
• prime minister appointed by the president

most recent election date:

27 September 2023

election results:

2023: parliament elects Sylvanie BURTON (DLP) with 20 votes for and five against; 2018: Charles A. SAVARIN (DLP) reelected president unopposed

expected date of next election:

October 2028

highest court(s):

• the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States;
• the ECSC is headquartered on St. Lucia and 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 travels to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts;
• the Caribbean Court of Justice is the final court of appeal

judge selection and term of office:

• chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by the British monarch;
• 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

• Dominica Freedom Party or DFP
• Dominica Labor Party or DLP
• Dominica United Workers Party or UWP

chief of mission:

Ambassador Steve FERROL (since 15 September 2023)

chancery:

3216 New Mexico Ave NW Washington, DC 20016

telephone:

[1] (202) 364-6781

FAX:

[1] (202) 364-6791

email address and website:

[email protected]

consulate(s) general:

New York

description:

• green with a centered cross of three equal bands in yellow, black, and white;
• in the center of the cross is a red disk with a Sisserou parrot surrounded by 10 five-pointed green stars edged in yellow

meaning:

• the stars represent the 10 administrative divisions (parishes);
• green symbolizes the island's lush vegetation;
• the tricolor cross represents the Christian Trinity;
• yellow stands for sunshine, the primary agricultural products (citrus and bananas), and the Carib people;
• black for the rich soil and the African heritage of most citizens;
• white for rivers, waterfalls, and the purity of aspirations;
• the red disc for social justice

• the coat of arms was adopted on July 21, 1961, and features two sisserou parrots supporting a shield that is divided into four sections by a cross, a reference to the island’s discovery on a Sunday;
• the quadrants feature a palm tree, a banana tree, a frog that is native to the island, and a canoe on the Caribbean Sea;
• the golden lion symbolizes Dominica’s past colonial ties with the UK;
• below the shield is the national motto, which means "After God is the Earth"

title:

"Isle of Beauty"

lyrics/music:

Wilfred Oscar Morgan POND/Lemuel McPherson CHRISTIAN

history:

adopted 1967

• highly agrarian OECS island economy;
• ECCU-member state;
• large banana exporter;
• improved oversight of its citizenship-by-investment program;
• emerging ecotourism, information and communications, and education industries

agriculture:

12.2% (2024 est.)

industry:

13.9% (2024 est.)

services:

56.9% (2024 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

• no terrestrial TV service;
• 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 (2019)

total ports:

2 (2024)

large:

0

medium:

0

small:

0

very small:

2

ports with oil terminals:

1

key ports:

Portsmouth, Roseau

Dominica has been a member of the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) since its creation in 1982; RSS signatories (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines) agreed to prepare contingency plans and assist one another, on request, in national emergencies, prevention of smuggling, search and rescue, immigration control, fishery protection, customs and excise control, maritime policing duties, protection of off-shore installations, pollution control, national and other disasters, and threats to national security (2025)