Dominica
Commonwealth of Dominica
parliamentary democracyIndependence 3 November 1978 (from UK)
Dominica as the 2002 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 109 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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.
Geography
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago
18 fieldsLand useshare of 754 sq km
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
Natural hazards
flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months
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
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
People
18 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2002 est.)
Male · female
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 28.3% (male 10,052; female 9,800)
- 15-64 years:
- 63.8% (male 23,011; female 21,782)
- 65 years and over:
- 7.9% (male 2,245; female 3,268) (2002 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.69 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1.01 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Government
Parliamentary democracy; President Vernon Lordon SHAW (since 6 October 1998); Prime Minister Pierre CHARLES (since 1 October 2000)
18 fieldsHouse of Assembly, 21 seats, elected 31 January 2000one dot, one seat
Administrative divisions
10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick, Saint Paul, Saint Peter
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Vernon Lordon SHAW (since 6 October 1998)
- elections:
- president elected by the House of Assembly for a five-year term;
- election last held 6 October 1998 (next to be held NA October 2003);
- prime minister appointed by the president
- election results:
- Vernon Lordon SHAW elected president; percent of legislative vote - NA%
- cabinet:
- Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Pierre CHARLES (since 1 October 2000); note - assumed post after death of Prime Minister Roosevelt DOUGLAS
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
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)
Political parties and leaders
- Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Charles SAVARIN];
- Dominica Labor Party or DLP [Pierre CHARLES];
- United Workers Party or UWP [Edison JAMES]
International organization participation
ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
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
- consulate(s) general:
- New York
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 364-6791
Diplomatic representation from the US
the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; US interests are served by the embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados
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
The Dominican economy depends on agriculture, primarily bananas, and remains highly vulnerable to climatic conditions.
32 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2001 est.)
Electricity
Economy - overview
The Dominican economy depends on agriculture, primarily bananas, and remains highly vulnerable to climatic conditions. Hurricane Luis devastated the country's banana crop in 1995 after tropical storms wiped out a quarter of the 1994 crop. The subsequent recovery has been fueled by increases in construction, soap production, and tourist arrivals.
Development of the tourism industry remains difficult however, because of the rugged coastline, lack of beaches, and the absence of an international airport. Economic growth is sluggish, and unemployment is greater than 20%. The government has been attempting to develop an offshore financial sector in order to diversify the island's production base.
Agriculture - products
bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, coconuts, cocoa; forest and fishery potential not exploited
Communications
10 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- NA
- domestic:
- fully automatic network
- international:
- microwave radio relay and SHF radiotelephone links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radiotelephone links to Saint Lucia
Transportation
7 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved only
Networkskm
Military
Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (including Special Service Unit, Coast Guard)
3 fieldsMilitary branches
Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (including Special Service Unit, Coast Guard)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsIllicit 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
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Dominica.” The World Factbook 2002. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/dominica/2002.