Dominica

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

• 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

• 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

• water shortages a continuing concern;
• pollution from agrochemicals and from untreated sewage;
• forests endangered by the expansion of farming;
• soil erosion;
• pollution of the coastal zone by agricultural and industrial chemicals, and untreated sewage

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

• 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

noun:

Dominican(s)

adjective:

Dominican

• 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

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:

1.1 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.85 male(s)/female

total population:

1.02 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

improved:

urban: 95.7% of population

unimproved:

urban: 4.3% of population

• 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

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

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 (preindependence); latest presented 25 July 1978, entered into force 3 November 1978

amendments:

• 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;
• amended several times, last in 2015

citizenship by birth:

yes

citizenship by descent only:

yes

dual citizenship recognized:

yes

residency requirement for naturalization:

5 years

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 1 October 2018 (next to be held in October 2023);
• prime minister appointed by the president

election results:

Charles A. SAVARIN (DLP) reelected president unopposed

description:

unicameral House of Assembly (32 seats; 21 representatives directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 9 senators appointed by the president - 5 on the advice of the prime minister, and 4 on the advice of the leader of the opposition party, plus 2 ex-officio members - the house speaker and the attorney general; members serve 5-year terms)

elections:

• last held on 6 December 2019 (next to be held in 2024);
• 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 59.0%, UWP 41.0%; seats by party - DLP 18, UWP 3

highest courts:

• 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, traveling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts;
• High Court judges reside in the member states, with 2 in Dominica;
• note - in 2015, Dominica acceded to the Caribbean Court of Justice as final court of appeal, replacing that of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, in London

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

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

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

• 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

name:

Isle of Beauty

lyrics/music:

Wilfred Oscar Morgan POND/Lemuel McPherson CHRISTIAN

note: adopted 1967

agriculture:

40%

industry:

32%

services:

28% (2002 est.)

lowest 10%:

NA

highest 10%:

NA

• 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 (2019)

total:

1,512 km (2018)

paved:

762 km (2018)

unpaved:

750 km (2018)