{ "Introduction": { "Background": { "text": "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 colonized the island in 1805. Slavery ended in 1833 and in 1835 the first three men of African descent were elected to the legislative assembly of Dominica. In 1871, Dominica became part first of the British Leeward Islands and then the British Windward Islands until 1958. In 1967, Dominica became an associated state of the UK, and formally took responsibility for its internal affairs. 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. On 18 September 2017, Hurricane Maria passed over the island, causing extensive damage to structures, roads, communications, and the power supply, and largely destroying critical agricultural areas." } }, "Geography": { "Location": { "text": "Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about halfway between Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago" }, "Geographic coordinates": { "text": "15 25 N, 61 20 W" }, "Map references": { "text": "Central America and the Caribbean" }, "Area": { "total": { "text": "751 sq km" }, "land": { "text": "751 sq km" }, "water": { "text": "NEGL" } }, "Area - comparative": { "text": "slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC" }, "Land boundaries": { "total": { "text": "0 km" } }, "Coastline": { "text": "148 km" }, "Maritime claims": { "territorial sea": { "text": "12 nm" }, "contiguous zone": { "text": "24 nm" }, "exclusive economic zone": { "text": "200 nm" } }, "Climate": { "text": "tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall" }, "Terrain": { "text": "rugged mountains of volcanic origin" }, "Elevation": { "highest point": { "text": "Morne Diablotins 1,447 m" }, "lowest point": { "text": "Caribbean Sea 0 m" } }, "Natural resources": { "text": "timber, hydropower, arable land" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "34.7% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 8% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 24% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 2.7% (2018 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "59.2% (2018 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "6.1% (2018 est.)" } }, "Irrigated land": { "text": "NA" }, "Population distribution": { "text": "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" }, "Natural hazards": { "text": "
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
" }, "Geography - note": { "text": "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 and Society": { "Population": { "text": "74,656 (2023 est.)" }, "Nationality": { "noun": { "text": "Dominican(s)" }, "adjective": { "text": "Dominican" } }, "Ethnic groups": { "text": "African descent 84.5%, mixed 9%, Indigenous 3.8%, other 2.1%, unspecified 0.6% (2011 est.)" }, "Languages": { "text": "English (official), French patois" }, "Religions": { "text": "Roman Catholic 52.7%, Protestant 29.7% (includes Seventh Day Adventist 6.7%, Pentecostal 6.1%, Baptist 5.2%, Christian Union Church 3.9%, Methodist 2.6%, Gospel Mission 2.1%, other Protestant 3.1%), Jehovah's Witness 1.3%, Rastafarian 1.1%, other 4.3%, none 9.4%, unspecified 1.4% (2011 est.)" }, "Age structure": { "0-14 years": { "text": "20.82% (male 7,954/female 7,592)" }, "15-64 years": { "text": "65.82% (male 25,085/female 24,053)" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "13.36% (2023 est.) (male 4,712/female 5,260)" } }, "Dependency ratios": { "total dependency ratio": { "text": "41.2" }, "youth dependency ratio": { "text": "28" }, "elderly dependency ratio": { "text": "13.2" }, "potential support ratio": { "text": "7.6 (2021)" } }, "Median age": { "total": { "text": "34.9 years" }, "male": { "text": "34.4 years" }, "female": { "text": "35.5 years (2020 est.)" } }, "Population growth rate": { "text": "0.02% (2023 est.)" }, "Birth rate": { "text": "13.64 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)" }, "Death rate": { "text": "8.12 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)" }, "Net migration rate": { "text": "-5.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)" }, "Population distribution": { "text": "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" }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "72% of total population (2023)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "0.84% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" } }, "Major urban areas - population": { "text": "15,000 ROSEAU (capital) (2018)" }, "Sex ratio": { "at birth": { "text": "1.05 male(s)/female" }, "0-14 years": { "text": "1.05 male(s)/female" }, "15-64 years": { "text": "1.04 male(s)/female" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "0.9 male(s)/female" }, "total population": { "text": "1.02 male(s)/female (2023 est.)" } }, "Infant mortality rate": { "total": { "text": "11 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "male": { "text": "14.89 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "female": { "text": "6.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)" } }, "Life expectancy at birth": { "total population": { "text": "78.45 years" }, "male": { "text": "75.51 years" }, "female": { "text": "81.53 years (2023 est.)" } }, "Total fertility rate": { "text": "2.01 children born/woman (2023 est.)" }, "Gross reproduction rate": { "text": "0.98 (2023 est.)" }, "Contraceptive prevalence rate": { "text": "NA" }, "Drinking water source": { "improved: urban": { "text": "urban: 95.7% of population" }, "unimproved: urban": { "text": "urban: 4.3% of population" } }, "Current health expenditure": { "text": "5.7% of GDP (2020)" }, "Physicians density": { "text": "1.1 physicians/1,000 population (2018)" }, "Hospital bed density": { "text": "3.8 beds/1,000 population" }, "Obesity - adult prevalence rate": { "text": "27.9% (2016)" }, "Alcohol consumption per capita": { "total": { "text": "6.32 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "beer": { "text": "1.64 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "wine": { "text": "0.29 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "spirits": { "text": "4.39 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "other alcohols": { "text": "0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" } }, "Children under the age of 5 years underweight": { "text": "NA" }, "Currently married women (ages 15-49)": { "text": "40.3% (2023 est.)" }, "Education expenditures": { "text": "5.5% of GDP (2021 est.)" }, "Literacy": { "total population": { "text": "NA" }, "male": { "text": "NA" }, "female": { "text": "NA" } }, "People - note": { "text": "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" } }, "Environment": { "Environment - current issues": { "text": "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" }, "Environment - international agreements": { "party to": { "text": "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": { "text": "none of the selected agreements" } }, "Climate": { "text": "tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "34.7% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 8% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 24% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 2.7% (2018 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "59.2% (2018 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "6.1% (2018 est.)" } }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "72% of total population (2023)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "0.84% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" } }, "Revenue from forest resources": { "text": "0.03% of GDP (2018 est.)" }, "Revenue from coal": { "text": "0% of GDP (2018 est.)" }, "Air pollutants": { "particulate matter emissions": { "text": "18.17 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)" }, "carbon dioxide emissions": { "text": "0.18 megatons (2016 est.)" }, "methane emissions": { "text": "0.04 megatons (2020 est.)" } }, "Waste and recycling": { "municipal solid waste generated annually": { "text": "13,176 tons (2013 est.)" } }, "Total water withdrawal": { "municipal": { "text": "20 million cubic meters (2020 est.)" }, "industrial": { "text": "0 cubic meters (2017 est.)" }, "agricultural": { "text": "1 million cubic meters (2017 est.)" } }, "Total renewable water resources": { "text": "200 million cubic meters (2020 est.)" } }, "Government": { "Country name": { "conventional long form": { "text": "Commonwealth of Dominica" }, "conventional short form": { "text": "Dominica" }, "etymology": { "text": "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" } }, "Government type": { "text": "parliamentary republic" }, "Capital": { "name": { "text": "Roseau" }, "geographic coordinates": { "text": "15 18 N, 61 24 W" }, "time difference": { "text": "UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)" }, "etymology": { "text": "the name is French for \"reed\"; the first settlement was named after the river reeds that grew in the area" } }, "Administrative divisions": { "text": "10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick, Saint Paul, Saint Peter" }, "Independence": { "text": "3 November 1978 (from the UK)" }, "National holiday": { "text": "Independence Day, 3 November (1978)" }, "Constitution": { "history": { "text": "previous 1967 (preindependence); latest presented 25 July 1978, entered into force 3 November 1978" }, "amendments": { "text": "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" } }, "Legal system": { "text": "common law based on the English model" }, "International law organization participation": { "text": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction" }, "Citizenship": { "citizenship by birth": { "text": "yes" }, "citizenship by descent only": { "text": "yes" }, "dual citizenship recognized": { "text": "yes" }, "residency requirement for naturalization": { "text": "5 years" } }, "Suffrage": { "text": "18 years of age; universal" }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { "text": "President Charles A. SAVARIN (since 2 October 2013)" }, "head of government": { "text": "Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT (since 8 January 2004)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister" }, "elections/appointments": { "text": "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": { "text": "Charles A. SAVARIN (DLP) reelected president unopposed" } }, "Legislative branch": { "description": { "text": "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": { "text": "last held on 6 December 2022 (next to be held in 2027); 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": { "text": "percent of vote by party - DLP 82.3%, independent 16.9%; (elected) seats by party - DLP 19, independent 2; (Assembly) composition - men 20, women 12, percent of women 37.5%" } }, "Judicial branch": { "highest court(s)": { "text": "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": { "text": "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": { "text": "Court of Summary Jurisdiction; magistrates' courts" } }, "Political parties and leaders": { "text": "Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Bernard HURTAULT]Dominica is the only Caribbean state to challenge Venezuela's sovereignty claim over Aves Island and joins the other island nations in challenging whether the feature sustains human habitation, a criterion under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ and continental shelf claims over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea
" }, "Illicit drugs": { "text": "a transit point for cocaine and marijuana destined for North America, Europe, and elsewhere in the Caribbean; some local demand for cocaine and some use of synthetic drugs
" } } }