Introduction
Background
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.
Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.
Geography
Location
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about halfway between Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago
Geographic coordinates
15 25 N, 61 20 W
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Area - comparative
slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries
total: 0 km
Coastline
148 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate
tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall
Terrain
rugged mountains of volcanic origin
Elevation
highest point: Morne Diablotins 1,447 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Natural resources
timber, hydropower, arable land
Land use
agricultural land: 34.7% (2018 est.)
arable land: 8% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 24% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 2.7% (2018 est.)
forest: 59.2% (2018 est.)
other: 6.1% (2018 est.)
Population distribution
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
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
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
Nationality
noun: Dominican(s)
adjective: Dominican
Ethnic groups
African descent 84.5%, mixed 9%, Indigenous 3.8%, other 2.1%, unspecified 0.6% (2011 est.)
Languages
English (official), French patois
Religions
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: 21.41% (male 8,135/female 7,760)
15-24 years: 13.15% (male 5,017/female 4,746)
25-54 years: 42.79% (male 16,133/female 15,637)
55-64 years: 10.53% (male 4,089/female 3,731)
65 years and over: 12.12% (male 4,128/female 4,867) (2020 est.)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 41.2
youth dependency ratio: 28
elderly dependency ratio: 13.2
potential support ratio: 7.6 (2021)
Median age
total: 34.9 years
male: 34.4 years
female: 35.5 years (2020 est.)
Population distribution
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: 72% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.84% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
15,000 ROSEAU (capital) (2018)
Sex ratio
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: 1.04 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 11.27 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 15.28 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 78.21 years
male: 75.25 years
female: 81.31 years (2022 est.)
Drinking water source
improved: urban: 95.7% of population
unimproved: urban: 4.3% of population
Current health expenditure
5.5% of GDP (2019)
Physicians density
1.1 physicians/1,000 population (2018)
Hospital bed density
3.8 beds/1,000 population
Alcohol consumption per capita
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.)
Literacy
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA
People - note
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
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: 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
Air pollutants
particulate matter emissions: 18.17 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 0.18 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 0.04 megatons (2020 est.)
Climate
tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall
Land use
agricultural land: 34.7% (2018 est.)
arable land: 8% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 24% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 2.7% (2018 est.)
forest: 59.2% (2018 est.)
other: 6.1% (2018 est.)
Urbanization
urban population: 72% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.84% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Revenue from forest resources
forest revenues: 0.03% of GDP (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 133Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 13,176 tons (2013 est.)
Total water withdrawal
municipal: 19 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
industrial: 0 cubic meters (2017 est.)
agricultural: 1 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Total renewable water resources
200 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Government
Country name
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
Government type
parliamentary republic
Capital
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
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 the UK)
National holiday
Independence Day, 3 November (1978)
Constitution
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
Legal system
common law based on the English model
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship
citizenship by birth: yes
citizenship by descent only: yes
dual citizenship recognized: yes
residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
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
Legislative branch
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 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: percent of vote by party - DLP 82.3%, independents 16.9%; seats by party - DLP 19, independents 2; composition - men 21, women 11, percent of women 34.4%
Judicial branch
highest court(s): 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
Political parties and leaders
Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Bernard HURTAULT]
Dominica Labor Party or DLP [Roosevelt SKERRIT]
Dominica United Workers Party or UWP [Lennox LINTON]
International organization participation
ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, Commonwealth of Nations, ECCU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Judith-Anne ROLLE (since 16 December 2021)
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 364-6781
FAX: [1] (202) 364-6791
email address and website: mail.embdomdc@gmail.com
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
embassy: the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited 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, 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
National symbol(s)
Sisserou parrot, Carib Wood flower; national colors: green, yellow, black, white, red
National anthem
name: "Isle of Beauty"
lyrics/music: Wilfred Oscar Morgan POND/Lemuel McPherson CHRISTIAN
note: adopted 1967
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites: 1 (natural)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Pitons Management Area
Economy
Economic overview
The Dominican economy was dependent on agriculture - primarily bananas - in years past, but increasingly has been driven by tourism, as the government seeks to promote Dominica as an "ecotourism" destination. However, Hurricane Maria, which passed through the island in September 2017, destroyed much of the country’s agricultural sector and caused damage to all of the country’s transportation and physical infrastructure. Before Hurricane Maria, the government had attempted to foster an offshore financial industry and planned to sign agreements with the private sector to develop geothermal energy resources. At a time when government finances are fragile, the government’s focus has been to get the country back in shape to service cruise ships. The economy contracted in 2015 and recovered to positive growth in 2016 due to a recovery of agriculture and tourism. Dominica suffers from high debt levels, which increased from 67% of GDP in 2010 to 77% in 2016. Dominica is one of five countries in the East Caribbean that have citizenship by investment programs whereby foreigners can obtain passports for a fee and revenue from this contribute to government budgets.
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$710 million (2020 est.)
$850 million (2019 est.)
$830 million (2018 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real GDP growth rate
-4.7% (2017 est.)
2.6% (2016 est.)
-3.7% (2015 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$9,900 (2020 est.)
$11,900 (2019 est.)
$11,500 (2018 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP (official exchange rate)
$557 million (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 22.3% (2017 est.)
industry: 12.6% (2017 est.)
services: 65.1% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 60.6% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 26.2% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 21.5% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 54.4% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -62.7% (2017 est.)
Agricultural products
bananas, yams, grapefruit, taro, milk, coconuts, oranges, yautia, plantains, sugar cane
note: forest and fishery potential not exploited
Industries
soap, coconut oil, tourism, copra, furniture, cement blocks, shoes
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture: 40%
industry: 32%
services: 28% (2002 est.)
Population below poverty line
29% (2009 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
Budget
revenues: 227.8 million (2017 est.)
expenditures: 260.4 million (2017 est.)
Fiscal year
1 July - 30 June
Current account balance
-$70 million (2017 est.)
$5 million (2016 est.)
Exports
$160 million (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$43.7 million (2016 est.)
Exports - partners
Saudi Arabia 47%, Qatar 5% (2019)
Exports - commodities
medical instruments, pharmaceuticals, low-voltage protection equipment, tropical fruits, bandages (2019)
Imports
$430 million (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$188.4 million (2016 est.)
Imports - partners
United States 57%, Nigeria 11%, China 6%, Italy 5% (2019)
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, natural gas, crude petroleum, recreational boats, cars (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$212.3 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$221.9 million (31 December 2016 est.)
Debt - external
$280.4 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$314.2 million (31 December 2015 est.)
Exchange rates
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -
2.7 (2017 est.)
2.7 (2016 est.)
2.7 (2015 est.)
2.7 (2014 est.)
2.7 (2013 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 100% (2020)
Electricity
installed generating capacity: 42,000 kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 82.078 million kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
imports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 8.1 million kWh (2019 est.)
Electricity generation sources
fossil fuels: 74.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 0.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 24.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Coal
production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum
total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 1,200 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
182,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 182,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Energy consumption per capita
37.513 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111Communications
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 1,000 (2020 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2020 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 76,000 (2020 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 106 (2020 est.)
Telecommunication systems
general assessment: the telecom sector has seen a decline in subscriber numbers (particularly for prepaid mobile services the mainstay of short term visitors) and revenue; fixed and mobile broadband services are two areas that have benefited from the crisis as employees and students have resorted to working from home; one area of the telecom market that is not prepared for growth is 5G mobile; governments, regulators, and even the mobile network operators have shown that they have not been investing in 5G opportunities at the present time; network expansion and enhancements remain concentrated around improving LTE coverage (2021)
domestic: fixed-line connections continue to decline slowly with only two active operators providing about 4 fixed-line connections per 100 persons; subscribership among the three mobile-cellular providers is about 106 per 100 persons (2020)
international: country code - 1-767; landing points for the ECFS and the Southern Caribbean Fiber submarine cables providing connectivity to other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad and to the US; microwave radio relay and SHF radiotelephone links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radiotelephone links to Saint Lucia (2019)
note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services
Broadcast media
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)
Internet users
total: 50,266 (2019 est.)
percent of population: 70% (2019 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 16,000 (2020 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 22 (2020 est.)
Transportation
Airports - with paved runways
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2021)
Roadways
total: 1,512 km (2018)
paved: 762 km (2018)
unpaved: 750 km (2018)
Merchant marine
total: 93
by type: general cargo 30, oil tanker 19, other 44 (2021)
Ports and terminals
major seaport(s): Portsmouth, Roseau
Military and Security
Military and security forces
no regular military forces; Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (includes Coast Guard) under the Ministry of Justice, Immigration, and National Security (2022)
Military - note
Dominica has been a member of the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) since its creation in 1982; RSS signatories (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, St. Kitts, 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 (2022)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
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
a transit point for cocaine and marijuana destined for North America, Europe, and elsewhere in the Caribbean