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

Geographic coordinates: 13 30 N, 61 20 W

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 750 sq km
land: 750 sq km
water : 0 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 148 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall

Terrain: rugged mountains of volcanic origin

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Morne Diablatins 1,447 m

Natural resources: timber

Land use:
arable land : 4%
permanent crops: 16%
other : 80% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months

Environment - current issues: NA

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Population: 70,158 (July 2002 est.)

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.)

Population growth rate: -0.81% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 17.3 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 7.11 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate:-18.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (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.)

Infant mortality rate: 15.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.86 years
male:70.98 years
female : 80.6 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.01 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Nationality:
noun : Dominican(s)
adjective: Dominican

Ethnic groups: black, Carib Amerindian

Religions: Roman Catholic 77%, Protestant 15% (Methodist 5%, Pentecostal 3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Baptist 2%, other 2%), none 2%, other 6%

Languages: English (official), French patois

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 94%
male: 94%
female: 94% (1970 est.)

Country name:
conventional long form : Commonwealth of Dominica
conventional short form: Dominica

Data code: DO

Government type: parliamentary democracy

National capital: Roseau

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 UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 3 November (1978)

Constitution: 3 November 1978

Legal system: based on English common law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state:President Vernon Lordon SHAW (since 6 October 1998)
head of government:Prime Minister Pierre CHARLES (since 1 October 2000); note - assumed post after death of Prime Minister Roosevelt DOUGLAS
cabinet : Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
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%

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 NA 2005)
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]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Dominica Liberation Movement or DLM (a small leftist party)

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: AmbassadorNicholas J. O. LIVERPOOL (resident in Dominica)
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 364-6781
FAX : [1] (202) 364-6791
consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; the Ambassador to Dominica resides in Bridgetown (Barbados), but travels frequently to Dominica

Flag description: green with a centered cross of three equal bands - the vertical part is yellow (hoist side), black, and white - 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 - 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.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $262 million (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: -3.2% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,700 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture:18%
industry:23%
services : 59% (2001 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 1% (2001 est.)

Labor force:
total : 25,000
by occupation: agriculture 40%, industry and commerce 32%, services 28%

Unemployment rate: 23% (2000 est.)

Budget:
revenues :$72 million
expenditures:$79.9 million, including capital expenditures of $11.5 million (FY97/98)

Industries:soap, coconut oil, tourism, copra, furniture, cement blocks, shoes

Industrial production growth rate: -10% (1997 est.)

Electricity - capacity: 15,000 kW (1994)

Electricity - production: 67 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - consumption per capita: 62.31 million kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products: bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, coconuts; forestry and fisheries potential not exploited

Exports:
total value : $49 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
commodities: bananas, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges
partners: Caricom countries 47%, UK 36%, US 7% (1996 est.)

Imports:
total value: $132 million (c.i.f., 2000 est.)
commodities : manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals
partners: US 41%, Caricom countries 25%, UK 13%, Netherlands, Canada (1996 est.)

Debt - external: $150 million (2000)

Economic aid:
recipient :$24.4 million (1995)

Currency: 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (February 1997; fixed rate since 1976)

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Telephones: 19,000 (1996)

Telephone system:
domestic: fully automatic network
international: microwave radio relay and SHF radiotelephone links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radiotelephone links to Saint Lucia

Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 10, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios: 46,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 0 (however, there is one cable television company) (1997)

Televisions: 6,000 (1997)

Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total: 780 km
paved:390 km
unpaved: 390 km (2001)

Ports and harbors: Portsmouth, Roseau

Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)

Airports: 2

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2001)

Military branches: Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (includes Special Service Unit, Coast Guard)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: NA

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: NA

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%

Disputes - international: none

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; minor cannabis producer; banking industry is vulnerable to money laundering