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DOMINICA

@Dominica:Geography

 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

 Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
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DOMINICA - MAJOR CITIES 
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                                        Latitude,      Internat'l     Time   
                        Population      Longitude      Phone Code     Zone   
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ROSEAU                      22,000    15.18N, 61.23W     809-        GMT-4   
Portsmouth                   3,000    15.34N, 61.27W     809-        GMT-4   
Marigot                      3,000    15.32N, 61.18W     809-        GMT-4   
Berekua                      3,000    15.14N, 61.19W     809-        GMT-4   
Saint Joseph                 3,000    15.24N, 61.26W     809-        GMT-4   
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 Area:
 total area: 750 sq km
 land area: 750 sq km
 comparative area: 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

 International disputes: none

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

 Terrain: rugged mountains of volcanic origin

 Natural resources: timber

 Land use:
 arable land: 9%
 permanent crops: 13%
 meadows and pastures: 3%
 forest and woodland: 41%
 other: 34%

 Irrigated land: NA sq km

 Environment:
 current issues: NA
 natural hazards: flash floods are a constant threat; destructive
 hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months
 international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
 Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection,
 Whaling

@Dominica:People

 Population: 82,608 (July 1995 est.)

 Age structure:
 0-14 years: 29% (female 11,665; male 12,130)
 15-64 years: 64% (female 25,606; male 26,890)
 65 years and over: 7% (female 3,724; male 2,593) (July 1995 est.)

 Population growth rate: 0.4% (1995 est.)

 Birth rate: 18.63 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

 Death rate: 5.33 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

 Net migration rate: -9.36 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

 Infant mortality rate: 9.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

 Life expectancy at birth:
 total population: 77.2 years
 male: 74.35 years
 female: 80.2 years (1995 est.)

 Total fertility rate: 1.95 children born/woman (1995 est.)

 Nationality:
 noun: Dominican(s)
 adjective: Dominican

 Ethnic divisions: black, Carib Indians

 Religions: Roman Catholic 77%, Protestant 15% (Methodist 5%,
 Pentecostal 3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Baptist 2%, other 2%), none
 2%, unknown 1%, other 5%

 Languages: English (official), French patois

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

 Labor force: 25,000
 by occupation: agriculture 40%, industry and commerce 32%, services
 28% (1984)

@Dominica:Government

 Names:
 conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica
 conventional short form: Dominica

 Digraph: DO

 Type: parliamentary democracy

 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 Crispin Anselm SORHAINDO (since 25 October
 1993) election last held 4 October 1993 (next to be held NA October
 1998); results - President Crispin Anselm SORHAINDO was elected by the
 House of Assembly to a five-year term
 head of government: Prime Minister (Mary) Eugenia CHARLES (since 21
 July 1980, elected for a third term 28 May 1990)
 cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president on the advice of the
 prime minister

 Legislative branch: unicameral
 House of Assembly: elections last held 28 May 1990 (next to be held by
 October 1995); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (30
 total; 9 appointed senators and 21 elected representatives) DFP 11,
 UWP 6, DLP 4

 Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court

 Political parties and leaders: Dominica Freedom Party (DFP), Brian
 ALLEYNE; Dominica Labor Party (DLP), Rosie DOUGLAS; United Workers
 Party (UWP), Edison JAMES

 Other political or pressure groups: Dominica Liberation Movement
 (DLM), a small leftist group

 Member of: ACCT, ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD,
 ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, NAM
 (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
 WHO, WMO

 Diplomatic representation in US: Dominica has no embassy in the US
 consulate(s) general: New York

 US diplomatic representation: no official presence since the
 Ambassador resides in Bridgetown (Barbados), but travels frequently to
 Dominica

 Flag: 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 economy is dependent on agriculture and thus is highly
 vulnerable to climatic conditions. Agriculture accounts for about 30%
 of GDP and employs 40% of the labor force. Principal products include
 bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, and coconuts. Development of the
 tourist industry remains difficult because of the rugged coastline and
 the lack of an international airport. In 1994 a tropical storm
 devastated the banana industry.

 National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $200 million (1994
 est.)

 National product real growth rate: 1.6% (1994 est.)

 National product per capita: $2,260 (1994 est.)

 Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.6% (1993 est.)

 Unemployment rate: 15% (1992 est.)

 Budget:
 revenues: $70 million
 expenditures: $84 million, including capital expenditures of $26
 million (FY90/91 est.)

 Exports: $48.3 million (f.o.b., 1993)
 commodities: bananas, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges
 partners: UK 55%, CARICOM countries, Italy, US

 Imports: $98.8 million (f.o.b., 1993)
 commodities: manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food,
 chemicals
 partners: US 25%, CARICOM, UK, Japan, Canada

 External debt: $92.8 million (1992)

 Industrial production: growth rate -10% (1994 est.); accounts for 7%
 of GDP

 Electricity:
 capacity: 7,000 kW
 production: 30 million kWh
 consumption per capita: 347 kWh (1993)

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

 Agriculture: accounts for 30% of GDP; principal crops - bananas,
 citrus, mangoes, root crops, coconuts; bananas provide the bulk of
 export earnings; forestry and fisheries potential not exploited

 Illicit drugs: transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and
 Europe; minor cannabis producer

 Economic aid:
 recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
 commitments (1970-89), $120 million

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

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

 Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

@Dominica:Transportation

 Railroads: 0 km

 Highways:
 total: 750 km
 paved: 370 km
 unpaved: gravel or earth 380 km

 Ports: Portsmouth, Roseau

 Merchant marine: none

 Airports:
 total: 2
 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1
 with paved runways under 914 m: 1

@Dominica:Communications

 Telephone system: 4,600 telephones; fully automatic network
 local: NA
 intercity: NA
 international: SHF radio and microwave radio relay links to Martinique
 and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radio links to Saint Lucia

 Radio:
 broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 2, shortwave 0
 radios: NA

 Television:
 broadcast stations: 1 cable
 televisions: NA

@Dominica:Defense Forces

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

 Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP


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