Dominica

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 Britain in 1763, and Dominica became a British colony 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 first part of the British Leeward Islands and then the British Windward Islands until 1958. In 1967, Dominica became an associated state of the UK, formally taking responsibility for its internal affairs, and the country gained its independence in 1978. In 1980, Dominica's fortunes improved when Mary Eugenia CHARLES -- the first female prime minister in the Caribbean -- replaced a corrupt and tyrannical administration, and she served for the next 15 years. In 2017, Hurricane Maria passed over the island, causing extensive damage to structures, roads, communications, and the power supply, and largely destroying critical agricultural areas.

text

Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about halfway between Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago

text

15 25 N, 61 20 W

text

Central America and the Caribbean

text

slightly more than four times the size of Washington, D.C.

text

148 km

text

tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall

text

rugged mountains of volcanic origin

text

timber, hydropower, arable land

text

NA

text

population is mostly 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

text

flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months <br><br><strong>volcanism:</strong> Dominica 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

text

known as "The Nature Island of the Caribbean" due to its 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

text

African descent 84.5%, mixed 9%, Indigenous 3.8%, other 2.1%, unspecified 0.6% (2011 est.)

text

English (official), French patois

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.)

text

-0.04% (2025 est.)

text

13.02 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

text

8.15 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

text

-5.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

text

population is mostly 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

text

15,000 ROSEAU (capital) (2018)

text

36 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

text

2.01 children born/woman (2025 est.)

text

0.98 (2025 est.)

text

1.16 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

text

3 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

text

27.9% (2016)

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

text

pollution from agrochemicals and from untreated sewage; forests endangered by the expansion of farming; soil erosion; pollution of the coastal zone from agricultural/industrial chemicals and untreated sewage

text

tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall

text

7.9 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

text

200 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

text

parliamentary republic

text

10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick, Saint Paul, Saint Peter

text

common law based on the English model

text

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

text

18 years of age; universal

text

Dominica Freedom Party or DFP<br>Dominica Labor Party or DLP<br>Dominica United Workers Party or UWP

text

ACP, ACS, 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

text

3 November 1978 (from the UK)

text

Independence Day, 3 November (1978)

text

<strong>description: </strong>green with a centered cross of three equal bands in yellow, black, and white; in the center of the cross is a red disk with a Sisserou parrot surrounded by 10 five-pointed green stars edged in yellow<br><br><strong>meaning:</strong> the stars represent the 10 administrative divisions (parishes); green symbolizes the island's lush vegetation; the tricolor cross represents the Christian Trinity; yellow stands for sunshine, the primary agricultural products (citrus and bananas), and the Carib people; black for the rich soil and the African heritage of most citizens; white for rivers, waterfalls, and the purity of aspirations; the red disc for social justice

text

sisserou parrot, Carib wood flower

text

green, yellow, black, white, red

text

the coat of arms was adopted on July 21, 1961, and features two sisserou parrots supporting a shield that is divided into four sections by a cross, a reference to the island&rsquo;s discovery on a Sunday; the quadrants feature a palm tree, a banana tree, a frog that is native to the island, and a canoe on the Caribbean Sea; the golden lion symbolizes Dominica&rsquo;s past colonial ties with the UK; below the shield is the national motto, which means "After God is the Earth"

text

highly agrarian OECS island economy; ECCU-member state; large banana exporter; improved oversight of its citizenship-by-investment program; emerging ecotourism, information and communications, and education industries

note

<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

note

<b>note:</b> annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

note

<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

text

$688.881 million (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> data in current dollars at official exchange rate

note

<b>note:</b> annual % change based on consumer prices

note

<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

note

<strong>note:</strong> figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

text

taro, grapefruits, yams, bananas, coconuts, plantains, milk, yautia, sugarcane, oranges (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

text

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

text

8.8% (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

note

<b>note:</b> personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

note

<b>note:</b> central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

text

Bahamas, The 13%, Saudi Arabia 11%, Iceland 10%, Guyana 7%, Antigua &amp; Barbuda 7% (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

text

iron blocks, medical instruments, excavation machinery, power equipment, soap (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five export commodities based on value in dollars

note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

text

USA 24%, China 11%, Indonesia 8%, Trinidad &amp; Tobago 7%, Italy 7% (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

text

refined petroleum, ships, plastic products, semi-finished iron, cars (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars

note

<b>note:</b> holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

note

<strong>note:</strong> present value of external debt in current US dollars

text

no terrestrial TV service; 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)

text

.dm

text

J7

text

2 (2025)

text

no regular military forces; Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (CDPF) under the Ministry of National Security and Legal Affairs

text

Dominica has been a member of the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) since its creation in 1982; RSS signatories (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, St. Kitts and Nevis, 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 (2025)