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Communications

Airports [time series]

total: 2 usable: 2 with permanent-surface runways: 2 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 0 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 1

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

750 km total; 370 km paved, 380 km gravel and earth

Ports [time series]

Roseau, Portsmouth

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

4,600 telephones in fully automatic network; VHF and UHF link to Saint Lucia; new SHF links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; broadcast stations - 3 AM, 2 FM, 1 cable TV

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability [time series]

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 26% of GDP; principal crops - bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, coconuts; bananas provide the bulk of export earnings; forestry and fisheries potential not exploited

Budget [time series]

revenues $70 million; expenditures $84 million, including capital expenditures of $26 million (FY91 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents

Economic aid [time series]

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

Electricity [time series]

7,000 kW capacity; 16 million kWh produced, 185 kWh per capita (1992)

Exchange rates [time series]

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

Exports [time series]

$66.0 million (c.i.f., 1991) commodities: bananas, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges partners: UK 50%, CARICOM countries, US, Italy

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$87 million (1991)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 July - 30 June

Imports [time series]

$110.0 million (c.i.f., 1991) commodities: manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals partners: US 27%, CARICOM, UK, Canada

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 4.5% in manufacturing (1988 est.); accounts for 18% of GDP

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

4.5% (1991)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $174 million (1991 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$2,100 (1991 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

2.1% (1991 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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. In 1991, GDP grew by 2.1%. The tourist industry remains undeveloped because of a rugged coastline and the lack of an international airport.

Unemployment rate [time series]

15% (1991)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 750 km2 land area: 750 km2 comparative area: slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC

Climate [time series]

tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall

Coastline [time series]

148 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

flash floods a constant hazard; occasional hurricanes

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

none

Irrigated land [time series]

NA km2

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

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

Location [time series]

in the eastern Caribbean, about halfway between Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago

Map references [time series]

Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

timber

Terrain [time series]

rugged mountains of volcanic origin

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

Roseau

Constitution [time series]

3 November 1978

Digraph [time series]

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]

there is no chancery in the US

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

House of Assembly: last held 28 May 1990 (next to be held May 1995); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (30 total; 9 appointed senators and 21 elected representatives) DFP 11, UWP 6, DLP 4 President: last held 20 December 1988 (next to be held December 1993); results - President Sir Clarence Augustus SEIGNORET was reelected by the House of Assembly

Executive branch [time series]

president, prime minister, Cabinet

Flag [time series]

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)

Independence [time series]

3 November 1978 (from UK)

Judicial branch [time series]

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State: President Sir Clarence Augustus SEIGNORET (since 19 December 1983) Head of Government: Prime Minister (Mary) Eugenia CHARLES (since 21 July 1980, elected for a third term 28 May 1990)

Legal system [time series]

based on English common law

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral House of Assembly

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

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

Country name (Names) [time series]

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

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 3 November (1978)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

Dominica Liberation Movement (DLM), a small leftist group

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Dominica Freedom Party (DFP), (Mary) Eugenia CHARLES; Dominica Labor Party (DLP), Rosie DOUGLAS; United Workers Party (UWP), Edison JAMES

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Government type (Type) [time series]

parliamentary democracy

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

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

People

Birth rate [time series]

20.82 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate [time series]

5.06 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

black, Carib Indians

Infant mortality rate [time series]

10.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force [time series]

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

Languages [time series]

English (official), French patois

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 76.72 years male: 73.89 years female: 79.71 years (1993 est.)

Literacy [time series]

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

Nationality [time series]

noun: Dominican(s) adjective: Dominican

Net migration rate [time series]

-2.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population [time series]

86,547 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

1.31% (1993 est.)

Religions [time series]

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

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.03 children born/woman (1993 est.)