View Intelligence Dossier Back to 1996 CSV Excel Print All Years

Communications

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49: NA males fit for military service: NA

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 3, FM 2, shortwave 0

Radios [time series]

45,000 (1993 est.)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

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

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

14,613 (1993 est.)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

1 cable

Televisions [time series]

5,200 (1993 est.) Defense

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, coconuts; forestry and fisheries potential not exploited

Budget [time series]

revenues: $80 million expenditures: $95.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY95/96 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economic overview [time series]

The economy is dependent on agriculture and thus is highly vulnerable to climatic conditions. Agriculture accounts for 26% of GDP and employs 40% of the labor force. Development of the tourist industry remains difficult because of the rugged coastline and the lack of an international airport. Hurricane Luis devastated the country's banana crop in September 1995; tropical storms had wiped out one-quarter of the crop in 1994 as well. The newly elected government is attempting to develop an offshore financial industry in order to diversify the island's production base.

Electricity [time series]

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

Exchange rates [time series]

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

Exports [time series]

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

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$92.8 million (1992)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 July - 30 June

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

purchasing power parity - $200 million (1995 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 26% industry: NA% services: NA% (1995)

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

$2,450 (1995 est.)

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

-1% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs [time series]

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

Imports [time series]

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

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

-10% (1994 est.)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

0.4% (1995)

Labor force [time series]

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

Unemployment rate [time series]

15% (1992 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 750 sq km land area: 750 sq km comparative area: 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]

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

Geographic coordinates [time series]

13 30 N, 61 20 W

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

none

Irrigated land [time series]

NA sq km

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]

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 [time series]

Central America and the Caribbean

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

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

Data code [time series]

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

Dominica does not have an embassy in the US consulate(s) general: New York

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Crispin Anselm SORHAINDO (since 25 October 1993) was elected for a five-year term by the House of Assembly; election last held 4 October 1993 (next to be held NA October 1998); results - percent of vote NA head of government: Prime Minister Edison C. JAMES (since 12 June 1995); prime minister is appointed by the president cabinet: Cabinet was appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister

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)

Legislative branch (House of Assembly) [time series]

elections last held 12 June 1995 (next to be held by October 2000); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (30 total; 9 appointed senators and 21 elected representatives) UWP 11, DLP 5, DFP 5

Independence [time series]

3 November 1978 (from UK)

International organization participation [time series]

ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, 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, WTrO

Judicial branch [time series]

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (located in Santa Lucia), one of the six judges must reside in Dominica and preside over the Court of Summary Jurisdiction

Legal system [time series]

based on English common law

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral

Country name (Name of country) [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), Brian ALLEYNE; Dominica Labor Party (DLP), Rosie DOUGLAS; United Workers Party (UWP), Edison JAMES

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Government type (Type of government) [time series]

parliamentary democracy

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

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

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 28% (male 11,986; female 11,521) 15-64 years: 64% (male 27,206; female 25,841) 65 years and over: 8% (male 2,608; female 3,764) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

18.38 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate [time series]

5.31 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

black, Carib Indians

Infant mortality rate [time series]

9.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages [time series]

English (official), French patois

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 77.4 years male: 74.55 years female: 80.4 years (1996 est.)

Literacy [time series]

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

Nationality [time series]

noun: Dominican(s) adjective: Dominican

Net migration rate [time series]

-9.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population [time series]

82,926 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

0.38% (1996 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%

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female all ages: 1.02 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.93 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

total: 2 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 1 (1995 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 800 km paved: 500 km unpaved: 300 km

Merchant marine [time series]

none

Ports [time series]

Portsmouth, Roseau

Railways [time series]

0 km