Internet users (Internet Service Providers (ISPs)) [time series]

16 (2000)

Internet country code [time series]

.dm

Internet users [time series]

2,000 (2000)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 3, FM 10, shortwave 0 (1998)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

general assessment: NA 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 - main lines in use) [time series]

19,000 (1996)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

461 (1996)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

0 (however, there is one cable television company) (1997)

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, coconuts, cocoa; forest and fishery potential not exploited

Budget [time series]

revenues: $73.9 million expenditures: $84.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Exchange rates (Currency code) [time series]

XCD

Debt - external [time series]

$161.5 million (2001)

Economic aid (Economic aid - recipient) [time series]

$24.4 million (1995)

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

The Dominican economy depends on agriculture, primarily bananas, and remains highly vulnerable to climatic conditions and international economic developments. Hurricane Luis devastated the country's banana crop in 1995 after tropical storms wiped out a quarter of the 1994 crop. The economy subsequently 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.

Electricity - consumption [time series]

67.35 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports [time series]

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production [time series]

72.41 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source [time series]

fossil fuel: 47.1% hydro: 52.9% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%

Exchange rates [time series]

East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001), 2.7 (2000), 2.7 (1999), 2.7 (1998)

Exports [time series]

$50 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities [time series]

bananas, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges

Exports - partners [time series]

UK 36.1%, Jamaica 18%, US 7.5%, Antigua and Barbuda 6.4%, Guyana 5.4%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.4% (2002)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 July - 30 June

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

purchasing power parity - $380 million (2002 est.)

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

agriculture: 18% industry: 24% services: 58% (2002 est.)

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

purchasing power parity - $5,400 (2002 est.)

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

1.2% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports [time series]

$135 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities [time series]

manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals

Imports - partners [time series]

China 23.9%, US 23.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 11.9%, South Korea 7.6%, UK 7.3%, Japan 4.5% (2002)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

-10% (1997 est.)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

1% (2001 est.)

Labor force [time series]

25,000

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

agriculture 40%, industry and commerce 32%, services 28%

Oil - consumption [time series]

600 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports [time series]

NA (2001)

Oil - imports [time series]

NA (2001)

Oil - production [time series]

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line [time series]

30% (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate [time series]

23% (2000 est.)

Area [time series]

total: 754 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 754 sq km

Area - comparative [time series]

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

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

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

Environment - current issues [time series]

NA

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates [time series]

15 25 N, 61 20 W

Geography - note [time series]

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

Irrigated land [time series]

NA sq km

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

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

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 territorial sea: 12 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

Natural hazards [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

timber, hydropower, arable land

Terrain [time series]

rugged mountains of volcanic origin

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

Country name [time series]

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

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; US interests are served by the embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Swinburne LESTRADE chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6781 consulate(s) general: New York FAX: [1] (202) 364-6791

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Nicholas LIVERPOOL (since 10 November 2003) elections: president elected by the House of Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 1 October 2003 (next to be held NA October 2008); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Nicholas LIVERPOOL elected president; percent of legislative vote - NA% cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister head of government: Prime Minister Pierre CHARLES (since 1 October 2000); note - assumed post after death of Prime Minister Roosevelt DOUGLAS

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

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

Government type [time series]

parliamentary democracy; republic within the Commonwealth

Independence [time series]

3 November 1978 (from UK)

International organization participation [time series]

ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Judicial branch [time series]

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)

Legal system [time series]

based on English common law

Legislative branch [time series]

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 17 July 2005) note - tradition dictates that the election will be held within five years of the last election, but technically it is five years from the first seating of parliament (17 April 2000) plus a 90 day grace period election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -DLP 10, UWP 9, DFP 2

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 3 November (1978)

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

Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Charles SAVARIN]; Dominica Labor Party or DLP [Pierre CHARLES]; United Workers Party or UWP [Edison JAMES]

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

Dominica Liberation Movement or DLM (a small leftist party)

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Background [time series]

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 Great Britain in 1763, which made the island a colony in 1805. In 1980, two years after independence, Dominica's fortunes improved when a corrupt and tyrannical administration was replaced by that of Mary Eugenia CHARLES, the first female prime minister in the Caribbean, who remained in office for 15 years. Some 3,000 Carib Indians still living on Dominica are the only pre-Columbian population remaining in the eastern Caribbean.

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure [time series]

$NA

Military expenditures (Military expenditures - percent of GDP) [time series]

NA%

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 27.8% (male 9,807; female 9,571) 15-64 years: 64.3% (male 23,024; female 21,768) 65 years and over: 7.9% (male 2,226; female 3,259) (2003 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

16.78 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate [time series]

6.99 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

black, mixed black and European, European, Syrian, Carib Amerindian

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

NA%

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

NA

Infant mortality rate [time series]

total: 15.34 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 20.29 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages [time series]

English (official), French patois

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 74.12 years male: 71.23 years female: 77.15 years (2003 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 94% male: 94% female: 94% (2003 est.)

Median age [time series]

total: 28.4 years male: 28.1 years female: 28.8 years (2002)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Dominican(s) adjective: Dominican

Net migration rate [time series]

-16.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Population [time series]

69,655 (July 2003 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

-0.63% (2003 est.)

Religions [time series]

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

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.99 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Disputes - international [time series]

protests Venezuela's claim to give full effect to Aves Island, which creates a Venezuelan EEZ/continental shelf extending over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea

Illicit drugs [time series]

transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; minor cannabis producer; anti-money-laundering enforcement is weak, making the country particularly vulnerable to money laundering

Airports [time series]

2 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2002)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 780 km paved: 393 km unpaved: 387 km (1999 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

none (2002 est.)

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

Portsmouth, Roseau

Railways [time series]

0 km

Waterways [time series]

none