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Communications

Broadcast media [time series]

no terrestrial TV service available; 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 (2007)

Internet country code [time series]

.dm

Internet users [time series]

total: 50,000 | percent of population: 67.6% (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 190

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

general assessment: fully automatic network | domestic: fixed-line connections continued to decline slowly with the two active operators providing about 20 fixed-line connections per 100 persons; subscribership among the three mobile-cellular providers is about 105 per 100 persons | international: country code - 1-767; landing points for the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) and the Global Caribbean Network (GCN) submarine cables providing connectivity to other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; microwave radio relay and SHF radiotelephone links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radiotelephone links to Saint Lucia (2015)

Telephones - fixed lines [time series]

total subscriptions: 15,123 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 21 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 188

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

total: 77,000 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 105 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 192

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

bananas, citrus, mangos, root crops, coconuts, cocoa | note: forest and fishery potential not exploited

Budget [time series]

revenues: $148.1 million | expenditures: $148.1 million (2015 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) [time series]

0% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 35

Central bank discount rate [time series]

6.5% (31 December 2010) | 6.5% (31 December 2009) | country comparison to the world: 51

Commercial bank prime lending rate [time series]

8.7% (31 December 2015 est.) | 8.94% (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 97

Current account balance [time series]

-$70 million (2015 est.) | -$68 million (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 61

Debt - external [time series]

$275.4 million (31 December 2015 est.) | $291.3 million (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 186

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

The Dominican economy has been dependent on agriculture - primarily bananas - in years past, but increasingly has been driven by tourism as the government seeks to promote Dominica as an "ecotourism" destination. Moreover, Dominica has an offshore medical education sector. In order to diversify the island's economy, the government is also attempting to foster an offshore financial industry and plans to sign agreements with the private sector to develop geothermal energy resources. In 2003, the government began a comprehensive restructuring of the economy - including the elimination of price controls, privatization of the state banana company, and tax increases - to address an economic and financial crisis and to meet IMF requirements. In 2009 and 2013, the economy contracted as a result of the global recession; growth remains anemic. Although public debt levels continue to exceed pre-recession levels, the debt burden declined from 78% of GDP in 2011 to approximately 70% in 2012.

Exchange rates [time series]

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - | 2.7 (2015 est.) | 2.7 (2014 est.) | 2.7 (2013 est.) | 2.7 (2012 est.) | 2.7 (2011 est.)

Exports [time series]

$35.2 million (2015 est.) | $38.6 million (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 206

Exports - commodities [time series]

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

Exports - partners [time series]

Japan 38.1%, Jamaica 19%, Antigua and Barbuda 10.4%, Trinidad and Tobago 6.2%, St. Lucia 4.8%, St. Kitts and Nevis 4.2% (2015)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 July - 30 June

GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]

$497 million (2015 est.)

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

$763 million (2015 est.) | $797.4 million (2014 est.) | $767.6 million (2013 est.) | note: data are in 2015 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 206

GDP - composition, by end use [time series]

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

agriculture: 16.5% | industry: 15.5% | services: 68% (2015 est.)

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

$10,700 (2015 est.) | $11,200 (2014 est.) | $10,800 (2013 est.) | note: data are in 2015 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 132

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

-4.3% (2015 est.) | 3.9% (2014 est.) | 0.6% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 206

Gross national saving [time series]

1.7% of GDP (2015 est.) | 1.7% of GDP (2014 est.) | 0.4% of GDP (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 162

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

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

Imports [time series]

$182.9 million (2015 est.) | $186.9 million (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 208

Imports - commodities [time series]

manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals

Imports - partners [time series]

Japan 42%, Trinidad and Tobago 17%, US 11.9%, China 6% (2015)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

0.5% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 157

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

-0.8% (2015 est.) | 0.8% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 23

Labor force [time series]

25,000 (2000 est.) | country comparison to the world: 207

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

agriculture: 40% | industry: 32% | services: 28% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line [time series]

29% (2009 est.)

Public debt [time series]

70% of GDP (2012 est.) | 78% of GDP (2009 est.) | country comparison to the world: 44

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold [time series]

$126.2 million (31 December 2015 est.) | $101.5 million (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 165

Stock of broad money [time series]

$499.6 million (31 December 2015 est.) | $462.6 million (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 182

Stock of domestic credit [time series]

$259.3 million (31 December 2015 est.) | $314.8 million (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 180

Stock of narrow money [time series]

$96.59 million (31 December 2015 est.) | $86.92 million (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 187

Taxes and other revenues [time series]

29.8% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 82

Unemployment rate [time series]

23% (2000 est.) | country comparison to the world: 175

Energy

Carbon dioxide emissions (Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy) [time series]

100,000 Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 207

Crude oil - exports [time series]

0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 117

Crude oil - imports [time series]

0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 182

Crude oil - production [time series]

0 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 126

Crude oil - proved reserves [time series]

0 bbl (1 January 2016 es) | country comparison to the world: 125

Electricity - consumption [time series]

90.21 million kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 200

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 132

Electricity - from fossil fuels [time series]

60.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 133

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants [time series]

18.1% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 97

Electricity - from nuclear fuels [time series]

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 80

Electricity - from other renewable sources [time series]

21.7% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 15

Electricity - imports [time series]

0 kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 142

Electricity - installed generating capacity [time series]

33,200 kW (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 197

Electricity - production [time series]

97 million kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 200

Electricity access [time series]

population without electricity: 5,900 | electrification - total population: 93% | electrification - urban areas: 99% | electrification - rural areas: 80% (2012)

Natural gas - consumption [time series]

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 138

Natural gas - exports [time series]

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 89

Natural gas - imports [time series]

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 189

Natural gas - production [time series]

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 179

Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]

0 cu m (1 January 2014 es) | country comparison to the world: 131

Refined petroleum products - consumption [time series]

1,000 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 204

Refined petroleum products - exports [time series]

0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 175

Refined petroleum products - imports [time series]

978.2 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 198

Refined petroleum products - production [time series]

0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 175

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 751 sq km | land: 751 sq km | water: 0 sq km | country comparison to the world: 189

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 [time series]

mean elevation: NA | elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m | highest point: Morne Diablotins 1,447 m

Environment - current issues [time series]

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

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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]

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

agricultural land: 34.7% | arable land 8%; permanent crops 24%; permanent pasture 2.7% | forest: 59.2% | other: 6.1% (2011 est.)

Location [time series]

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

Map references [time series]

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims [time series]

territorial sea: 12 nm | contiguous zone: 24 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

Population distribution (Population - distribution) [time series]

population is mosly 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

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]

name: Roseau | geographic coordinates: 15 18 N, 61 24 W | time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship [time series]

citizenship by birth: yes | citizenship by descent: yes | dual citizenship recognized: yes | residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Constitution [time series]

previous 1967 (preindependence); latest presented 25 July 1978, entered into force 3 November 1978; amended several times, last in 2015 (2016)

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica | conventional short form: Dominica | etymology: the island was named by explorer Christopher COLUMBUS for the day of the week on which he spotted it, Sunday ("Domingo" in Latin), 3 November 1493

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Dominica

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Hubert J. CHARLES (since 16 July 2010) | chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 | telephone: [1] (202) 364-6781 | FAX: [1] (202) 364-6791 | consulate(s) general: New York

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Charles A. SAVARIN (since 2 October 2013) | head of government: Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT (since 8 January 2004) | cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister | elections/appointments: president nominated by the prime minister and leader of the opposition party and elected by the House of Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 30 September 2013 (next to be held in October 2018); prime minister appointed by the president | election results: Charles A. SAVARIN (DLP) elected president by a vote of 19-0 on 30 September 2013

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, unique to Dominica, encircled by 10 green, five-pointed stars edged in yellow; the 10 stars represent the 10 administrative divisions (parishes); green symbolizes the island's lush vegetation; the triple-colored cross represents the Christian Trinity; the yellow color denotes sunshine, the main agricultural products (citrus and bananas), and the native Carib Indians; black is for the rich soil and the African heritage of most citizens; white signifies rivers, waterfalls, and the purity of aspirations; the red disc stands for social justice

Government type [time series]

parliamentary republic

Independence [time series]

3 November 1978 (from the UK)

International law organization participation [time series]

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation [time series]

ACP, 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

Judicial branch [time series]

highest court(s): the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States to include Dominica; the ECSC - based on St. Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and is comprised of the Court of Appeal with 3 justices and the High Court with 16 judges; sittings of the Court of Appeal and High Court rotate among the 9 member states; 2 High Court judges reside in Dominica; note - Dominica is a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice | judge selection and term of office: chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by the Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, an independent body of judicial officials; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62 | subordinate courts: Court of Summary Jurisdiction; magistrates' courts

Legal system [time series]

common law based on the English model

Legislative branch [time series]

description: unicameral House of Assembly (32 seats; 21 representatives directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 9 senators appointed by the Assembly, and 2 ex-officio members - the House Speaker and the Clerk of the House; members serve 5-year terms) | elections: last held on 8 December 2014 (next to be held in 2019); note - tradition dictates that the election is held within five years of the last election, but technically it is five years from the first seating of parliament plus a 90-day grace period | election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - DLP 15, UWP 6

National anthem(s) (National anthem) [time series]

name: "Isle of Beauty" | lyrics/music: Wilfred Oscar Morgan POND/Lemuel McPherson CHRISTIAN | note: adopted 1967

National holiday [time series]

Emancipation Day (First Monday), celebrated on first Monday in August (1834); Independence Day, 3 November (1978)

National symbol(s) [time series]

Sisserou parrot, Carib Wood flower; national colors: green, yellow, black, white, red

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

Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Judith PESTAINA] | Dominica Labor Party or DLP [Roosevelt SKERRIT] | Dominica United Workers Party or UWP [Hector JOHN]

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

Introduction

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 colonized the island 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

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

no regular military forces; Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (includes Coast Guard) (2012)

People and Society

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 21.84% (male 8,239/female 7,871) | 15-24 years: 15.7% (male 5,960/female 5,618) | 25-54 years: 41.97% (male 15,693/female 15,264) | 55-64 years: 9.6% (male 3,787/female 3,294) | 65 years and over: 10.89% (male 3,561/female 4,470) (2016 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

15.2 births/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 130

Death rate [time series]

7.9 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 101

Drinking water source [time series]

urban: 95.7% of population | urban: 4.3% of population (2015 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

black 86.6%, mixed 9.1%, indigenous 2.9%, other 1.3%, unspecified 0.2% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

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

Health expenditure (Health expenditures) [time series]

5.5% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 112

Hospital bed density [time series]

3.8 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

total: 10.9 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 14.5 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 7.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 128

Languages [time series]

English (official), French patois

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 77 years | male: 74 years | female: 80.1 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 78

Major infectious diseases [time series]

note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus (2016)

Major urban areas - population [time series]

ROSEAU (capital) 15,000 (2014)

Median age [time series]

total: 33 years | male: 32.5 years | female: 33.5 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 91

Nationality [time series]

noun: Dominican(s) | adjective: Dominican

Net migration rate [time series]

-5.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 197

Obesity - adult prevalence rate [time series]

25.9% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 61

Population [time series]

73,757 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 202

Population distribution [time series]

population is mosly 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

Population growth rate [time series]

0.2% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 186

Religions [time series]

Roman Catholic 61.4%, Protestant 28.6% (includes Evangelical 6.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 6.1%, Pentecostal 5.6%, Baptist 4.1%, Methodist 3.7%, Church of God 1.2%, other 1.2%), Rastafarian 1.3%, Jehovah's Witness 1.2%, other 0.3%, none 6.1%, unspecified 1.1% (2001 est.)

Sanitation facility access [time series]

Sex ratio [time series]

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.04 children born/woman (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 111

Urbanization [time series]

urban population: 69.5% of total population (2015) | rate of urbanization: 0.84% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

Dominica is the only Caribbean state to challenge Venezuela's sovereignty claim over Aves Island and joins the other island nations in challenging whether the feature sustains human habitation, a criterion under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ and continental shelf claims over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea

Illicit drugs [time series]

transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; minor cannabis producer (2008)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

2 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 199

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 2 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 | 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix [time series]

J7 (2016)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 43 | by type: bulk carrier 11, cargo 22, chemical tanker 2, petroleum tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 1 | foreign-owned: 32 (Australia 1, Estonia 6, Germany 5, Greece 4, India 2, Latvia 2, Norway 1, Russia 3, Saudi Arabia 2, Syria 4, Turkey 1, Ukraine 1) | registered in other countries: 1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2010) | country comparison to the world: 73

National air transport system [time series]

number of registered air carriers: 0 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 0 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 0 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0 mt-km (2015)

Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]

major seaport(s): Portsmouth, Roseau

Roadways [time series]

total: 1,512 km | paved: 762 km | unpaved: 750 km (2010) | country comparison to the world: 178