Dominica

total: 14,000 (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 21 (2022 est.)

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)

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percent of population: 84% (2023 est.)

total subscriptions: 7,000 (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 11 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions: 56,929 (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 85 (2022 est.)

taro, grapefruits, yams, bananas, coconuts, plantains, milk, yautia, sugarcane, oranges (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

revenues: $233.831 million (2017 est.) expenditures: $164.673 million (2017 est.) note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

-$160.12 million (2024 est.) -$223.632 million (2023 est.) -$163.746 million (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

$301.191 million (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

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

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2024 est.) 2.7 (2023 est.) 2.7 (2022 est.) 2.7 (2021 est.) 2.7 (2020 est.)

$212.753 million (2024 est.) $188.818 million (2023 est.) $173.93 million (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

iron blocks, medical instruments, excavation machinery, power equipment, soap (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Bahamas, The 13%, Saudi Arabia 11%, Iceland 10%, Guyana 7%, Antigua & Barbuda 7% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

$688.881 million (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

household consumption: 87.7% (2018 est.) government consumption: 27.4% (2018 est.) investment in fixed capital: 32.7% (2018 est.) investment in inventories: 0% (2018 est.) exports of goods and services: 29.2% (2018 est.) imports of goods and services: -77.8% (2018 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

agriculture: 12.2% (2024 est.) industry: 13.9% (2024 est.) services: 56.9% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

$387.532 million (2024 est.) $417.164 million (2023 est.) $354.27 million (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

refined petroleum, ships, plastic products, semi-finished iron, cars (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

USA 24%, China 11%, Indonesia 8%, Trinidad & Tobago 7%, Italy 7% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

8.8% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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

2.6% (2024 est.) 5.1% (2023 est.) 2.9% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

71.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

$1.241 billion (2024 est.) $1.216 billion (2023 est.) $1.173 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

2.1% (2024 est.) 3.7% (2023 est.) 10.4% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

$18,700 (2024 est.) $18,300 (2023 est.) $17,600 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

5.6% of GDP (2024 est.) 5.2% of GDP (2023 est.) 6.1% of GDP (2022 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

$155.971 million (2024 est.) $183.53 million (2023 est.) $204.343 million (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

installed generating capacity: 41,000 kW (2023 est.) consumption: 145.827 million kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 8 million kWh (2023 est.)

electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

fossil fuels: 84.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) solar: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) wind: 0.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) hydroelectricity: 15% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

36.395 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption: 1,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

168,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 168,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall

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

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, 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

agricultural land: 33.3% (2023 est.) arable land: 8% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 22.7% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 2.7% (2023 est.) forest: 76.6% (2023 est.) other: 0% (2023 est.)

7.9 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

200 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal: 19 million cubic meters (2022 est.) industrial: 0 cubic meters (2022 est.) agricultural: 1 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

urban population: 72% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.84% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually: 13,200 tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 12.6% (2022 est.)

total : 751 sq km land: 751 sq km water: NEGL

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

tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall

148 km

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

15 25 N, 61 20 W

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

NA

total: 0 km

agricultural land: 33.3% (2023 est.) arable land: 8% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 22.7% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 2.7% (2023 est.) forest: 76.6% (2023 est.) other: 0% (2023 est.)

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

Central America and the Caribbean

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

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

timber, hydropower, arable land

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

rugged mountains of volcanic origin

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

name: Roseau geographic coordinates: 15 18 N, 61 24 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the name is French for "reed;" the first settlement was named after the river reeds that grew in the area

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

history: previous 1967 (pre-independence); latest presented 25 July 1978, entered into force 3 November 1978 amendment process: proposed by the House of Assembly; passage of amendments to constitutional sections such as fundamental rights and freedoms, the government structure, and constitutional amendment procedures requires approval by three fourths of the Assembly membership in the final reading of the amendment bill, approval by simple majority in a referendum, and assent of the president

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 Spanish, dominica dies in Latin), 3 November 1493

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

chief of mission: Ambassador Steve FERROL (since 15 September 2023) chancery: 3216 New Mexico Ave NW Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6781 FAX: [1] (202) 364-6791 email address and website: embdomdc@gmail.com consulate(s) general: New York

chief of state: President Sylvanie BURTON (since 2 October 2023) head of government: Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT (since 8 January 2004) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister election/appointment process: 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); prime minister appointed by the president most recent election date: 27 September 2023 election results: 2023: parliament elects Sylvanie BURTON (DLP) with 20 votes for and five against 2018: Charles A. SAVARIN (DLP) reelected president unopposed expected date of next election: October 2028

description: 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 meaning: 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

parliamentary republic

3 November 1978 (from the UK)

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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

highest court(s): the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC is headquartered on St. Lucia and consists of the Court of Appeal -- headed by the chief justice and 4 judges -- and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal travels to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; the Caribbean Court of Justice is the final court of appeal judge selection and term of office: chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by the British monarch; 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

common law based on the English model

legislature name: House of Assembly legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 32 (21 directly elected; 9 appointed) electoral system: proportional representation scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 12/6/2022 parties elected and seats per party: Dominica Labor Party (DLP) (19); Independents (2) percentage of women in chamber: 40.6% expected date of next election: December 2027

title: "Isle of Beauty" lyrics/music: Wilfred Oscar Morgan POND/Lemuel McPherson CHRISTIAN history: adopted 1967

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 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 s past colonial ties with the UK; below the shield is the national motto, which means "After God is the Earth"

green, yellow, black, white, red

Independence Day, 3 November (1978)

sisserou parrot, Carib wood flower

Dominica Freedom Party or DFP Dominica Labor Party or DLP Dominica United Workers Party or UWP

18 years of age; universal

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.

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)

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

0-14 years: 20.7% (male 7,891/female 7,530) 15-64 years: 65.6% (male 25,000/female 24,009) 65 years and over: 13.7% (2024 est.) (male 4,862/female 5,369)

total: 6.32 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 1.64 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0.29 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 4.39 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

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

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

total dependency ratio: 52.3 (2024 est.) youth dependency ratio: 31.5 (2024 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 20.9 (2024 est.) potential support ratio: 4.8 (2024 est.)

5.4% of GDP (2024 est.) 5.8% national budget (2025 est.)

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

0.98 (2025 est.)

6.5% of GDP (2021) 6.2% of national budget (2022 est.)

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

total: 10.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 14.5 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.8 deaths/1,000 live births

English (official), French patois

total population: 78.7 years (2024 est.) male: 75.8 years female: 81.8 years

15,000 ROSEAU (capital) (2018)

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

total: 37.5 years (2025 est.) male: 36.5 years female: 37.6 years

noun: Dominican(s) adjective: Dominican

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

27.9% (2016)

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

1.16 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

total: 74,661 (2024 est.) male: 37,753 female: 36,908

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

-0.04% (2025 est.)

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.)

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

2.01 children born/woman (2025 est.)

urban population: 72% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.84% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

refugees: 5 (2024 est.)

2 (2025)

J7

total: 77 (2023) by type: general cargo 26, oil tanker 10, other 41

total ports: 2 (2024) large: 0 medium: 0 small: 0 very small: 2 ports with oil terminals: 1 key ports: Portsmouth, Roseau