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Dominica
Quick Overview:
Dominica refers to itself as "the nature island of the Caribbean". With an extensive and unspoiled rainforest, 365 rivers, one of the world's largest boiling lakes, and a host of waterfalls, there's much to do and see here. Underwater the scenery is just as exciting and varied. Rated as one of the top dive spots in the world, Dominica also has the deserved reputation as the best place to see whales and dolphins in the Caribbean. Culturally there is as much to experience and enjoy. Carnival has a reputation as the most spontaneous in the Caribbean, and throughout the year there are a host of events which highlight our rich heritage.
Geography:
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Location:
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Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago |
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Area:
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total: 754 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 754 sq km |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Morne Diablatins 1,447 m |
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Geography - note:
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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 |
Population:
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70,158 (July 2002 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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-0.81% (2002 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 73.86 years female: 76.88 years (2002 est.) male: 70.98 years |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA% |
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Ethnic groups:
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black, mixed black and European, European, Syrian, Carib Amerindian |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 77%, Protestant 15% (Methodist 5%, Pentecostal 3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Baptist 2%, other 2%), none 2%, other 6% |
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Languages:
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English (official), French patois |
Country name:
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conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica conventional short form: Dominica |
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Government type:
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parliamentary democracy; republic within the Commonwealth |
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Capital:
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Roseau |
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Administrative divisions:
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10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick, Saint Paul, Saint Peter |
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Independence:
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3 November 1978 (from UK) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 3 November (1978) |
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Constitution:
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3 November 1978 |
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Legal system:
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based on English common law |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Charles SAVARIN]; Dominica Labor Party or DLP [Pierre CHARLES]; United Workers Party or UWP [Edison JAMES] |
GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $262 million (2001 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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-3.2% (2001 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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1% (2001 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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23% (2000 est.) |
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Industries:
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soap, coconut oil, tourism, copra, furniture, cement blocks, shoes |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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-10% (1997 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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67 million kWh (2000) |
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Agriculture - products:
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bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, coconuts, cocoa; forest and fishery potential not exploited |
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Exports:
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$49 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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bananas, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges |
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Currency:
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East Caribbean dollar (XCD) |
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Currency code:
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XCD |
Telephones - main lines in use:
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19,000 (1996) |
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Telephone system:
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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 |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 3, FM 10, shortwave 0 (1998) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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0 (however, there is one cable television company) (1997) |
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Televisions:
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6,000 (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.dm |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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16 (2000) |
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Internet users:
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2,000 (2000) |
Railways:
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0 km |
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Highways:
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total: 780 km paved: 390 km unpaved: 390 km (2001) |
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Waterways:
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none |
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Ports and harbors:
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Portsmouth, Roseau |
Dominica has been inhabited by human beings for a long time - there is evidence that the island was inhabited in at least 3100 BC. The first settlers were the Ortoroid people who set out from the South American mainland and gradually spread northwards through the Caribbean island chain. Evidence suggests they became extinct around 400BC. Later came the Igneri or "Arawak speakers" who settled in about 400AD. Their way of life was agricultural and peaceful with a well-defined culture. By 1400 this was about to change as a similar tribe, the Kalinago or as the "Caribs" (as they became more commonly known) departed South America and aggressively moved their way up the Caribbean. The Caribs seemed to be very much into raiding and the men aggressively attacked the Igneri, stealing their women when it was deemed feasible. The Caribs were organised and were very successful in eliminating the Igneri from many of the Caribbean islands, including Dominica. Columbus was the first European to set eyes on Dominica on 3rd November, 1493 - it was a Sunday - so he named it after the day. Dominica's history from this point in many ways mirrors that of other Caribbean islands but differs in a few very significant ways. The Spanish were the first to try to colonise islands in the Lesser Antilles and they were met with stiff resistance. Spanish attempts to colonise Dominica and surrounding islands with their Christian missionaries failed miserably - the Caribs either killed or held the missionaries hostage and the Spanish were not willing to pit their fighting skills against a skilled enemy and the rugged terrain of Dominica. In fact, this attitude pretty much summed up how the next wave of European colonists, the English and the French, were to feel when they arrived in Dominica at the start of the 1600's. The English and the French were in a race to colonise the Caribbean in order to tap into the riches that lay in exploiting the natural resources of the Caribbean. They fought long and hard with each other and the Caribs and Dominica bears the scars of these battles. The place names in Dominica are a mixture of French, English and Carib. After unsuccessful attempts by the French to win over the Caribs with Christianity, a more hardline approach was adopted - especially by the English - who went out to systematically destroy the Caribs who got in their way. They managed to reduce the Carib population by forcing them to flee back to the South American mainland and, rather unwittingly, by introducing new diseases against which the Caribs had no resistance. About three thousand Caribs still inhabit Dominica today, most of them living in Carib Territory up in the North East of the island. The French were the first to really set up shop in Dominica and by 1727 there were 50-60 French families in Dominica. Most were woodcutters gathering wood for export but some grew tobacco and cotton. They were a tough lot and there was no overall plan governing their presence or development. Officially, Dominica was a neutral country throughout this period belonging neither to the French nor English - but the English were hungry for territory and saw Dominica as strategically important - so they attacked it in 1761. By year end the island was basically under British control. In 1763 at The Peace of Paris Dominica was officially ceded to Britain. But the French had left an indelible mark on Dominica - and it can still be seen to this day through the language (patois), customs, religion and the many French place names. Slaves were imported to provide labour during this period and, as in other Caribbean islands, this was to leave a permanent impression on Dominica's ethnic make-up. The British realised that to send the French settlers packing would mean disrupting the growing agricultural economy of the island - so a kind of peaceful co-existence was established. Forts were built, the largest at The Cabrits above Portsmouth and above Roseau at Morne Bruce. The French military attacked the British fortifications in 1778, encouraged by the American War of Independence, and won. Things did not go well. Most of the English inhabitants left taking their reciprocal trade links with them. This strained the existing agricultural system (big hungry French occupying force) and the economy was under pressure. A hurricane decided to hit in 1779 and, obviously not satisfied with the damage, returned in 1780. In 1781 Roseau was destroyed by fire. In 1782 the English saw their chance to settle the score. The ensuing naval battle, The Battle of the Saintes, saw an English victory and ousted French administration over Dominica once and for all. Escaped slaves, known as Maroons, had become well armed during all the recent troubles and they took on the English 1785-86. They were cornered and defeated and their leaders imprisoned and/or executed. The French Revolution resulted in a French Republican invasion in 1797. They were eventually defeated. Maroon-related fighting took place until around 1815 and their effectiveness was always helped by Dominica's rugged terrain into which they could retreat to relative safety. This typified the European experience in Dominica whether it be Carib resistance or the Maroons and set the tone for the island making it palpably different from its English-administered neighbours. Dominica was hit hard by the decline in colonial agriculture in the 1800's -exacerbated by natural disasters and the end of the slavery era -other cash crops were undertaken, namely cocoa and and limes but a long, gradual decline and long overdue social upheaval meant tough times for Dominica. As in many other Caribbean islands, Dominica experienced increasing domestic political battles. The priveleged whites were consisitently challenged for ther conservative views and efforts to maintain the prejudicial social structure. As their power dwindled, many in Dominica pushed for greater autonomy. It acheived it, slowly but surely - but not without turbulent politics and sometimes violent confrontations as the island debated a new political system and constitution. The late 1960's, 1970's and early 1980's were characterised by serious political instability. This retarded Dominica's ability to take advantage of the the booming tourism industry being experinced by many of its Caribbean neighhbours. The Independence Constitution, after much political wrangling, took effect on 3rd November 1978 separating Dominica from British control. Increasing poilitical stabilty from the mid-1980's allowed Dominica to offer itself as a pristine Caribbean eco-destination, unspoiled by indiscriminate development. The island's economic development was, and is, shaped in large part by its topography - the steep mountains, ravines and thick rainforest always played a role in Dominica's history. Dominica's human history has often been characterised as a struggle between man and nature, but in more recent times this Georgian-era analogy has become less relevant. Today sees Dominicans aware of the value of their natural resources and controlling development to protect these resouces as much as possible - eco-tourism is a rapidly growing industry and offers increased diversification from an economy traditionally based on agriculture.
Related Links:
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News Newspapers from Dominica |
Offical Sites Investing in Dominica |
Country Guides Virtual Dominica |
Education - |