Country Fast Facts: Dominica

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.

Dominica has been nicknamed the "Nature Isle of the Caribbean" due to its seemingly unspoiled natural beauty. It is one of the youngest islands in the Lesser Antilles, and it is still being formed by geothermal-volcanic activity.

The island features lush mountainous rainforests, home of many rare plant, animal and bird species. There are xeric areas in some of the western coastal regions but heavy rainfall can be expected inland. The Sisserou parrot which is the island's national bird, is featured on the national flag. Dominica's economy is heavily dependent on both tourism and agriculture.

Source: CIA World Fact Book

Population:
72,386 (July 2007 est.)

---

Age structure:
0-14 years: 25.6% (male 9,481/female 9,048)
15-64 years: 64.2% (male 23,822/female 22,656)
65 years and over: 10.2% (male 3,165/female 4,214) (2007 est.)

---

Median age:
total: 29.1 years
male: 28.7 years
female: 29.6 years (2007 est.)

---

Population growth rate:
0.184% (2007 est.)

---

Birth rate:
15.75 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

---

Death rate:
8.44 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

---

Net migration rate:
-5.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

---

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.048 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.051 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.751 male(s)/female
total population: 1.015 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

---

Infant mortality rate:
total: 14.61 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 19.68 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 9.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

---

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.1 years
male: 72.17 years
female: 78.18 years (2007 est.)

---

Total fertility rate:
2.12 children born/woman (2007 est.)

---

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

---

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

---

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

---

Nationality:
noun: Dominican(s)
adjective: Dominican

---

Ethnic groups:
black 86.8%, mixed 8.9%, Carib Amerindian 2.9%, white 0.8%, other 0.7% (2001 census)

---

Religions:
Roman Catholic 61.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 6%, Pentecostal 5.6%, Baptist 4.1%, Methodist 3.7%, Church of God 1.2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.2%, other Christian 7.7%, Rastafarian 1.3%, other or unspecified 1.6%, none 6.1% (2001 census)

---

Languages:
English (official), French patois

---

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

The Dominican economy depends on agriculture, primarily bananas, and remains highly vulnerable to climatic conditions and international economic developments. Tourism has increased as the government seeks to promote Dominica as an "ecotourism" destination. Development of the tourism industry remains difficult, however, because of the rugged coastline, lack of beaches, and the absence of an international airport. The government began a comprehensive restructuring of the economy in 2003 - including elimination of price controls, privatization of the state banana company, and tax increases - to address Dominica's economic crisis and to meet IMF targets. In order to diversify the island's production base, the government is attempting to develop an offshore financial sector and is planning to construct an oil refinery on the eastern part of the island.

---

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$485 million (2006 est.)

---

GDP (official exchange rate):
$279 million (2005)

---

GDP - real growth rate:
3.1% (2005 est.)

---

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$3,800 (2005 est.)

---

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 17.7%
industry: 32.8%
services: 49.5% (2004 est.)

---

Labor force:
25,000 (1999 est.)

---

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 40%
industry: 32%
services: 28%

---

Unemployment rate:
23% (2000 est.)

---

Population below poverty line:
30% (2002 est.)

---

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

---

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
-0.1% (2005 est.)

---

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

---

Agriculture - products:
bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, coconuts, cocoa; forest and fishery potential not exploited

---

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

---

Industrial production growth rate:
-10% (1997 est.)

---

Electricity - production:
83.88 million kWh (2004)

---

Electricity - consumption:
78.01 million kWh (2004)

---

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

---

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2004)

---

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2004)

---

Oil - consumption:
900 bbl/day (2004 est.)

---

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day

---

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day

---

Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl

---

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

---

Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

---

Exports:
$74 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

---

Exports - commodities:
bananas, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges

---

Exports - partners:
UK 22.7%, Jamaica 10.3%, South Korea 9.1%, Antigua and Barbuda 9%, Guyana 7.6%, China 7.2%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.9%, Saint Lucia 4.1% (2006)

---

Imports:
$234 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

---

Imports - commodities:
manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals

---

Imports - partners:
US 24.3%, China 21.8%, Trinidad and Tobago 13.2%, South Korea 7.6% (2006)

---

Debt - external:
$213 million (2004)

---

Economic aid - recipient:
$29.2 million (2004 est.)

---

Currency (code):
East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

---

Exchange rates:
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002)

---

Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June