What is Dominica?

Commonwealth of Dominica
Flag of Dominica Flag Coat of arms
Motto "Après Bondie, C'est La Ter"  (Antillean Creole) "After God is the Earth"
Anthem Isle of Beauty, Isle of Splendour
Location of Dominica
Capital (and largest city)		Roseau
Official languages		English,French Creole
Demonym		Dominican
Government		Parliamentary republic
-	President	Nicholas Liverpool
-	Prime Minister	Roosevelt Skerrit
Independence		from the United Kingdom
-	Date	November 3 1978
-	Water (%)	1.6
Population
-	August 2006 estimate	71,727 (201st1)
-	2003 census	71,727
GDP (PPP)		2005 estimate
-	Total	$468 million (177th)
-	Per capita	$6,520 (91st)
HDI (2004)		0.793 (medium) (68th)
Currency		East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
Time zone		(UTC–4)
-	Summer (DST)	(UTC–4)
Internet TLD		.dm
Calling code		1-767]]
1	Rank based on 2005 UN estimate.
2

The Commonwealth of Dominica, commonly known as Dominica (French: Dominique), is an island nation in the Caribbean Sea. It is distinct and separate from the Dominican Republic, another Caribbean nation. The name is pronounced [ˌdɒmɪˈniːkə] (dom-in-EE-cuh). In Latin, its name means "Sunday", which was the day on which it was discovered by Columbus.

Dominica's pre-Columbian name was Wai'tu kubuli, which means "Tall is her body". The indigenous people of the island, the Caribs, have a territory similar to the Indian reserves of North America. Because the island lies between two French overseas departments (Guadeloupe to the north and Martinique to the south), and because it was colonized by France for a time, it is sometimes called "French Dominica". However, its official language is English - though a French creole is commonly spoken.

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.

History

Main article: History of Dominica

The indigenous people of Dominica, the Arawak people, were expelled or exterminated by Caribs in the fourteenth century. The Arawaks were guided to Dominica, and other islands of the Caribbean, by the South Equatorial current from the waters of the Orinoco River. These descendants of the early Tainos were overthrown by the Kalinago tribe of the Caribs.

The Caribs arrived on this island by special boats which they are still making at their own territory on the island. Christopher Columbus arrived at this island on Sunday November 3 1493. He and his crew members soon left the island after being defeated by the Caribs. In 1627 England also tried and failed to capture Dominica. In 1635 the French claimed the island and sent missionaries, but were unable to wrench Dominica from the Caribs. They abandoned the island, along with the island of Saint Vincent, in the 1660s.

For the next hundred years Dominica remained isolated, and even more Caribs settled there after being driven from surrounding islands as European powers entered the region. France formally ceded possession of Dominica to the United Kingdom in 1763. The United Kingdom then set up a government and made the island a colony in 1805. The emancipation of African slaves occurred throughout the British Empire in 1834, and, by 1838, Dominica became the first British Caribbean colony to have a Black-controlled legislature. In 1896, the United Kingdom re-took governmental control of Dominica and turned it into a crown colony. Half a century later, from 1958 to 1962, Dominica became a province of the short-lived West Indies Federation. In 1978 Dominica finally became an independent nation.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Dominica

Dominica is a parliamentary democracy within the Commonwealth of Nations. The President is head of state, while executive power rests with the Cabinet, headed by the Prime Minister. The unicameral parliament consists of the thirty-member House of Assembly, which consists of twenty-one directly elected members and nine Senators, who may either be appointed by the President or elected by the other members of the House of Assembly.

Unlike other former British colonies in the region, Dominica was never a Commonwealth realm with the British monarch as head of state, as it instead became a republic on independence. Dominica is a full and participating member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). Dominica is also a member of the International Criminal Court with a Bilateral Immunity Agreement of protection for the US-military (as covered under Article 98).

Parishes

Dominica is divided into ten parishes:

1. Saint Andrew Parish
2. Saint David Parish
3. Saint George Parish
4. Saint John Parish
5. Saint Joseph Parish
6. Saint Luke Parish
7. Saint Mark Parish
8. Saint Patrick Parish
9. Saint Paul Parish
10. Saint Peter Parish

Geography

Main article: Geography of Dominica

Dominica is an island nation and borderless country in the Caribbean Sea, the northernmost of the Windward Islands. The size of the country is about 289.5 square miles (754 km²). The capital is Roseau.

Dominica is largely covered by rainforest and is home to the world's largest boiling lake. Dominica also has many waterfalls, springs and rivers. Some plants and animals thought to be extinct on surrounding islands can still be found in Dominica's forests. The volcanic nature of the island and the lack of sandy beaches have made Dominica a popular scuba diving spot. Dominica is home to several protected areas, including Cabrits National Park. The local people like to say that Dominica has 365 rivers.

It is said that when his royal sponsors asked Christopher Columbus to describe this island in the "New World," he crumpled a piece of parchment roughly and threw it on the table. This, Columbus explained, is what Dominica looks like—completely covered with mountains with nary a flat spot.

Morne Trois Pitons National Park is a tropical forest blended with scenic volcanic features.^[1] It was recognized as a World Heritage Site on April 4, 1995. Within the Caribbean, it shares this distinction with historic World Heritage sites in San Juan (Puerto Rico), Willemstad (Curacao), Saint Kitts, Hispaniola (Dominican Republic/Haiti) and Cuba, and another natural World Heritage site in St. Lucia.

The Commonwealth of Dominica is engaged in a long-running dispute with Venezuela over Venezuela's territorial claims to the sea surrounding Isla Aves (Bird Island), a tiny islet located 70 miles (110 km) west of the island of Dominica.

The only two major cities are Roseau and Portsmouth.

Climate

According to the Nation's Encyclopedia (www.nationsencyclopedia.com):

"The climate of Dominica is mildly tropical; in the winter months the temperature averages 25°C (77°F); in the summer, 28°C (82°F). The spring months are the driest; the heaviest rains fall during late summer. The average yearly rainfall ranges from about 191 cm (75 in) on the drier Caribbean coast to 508 cm (200 in) in mountainous inland areas. Destructive hurricanes coming in from the Atlantic Ocean can be expected during the late summer months."

In regards to hurricanes, Dominica is vulnearable to these destructive storms as the island is in what is known as the hurricane region. In 1979, Dominica was hit directly by Category 5 Hurricane David, causing widespread and extreme damage. In August 17th, 2007, Hurricane Dean, a category 1 at the time, hit the island. A mother and her seven-year-old son died when a landslide caused by the heavy rains fell onto their house.^[2] In another incident two people were injured when a tree fell on their house.^[3] Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit estimated that 100 to 125 homes were damaged, and that the agriculture sector was extensively damaged.^[4]

see also: Effects of Hurricane Dean in the Lesser Antilles

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Dominica

Almost all of the 69,625 (2001 census) nationals of Dominica today are descendants of African slaves, brought in by colonial planters in the eighteenth century. Dominica is the only Eastern Caribbean island that still has a population of pre-Columbian native Caribs, who were exterminated or driven from neighboring islands. There are only about 3,000 Caribs remaining. They live in eight villages on the East Coast of Dominica. This special Carib Territory was granted by the British Queen in 1903.^[5]. There are also about 1,000 medical students from the United States and Canada who study at the Ross University school of medicine in Portsmouth.

The population growth rate of Dominica is very low, due primarily to emigration to other Caribbean islands, the United Kingdom, the United States, France, or Canada. English is the official language of Dominica and is universally understood; however, because of historic French domination, and the island's location between two French-speaking territories (Martinique and Guadeloupe), Antillean Creole "Patois", a French-based creole language is the mother tongue of 80% of the Dominican people. Dominica is therefore a member of the Francophonie organization. About 80% of the population is Catholic, though in recent years a number of Protestant churches have been established.

It has recently been noted that Dominica has an incredibly high proportion of the population who are centenarians (over the age of 100). As of March 2007, there are 22 centenarians out of the island's almost 70,000 inhabitants - three times the average incidence of centenarianism than in developed countries.^[6] The reasons for this are the subject of current research being undertaken at Ross University School of Medicine.

Culture

Dominica is home to a wide range of people. Historically occupied by several native tribes, only a Carib tribe remained by the time European settlers reached the island. French and British settlers each claimed the island, and imported slaves from Africa. The remaining Caribs live on a 3,700 acre territory at the east coast side of the island. They elect their own chief. This mix of cultures is important to Dominica.

The famed novelist Jean Rhys was born and raised in Dominica. The island is obliquely depicted in her best-known book, Wide Sargasso Sea. Recently, Caribbean writer Marie-Elena John's debut novel Unburnable has evoked much of the spirit of Dominica captured by Rhys, prompting comparisons between the two novels,^[7] in spite of the hundred-year difference, and suggesting that Dominica has remained one of the Caribbean's most pristine islands. Rhys's friend, the political activist and writer Phyllis Shand Allfrey, set her 1954 novel, The Orchid House (ISBN 0-8135-2332-X), in Dominica.

The dialect of Dominica also includes Cocoy and Creole - French-based patois. Other than English, the majority of people speak Creole which came from the French plantation owners from the neighbouring French islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique. Cocoy (aka Kockoy) is a mix of Leeward Island English-Creole and Dominican Creole. It is mainly spoken in the north-eastern villages of Marigot and Wesley.^[8]

Media and communication

Currently, Dominica has two newpapers, The Sun, and The Chronicle. There is a national television station and a few radio stations, such as: Q95 FM, Dominica Broadcasting Corporation, Kairi FM, etc.

Before 2004, there was only one telecommunication company called Cable and Wireless (Caribbean). Shortly after that, AT&T and a UK-based company called Orange started to offer service to the island. There are a number of mobile networks operating on the Island.

Film and TV

In 2004, Dominica was selected for the film of Pirates of the Caribbean. In spring of 2007, CBS filmed its first pirates related TV show called Pirate Master in Dominica.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Dominica

The Dominican economy is dependent on both tourism and agriculture. Forty percent of Dominican workers are in the agricultural sector, and Dominica's primary agricultural exports include tobacco, bananas, vegetables, citrus, copra, coconut oil, and essential oils such as bay oil. The country's industries, other than tourism, include soap, furniture, cement blocks, and shoes. Dominica is further benefited by the presence of an offshore Devry owned medical school - Ross University , in the northern town of Portsmouth. Over 1,000 students mainly from USA and Canada live and study in Portsmouth.

The Dominican economy has high poverty (30%), high unemployment (23%), and a low per capita GDP (US$5,400). The Dominican economy has been hurt by problems in the banana industry. The entire economy suffers when weather conditions damage the banana crop, or when the price of bananas falls. The European Union has phased out preferred access of bananas to its markets, causing banana demand to fall. In response, the Dominican government privatized the banana industry. Also, the government has attempted to diversify the economy and has lifted price controls in an attempt to improve the lagging economy. The government is also trying to develop tourism, especially ecotourism. The lack of a large international airport or sandy beaches limit opportunities for standard tourism, but the island's heavily rainforested landscape and beautifully preserved environment could lure those looking for unparalleled ecotourism experiences. Indeed, it is remarked that of all the islands of the Caribbean, Dominica is the only one Christopher Columbus might still recognise.

Agriculture

Bananas have traditionally formed the backbone of the island's economy. Between 1988–1999, banana production declined 63% and a 62% decline in export value. It is mainly due to the performance of the banana industry.^[9]

Tourism

Unlike many other Caribbean islands, Dominica's tourism is underdeveloped. It does not have any world-famous chains of hotels.

Dominica has a few famous tourist spots, such as the Indian River in Portsmouth, Emerald Pool, Trafalgar Falls, Scotts Head (where the Atlantic Ocean meets with the Caribbean Sea), and the world's largest Boiling Lake which is inside of Morne Trois Pitons National Park - Dominica's World Heritage site. This island country also has many excellent diving spots due to its steep drop-offs, healthy marine environment and reefs.

In 2004, because of its unchanged natural beauty, Dominica was chosen to be one of the major filming locations for and its follow-up, . Hampstead Beach, Indian River, Londonderry River, Soufriere and Vieille Case, which is situated on the island’s northern tip, were among the places which were selected for filming. The production ended on May 26th of 2005. The cast, crew and their island hosts had a "Dominica Survivor Party".

Carnival Cruise Lines (CCL) has made Dominica one of its Ports of Call for 2007. The pier is located in the capital city of Roseau and is a simple pier. Other Caribbean islands such as St. Thomas, Barbados, St. Lucia and Antigua have more extensive cruise pier facilities.

The Dominica straw markets open on Tuesdays when the cruise ship dock. These shops are operated by locals and are located on the main street directly in front of the pier, as well as directly behind the Dominica Museum. No other straw markets are located on the North side of the island.

Transportation

There are two small airports on the island: the main one is Melville Hall Airport (DOM), about one hour away from Portsmouth; the second one is Canefield (DCF) which is about fifteen minutes' travel from Roseau. Neither of them is big enough for typical commercial size airplanes, although Melville Hall is under expansion. As of 2007, American Airlines, LIAT (who recently merged with Caribbean Star, a former competitor to that market) are the major airlines that service the Melville Hall airport, and Carib Aviation operates service from Canefield. There is no night-time service, because the airports do not have night lights.

There is no major highway on the island. Before the road was built between Portsmouth and Roseau, people had to take boats which took several hours from one way to the other. Now, it takes about one hour to drive from Portsmouth to Roseau. Minibus services form the major public transport system. It costs about 1 EC to go anywhere in Portsmouth area, about 8 EC from Portsmouth to Roseau (2006). Many visitors opt to rent a 4x4 vehicle so that they can enjoy the freedom to explore on their own schedule. Road Runner Car Rental offers a reliable and convenient service at reasonable rates.

Education

The island has its own state college, formerly named Clifton Dupigny Community College. Some Dominicans get scholarships from the Cuban government to attend medical school in Cuba. Others go to the University of the West Indies or to schools in the United Kingdom, the United States or other countries for higher education. Ross University, a medical school, is located at Portsmouth. In 2006, another medical school called All Saints University of Medicine opened in temporary facilities in Loubiere, with a permanent campus being constructed in Grand Bay.

Nature

Dominica is blessed with the most pristine wilderness in the Caribbean. Originally, it was protected by sheer mountains which led the European powers to build ports and agricultural settlements on other islands. More recently, the enlightened citizens of this island have sought to preserve its spectacular natural beauty and discouraged the type of high-impact tourism which has damaged nature in most of the Caribbean.

Visitors can find large tropical forests, including one which is on the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites, hundreds of streams, spectacular coastlines and coral reefs.

The Sisserou parrot is Dominica's national bird and is indigenous to its mountain forests.

Sports

Cricket is a popular sport on the island. In 2007, Windsor cricket stadium was completed with the generous donation of EC$ 33 million dollars from the government of the People's Republic of China.

See also

• Communications in Dominica
• Foreign relations of Dominica
• Military of Dominica
• Transportation in Dominica
• Music of Dominica
• List of people of Dominica
• The Scout Association of Dominica
• Lesser Antilles

References

Gallery

Roseau (Dominica)	Rainforest near Belles (Dominica)	Boiling Lake (Dominica)	Indian River (Dominica)
Portsmouth (Dominica)	Anse Du Me (Dominica)	Woodford Hill Bay (Dominica)	Volcanic rock (Dominica)
Carib Territory (Dominica)	Musicians (Dominica)	Middleham Falls, Dominica

External links

Government

• Commonwealth of Dominica - Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States
• Invest Dominica - Official site for the Division of Industry, Dominica.
• Dominica Marine Reserve Service - Fisheries Division, Dominica

News and media

• Dominica Broadcasting Corporation
• QFM Radio - West Indies Communications Enterprise Limited, Dominica
• Kairi FM - Radio station on Dominica
• The Chronicle - Weekly newspaper of Dominica, published online by News Dominica

Tourism

• Discover Dominica: Nature Island of the Caribbean - Official government tourism website by the Discover Dominica Authority
• Tourism Dominica - Official site of the Dominica Ministry of Tourism, Industry & Private Sector Relations
• Dominica Hotel & Tourism Association - Official site
• Dominica Accommodations - Provides lists of Accommodation Packages, hotel listings and general travel guide information to traveler to Dominica

Organizations and directories

• Dominica Association of Industy & Commerce
• Dominica's Society for Heritage, Architectural Preservation & Enhancement
• Kalinago - Official Website of Dominica's Carib Territory Cultural Groups
• Resources on Dominica's history & culture - compilation by Lennox Edward Honychurch, Curator of The Dominica Museum, Bayfront, Roseau
• Dominica and the IMF - The International Monetary Fund

Geographic locale

•  • [ e] Countries and territories of the Caribbean  •  • [ e] Sovereign states Commonwealth Realms Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Barbados Grenada Jamaica St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent and the Grenadines Commonwealth republics Dominica Trinidad and Tobago Other republics Cuba Dominican Republic Haiti  •  • [ e] Dependencies and other territories British Anguilla British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Montserrat Turks and Caicos Islands Dutch Aruba Netherlands Antilles French Guadeloupe Martinique Saint Barthelemy St. Martin American Puerto Rico U.S. Virgin Islands  •  • [ e] States and dependencies of Middle America States  —  Dependencies Anguilla (UK) Antigua and Barbuda Aruba (NL) Bahamas Barbados Belize British Virgin Islands (UK) Cayman Islands (UK) Costa Rica Cuba Dominica Dominican Republic El Salvador Grenada Guadeloupe (FR) Guatemala Haiti Honduras Jamaica Martinique (FR) Mexico Montserrat (UK)Netherlands Antilles (NL) Nicaragua Panama Puerto Rico (US) St.-Barthlemy (FR) St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Martin (FR) St. Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago Turks and Caicos Islands (UK) US Virgin Islands (US)  •  • [ e] Countries of North America Several nations listed here straddle both North and South America or can also be considered Caribbean Sovereign states Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Barbados Belize Canada Costa Rica Cuba Dominica Dominican Republic El Salvador Grenada Guatemala Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Nicaragua Panama St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago United States Dependencies Denmark Greenland France Guadeloupe Martinique Saint Barthelemy Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Netherlands Aruba Netherlands Antilles United Kingdom Anguilla Bermuda British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Montserrat Turks and Caicos Islands United States Puerto Rico U.S. Virgin Islands

International membership

•  • [ e] Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Members Antigua and Barbuda Dominica Grenada Montserrat St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent and the Grenadines Associate members Anguilla British Virgin Islands  •  • [ e] Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Members Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas1 Barbados Belize Dominica Grenada Guyana Haiti1 Jamaica Montserrat2 St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent and the Grenadines Suriname Trinidad and Tobago Associate members Anguilla Bermuda Cayman Islands British Virgin Islands Turks and Caicos Islands Observers Aruba Colombia Dominican Republic Mexico Netherlands Antilles Puerto Rico Venezuela 1 Member of the Community but not of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).   2 British overseas territory awaiting entrustment to join the CSME.  •  • [ e] Member states and observers of La Francophonie Members Albania Andorra Belgium (French Community) Benin Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada (New Brunswick Quebec) Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Cyprus1 Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Cte d'Ivoire Djibouti Dominica Egypt Equatorial Guinea Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia France (including French Guiana Guadeloupe Martinique Saint Pierre and Miquelon) Gabon Ghana1 Greece Guinea Guinea-Bissau Haiti Laos Luxembourg Lebanon Madagascar Mali Mauritania Mauritius Moldova Monaco Morocco Niger Romania Rwanda St. Lucia So Tom and Prncipe Senegal Seychelles Switzerland Togo Tunisia Vanuatu Vietnam Observers Armenia Austria Croatia Czech Republic Georgia Hungary Lithuania Mozambique Poland Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Ukraine 1 Associate member.      •  • [ e] Commonwealth of Nations Sovereign states Antigua and Barbuda Australia Bahamas Bangladesh Barbados Belize Botswana Brunei Cameroon Canada Cyprus Dominica Fiji The Gambia Ghana Grenada Guyana India Jamaica Kenya Kiribati Lesotho Malawi Malaysia Maldives Malta Mauritius Mozambique Namibia Nauru New Zealand Nigeria Pakistan Papua New Guinea St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Solomon Islands South Africa Sri Lanka Swaziland Tanzania Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tuvalu Uganda United Kingdom Vanuatu Zambia Dependencies Australia Ashmore and Cartier Islands Australian Antarctic Territory Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Coral Sea Islands Heard Island and McDonald Islands Norfolk Island India Andaman and Nicobar Islands Lakshadweep New Zealand Cook Islands Niue Ross Dependency Tokelau United Kingdom Akrotiri and Dhekelia Anguilla Bermuda British Antarctic Territory British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Falkland Islands Gibraltar Guernsey Isle of Man Jersey Montserrat Pitcairn Islands St. Helena (including Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha) South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Turks and Caicos Islands