Dominica

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

15 25 N, 61 20 W

Central America and the Caribbean

751 sq km

751 sq km

NEGL

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

0 km

148 km

12 nm

24 nm

200 nm

Tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall

Rugged mountains of volcanic origin

Morne Diablotins 1,447 m

Caribbean Sea 0 m

Timber, hydropower, arable land

33.3% (2023 est.)

Arable land: 8% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops: 22.7% (2023 est.)

Permanent pasture: 2.7% (2023 est.)

76.6% (2023 est.)

0% (2023 est.)

NA

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

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

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

74,661 (2024 est.)

37,753

36,908

Dominican(s)

Dominican

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

English (official), French patois

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.)

20.7% (male 7,891/female 7,530)

65.6% (male 25,000/female 24,009)

13.7% (2024 est.) (male 4,862/female 5,369)

52.3 (2024 est.)

31.5 (2024 est.)

20.9 (2024 est.)

4.8 (2024 est.)

37.5 years (2025 est.)

36.5 years

37.6 years

-0.04% (2025 est.)

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

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

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

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

72% of total population (2023)

0.84% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

15,000 ROSEAU (capital) (2018)

1.05 male(s)/female

1.05 male(s)/female

1.04 male(s)/female

0.91 male(s)/female

1.02 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

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

10.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

14.5 deaths/1,000 live births

6.8 deaths/1,000 live births

78.7 years (2024 est.)

75.8 years

81.8 years

2.01 children born/woman (2025 est.)

0.98 (2025 est.)

6.5% of GDP (2021)

6.2% of national budget (2022 est.)

1.16 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

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

27.9% (2016)

6.32 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

1.64 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

0.29 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

4.39 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

5.4% of GDP (2024 est.)

5.8% national budget (2025 est.)

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

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

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

None of the selected agreements

Tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall

33.3% (2023 est.)

Arable land: 8% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops: 22.7% (2023 est.)

Permanent pasture: 2.7% (2023 est.)

76.6% (2023 est.)

0% (2023 est.)

72% of total population (2023)

0.84% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

168,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

168,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

7.9 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

13,200 tons (2024 est.)

12.6% (2022 est.)

19 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

0 cubic meters (2022 est.)

1 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

200 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Commonwealth of Dominica

Dominica

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

Parliamentary republic

Roseau

15 18 N, 61 24 W

UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

The name is French for "reed;" the first settlement was named after the river reeds that grew in the area

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

Common law based on the English model

Previous 1967 (pre-independence); latest presented 25 July 1978, entered into force 3 November 1978

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

Accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Yes

Yes

Yes

5 years

18 years of age; universal

President Sylvanie BURTON (since 2 October 2023)

Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT (since 8 January 2004)

Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister

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

27 September 2023

2023: parliament elects Sylvanie BURTON (DLP) with 20 votes for and five against 2018: Charles A. SAVARIN (DLP) reelected president unopposed

October 2028

House of Assembly

Unicameral

32 (21 directly elected; 9 appointed)

Proportional representation

Full renewal

5 years

12/6/2022

Dominica Labor Party (DLP) (19); Independents (2)

40.6%

December 2027

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

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

Court of Summary Jurisdiction; magistrates' courts

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

Ambassador Steve FERROL (since 15 September 2023)

3216 New Mexico Ave NW Washington, DC 20016

[1] (202) 364-6781

[1] (202) 364-6791

Embdomdc@gmail.com

New York

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

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

3 November 1978 (from the UK)

Independence Day, 3 November (1978)

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

Sisserou parrot, Carib wood flower

Green, yellow, black, white, red

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"

"Isle of Beauty"

Wilfred Oscar Morgan POND/Lemuel McPherson CHRISTIAN

Adopted 1967

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

$1.241 billion (2024 est.)

$1.216 billion (2023 est.)

$1.173 billion (2022 est.)

2.1% (2024 est.)

3.7% (2023 est.)

10.4% (2022 est.)

$18,700 (2024 est.)

$18,300 (2023 est.)

$17,600 (2022 est.)

$688.881 million (2024 est.)

2.6% (2024 est.)

5.1% (2023 est.)

2.9% (2022 est.)

12.2% (2024 est.)

13.9% (2024 est.)

56.9% (2024 est.)

87.7% (2018 est.)

27.4% (2018 est.)

32.7% (2018 est.)

0% (2018 est.)

29.2% (2018 est.)

-77.8% (2018 est.)

Taro, grapefruits, yams, bananas, coconuts, plantains, milk, yautia, sugarcane, oranges (2023)

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

8.8% (2024 est.)

5.6% of GDP (2024 est.)

5.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

6.1% of GDP (2022 est.)

$233.831 million (2017 est.)

$164.673 million (2017 est.)

71.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

-$160.12 million (2024 est.)

-$223.632 million (2023 est.)

-$163.746 million (2022 est.)

$212.753 million (2024 est.)

$188.818 million (2023 est.)

$173.93 million (2022 est.)

Bahamas, The 13%, Saudi Arabia 11%, Iceland 10%, Guyana 7%, Antigua & Barbuda 7% (2023)

Iron blocks, medical instruments, excavation machinery, power equipment, soap (2023)

$387.532 million (2024 est.)

$417.164 million (2023 est.)

$354.27 million (2022 est.)

USA 24%, China 11%, Indonesia 8%, Trinidad & Tobago 7%, Italy 7% (2023)

Refined petroleum, ships, plastic products, semi-finished iron, cars (2023)

$155.971 million (2024 est.)

$183.53 million (2023 est.)

$204.343 million (2022 est.)

$301.191 million (2023 est.)

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.)

100% (2022 est.)

41,000 kW (2023 est.)

145.827 million kWh (2023 est.)

8 million kWh (2023 est.)

84.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

0.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

15% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

1,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

36.395 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

7,000 (2021 est.)

11 (2021 est.)

56,929 (2022 est.)

85 (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)

.dm

84% (2023 est.)

14,000 (2022 est.)

21 (2022 est.)

J7

2 (2025)

77 (2023)

General cargo 26, oil tanker 10, other 41

2 (2024)

0

0

0

2

1

Portsmouth, Roseau

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

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)

5 (2024 est.)