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.
Population
72,813 (July 2010 est.)
Country comparison to the world: 200
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
Country Name
Conventional long form:Commonwealth of Dominica
Conventional short form:Dominica
Government Type
parliamentary democracy
Capital
Name:Roseau
Geographic coordinates:15 18 N, 61 24 W
Time difference:UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions
10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick, Saint Paul, Saint Peter
Independence
3 November 1978 (from the UK)
National Holiday
Independence Day, 3 November (1978)
Constitution
3 November 1978
Legal system
based on English common law; accepts ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
Chief of state:President Nicholas J. O. LIVERPOOL (since October 2003)
Head of government:Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT (since 8 January 2004)
Cabinet:Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
(For more information visit the World Leaders website)
Elections:president elected by the House of Assembly for a five-year term; election last held on 1 October 2003 (next to be held in 2013); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results:Nicholas LIVERPOOL consented to a second term in 2008 at the request of the prime minister and leader of the opposition
Legislative branch
unicameral House of Assembly (30 seats; 9 members appointed, 21 elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Elections:last held on 18 December 2009 (next to be held in 2015); note - tradition dictates that the election will be held within five years of the last election, but technically it is five years from the first seating of parliament (12 May 2005) plus a 90-day grace period
Election results: percent of vote by party - DLP 61.2%, UWP 34.9%; seats by party - DLP 18, UWP 3
Judicial branch
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the Court of Appeal and the High Court (located in Saint Lucia; one of the six judges must reside in Dominica and preside over the Court of Summary Jurisdiction)
Political Parties and Leaders
Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Charles SAVARIN]; Dominica Labor Party or DLP [Roosevelt SKERRIT]; Dominica United Workers Party or UWP [Earl WILLIAMS]
Political pressure groups and leaders
Dominica Liberation Movement or DLM (a small leftist party)
International organization participation
ACCT, ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, PetroCaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
Chief of mission:Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Judith Ann ROLLE
Chancery:3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
Telephone:[1] (202) 364-6781
FAX:[1] (202) 364-6791
Consulate(s) general:New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Dominica
Flag description
green, with a centered cross of three equal bands - the vertical part is yellow (hoist side), black, and white and the horizontal part is yellow (top), black, and white; superimposed in the center of the cross is a red disk bearing a sisserou parrot encircled by 10 green, five-pointed stars edged in yellow; the 10 stars represent the 10 administrative divisions (parishes)
