Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Swinburne LESTRADE chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364–6781 consulate(s) general: New York FAX: [1] (202) 364–6791
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; US interests are served by the embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados
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)
Economy Dominica
Economy - overview:
The Dominican economy depends on agriculture, primarily bananas,
and remains highly vulnerable to climatic conditions and
international economic developments. Hurricane Luis devastated the
country's banana crop in 1995 after tropical storms wiped out a
quarter of the 1994 crop. The economy subsequently has been fueled
by increases in construction, soap production, and tourist arrivals.
Development of the tourism industry remains difficult however,
because of the rugged coastline, lack of beaches, and the absence of
an international airport. Economic growth is sluggish, and
unemployment is greater than 20%. The government has been attempting
to develop an offshore financial sector in order to diversify the
island's production base.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $380 million (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
1.2% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $5,400 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 18% industry: 24% services: 58% (2002 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):
1% (2001 est.)
Labor force:
25,000
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 40%, industry and commerce 32%, services 28%
Unemployment rate:
23% (2000 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $73.9 million
expenditures: $84.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2001)
Industries:
soap, coconut oil, tourism, copra, furniture, cement blocks, shoes
Industrial production growth rate:
−10% (1997 est.)
Electricity - production:
72.41 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 47.1% hydro: 52.9% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
67.35 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
600 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Agriculture - products: bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, coconuts, cocoa; forest and fishery potential not exploited
Exports:
$50 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:
bananas, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges
Exports - partners:
UK 36.1%, Jamaica 18%, US 7.5%, Antigua and Barbuda 6.4%, Guyana
5.4%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.4% (2002)
Imports:
$135 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:
manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals
Imports - partners:
China 23.9%, US 23.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 11.9%, South Korea 7.6%,
UK 7.3%, Japan 4.5% (2002)
Debt - external:
$161.5 million (2001)
Economic aid - recipient:
$24.4 million (1995)
Currency:
East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
Currency code:
XCD
Exchange rates:
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001), 2.7
(2000), 2.7 (1999), 2.7 (1998)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
Communications Dominica
Telephones - main lines in use:
19,000 (1996)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
461 (1996)
Telephone system:
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
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 3, FM 10, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios:
46,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
0 (however, there is one cable television company) (1997)
Televisions:
6,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.dm
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
16 (2000)
Internet users:
2,000 (2000)
Transportation Dominica
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 780 km paved: 393 km unpaved: 387 km (1999 est.)