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.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 13 years male: 13 years female: 14 years (2005)
Education expenditures:
5% of GDP (1999)
Government
Dominica
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 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 elections: president elected by the House of Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 1 October 2003 (next to be held in October 2008); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Nicholas LIVERPOOL elected president; percent of legislative vote - NA%
Legislative branch:
unicameral House of Assembly (30 seats; 9 members appointed, 21 elected by popular vote; to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 5 May 2005 (next to be held by 5 August 2010); 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 52.1%, UWP 43.6%, DFP 3.2%, other 1.1%; seats by party - DLP 12, UWP 8, independent 1
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, 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, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); note - Judith Ann ROLLE (Charge d'Affaires) 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)
Economy
Dominica
Economy - overview:
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. In 2003, the government began a comprehensive restructuring of the economy - including elimination of price controls, privatization of the state banana company, and tax increases - to address Dominica's economic and financial crisis of 2001–02 and to meet IMF targets. This restructuring paved the way for the current economic recovery - real growth for 2006 reached a two-decade high - and will help to reduce the debt burden, which remains at about 100% of GDP. In order to diversify the island's production base, the government is attempting to develop an offshore financial sector and is researching Dominica's capability to export geothermal energy.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$648 million (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$311 million (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
0.9% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$9,000 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 17.7% industry: 32.8% services: 49.5% (2004 est.)
Labor force:
25,000 (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 40% industry: 32% services: 28% (2000 est.)
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%
Budget:
revenues: $73.9 million expenditures: $84.4 million (2001)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.7% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
6.5% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
9.17% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$73.71 million