Dominica
Top Sights & Landmarks
Background
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 Britain in 1763, and Dominica became a British colony in 1805. Slavery ended in 1833, and in 1835, the first three men of African descent were elected to the legislative assembly of Dominica. In 1871, Dominica became first part of the British Leeward Islands and then the British Windward Islands until 1958. In 1967, Dominica became an associated state of the UK, formally taking responsibility for its internal affairs, and the country gained its independence in 1978. In 1980, Dominica's fortunes improved when Mary Eugenia CHARLES -- the first female prime minister in the Caribbean -- replaced a corrupt and tyrannical administration, and she served for the next 15 years. In 2017, Hurricane Maria passed over the island, causing extensive damage to structures, roads, communications, and the power supply, and largely destroying critical agricultural areas.
Location
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about halfway between Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago
Area
Elevation
Detailed Geography Information
Coastline
148 km
Geography - note
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
Irrigated land
NA
Land boundaries
total: 0 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Natural hazards
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
Natural resources
Terrain
rugged mountains of volcanic origin
Population & Growth
Age Distribution
Demographic Longevity
Vital Dynamics
Detailed People & Society Information
Alcohol consumption per capita
6.32 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 52.7 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 31.2 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 21.5 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 4.7 (2025 est.)
Education expenditure
5.4% of GDP (2024 est.) 5.8% national budget (2025 est.)
Ethnic groups
Gross reproduction rate
0.98 (2025 est.)
Health expenditure
6.5% of GDP (2021) 6.2% of national budget (2022 est.)
Hospital bed density
3 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 10.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 14.5 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.8 deaths/1,000 live births
Languages
Major urban areas - population
15,000 ROSEAU (capital) (2018)
Maternal mortality ratio
36 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Nationality
noun: Dominican(s) adjective: Dominican
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
27.9% (2016)
People - note
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
Physician density
1.16 physicians/1,000 population (2018)
Population distribution
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
Refugees and internally displaced persons
Religions
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Climate & Issues
tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall
Land Cover
Air & Carbon Emissions
Water Resources & Use
Detailed Environmental Information
International environmental agreements
Urbanization
urban population: 72% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.84% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 13,200 tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 12.6% (2022 est.)
Capital & State Profile
Executive Branch
Legislative Branch
National Identity & Symbols
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
Detailed Government Information
Administrative divisions
10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick, Saint Paul, Saint Peter
Citizenship
citizenship by birth: yes citizenship by descent only: yes dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Constitution
history: previous 1967 (pre-independence); latest presented 25 July 1978, entered into force 3 November 1978 amendment process: 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
Country name
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica conventional short form: Dominica etymology: 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
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
International organization participation
Judicial branch
highest court(s): 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 judge selection and term of office: 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 subordinate courts: Court of Summary Jurisdiction; magistrates' courts
Legal system
common law based on the English model
Political parties
Dominica Freedom Party or DFP Dominica Labor Party or DLP Dominica United Workers Party or UWP
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economic Overview
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
Size & Performance
GDP Sector Breakdown
Trade Balance
Budget Balance
Export Profile
Top Export Partners
Major Export Commodities
Import Profile
Top Import Partners
Major Import Commodities
Detailed Economic Data
Agricultural products
Current account balance
-$160.12 million (2024 est.) -$223.632 million (2023 est.) -$163.746 million (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Debt - external
$301.191 million (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
Exchange rates
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - Exchange rates: 2.7 (2024 est.) 2.7 (2023 est.) 2.7 (2022 est.) 2.7 (2021 est.) 2.7 (2020 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
Industrial production growth rate
8.8% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Industries
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.6% (2024 est.) 5.1% (2023 est.) 2.9% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Remittances
5.6% of GDP (2024 est.) 5.2% of GDP (2023 est.) 6.1% of GDP (2022 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$155.971 million (2024 est.) $183.53 million (2023 est.) $204.343 million (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Grid Infrastructure
Generation Mix
Fossil Fuels Production
Intensity & Nuclear
Digital Access
Active internet users as a percentage of the total population.
Fixed Broadband
Mobile Cellular
Broadcast Media
Aviation
Ports & Harbors
Merchant Marine
Service & Defense Details
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)