LOCATION:

Location:
  
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago.

AREA:

Area:
 
total: 754 sq km
land: 754 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC

POPULATION

Population: 69,029

(July 2005 est.)

AGE STRUCTURE:

Age structure:
  
0-14 years: 26.7% (male 9,328/ female 9,125)
 
15-64 years:65.4% (male23,225/ female 21,900)
 
65 years and over:  7.9% (male 2,193/ female 3,258)

(2005 est.)

MEDIAN AGE:

Median age:
  
total: 29.59 years
male: 29.26 years
female: 29.95 years

(2005 est.)

POPULATION GROWTH:

Population growth rate: -0.27%

(2005 est.)

INFANT MORTALITY RATE:

Infant mortality rate:
   
total: 14.15 deaths/1,000 live births
 
male: 18.68 deaths/1,000 live births
 
female: 9.38 deaths/1,000 live births

(2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS-ADULT PREVALENCE RATE:

HIV/AIDS Adult prevalence rate: 0.3 %

HIV/AIDS- PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS :

No information available

HIV/AIDS-DEATH

No information available

ETHNIC GROUPS:

Ethnic groups:
  
black,
mixed black and European,
European,
Syrian,
Carib Amerindian

RELIGIONS:

Religions:
  
Roman Catholic 77%,
Protestant 15% (Methodist 5%, Pentecostal 3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Baptist 2%, other 2%),
none 2%,
other 6%

LANGUAGES:

Languages:
 
English (official), French patois

LITERACY:

Literacy:
  
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
 
total population: 94%
male: 94%
female: 94%

(2003 est.)

GOVERNMENT TYPE:

Government type: parliamentary democracy; republic within the Commonwealth

CAPITAL:

Capital: Roseau

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:

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:

Independence: 3 November 1978 (from UK)

ECONOMY:

Economy - overview:
  
The Dominican economy depends on agriculture, primarily bananas, and remains highly vulnerable to climatic conditions and international economic developments. Production of bananas dropped precipitously in 2003, a major reason for the 1% decline in GDP. Tourism increased in 2003 as the government sought to promote Dominica as an "ecotourism" destination. Development of the tourism industry remains difficult, however, because of the rugged coastline, lack of beaches, and the absence of an international airport. The government began a comprehensive restructuring of the economy in 2003 - including elimination of price controls, privatization of the state banana company, and tax increases - to address Dominica's economic crisis and to meet IMF targets. In order to diversify the island's production base the government is attempting to develop an offshore financial sector and is planning to construct an oil refinery on the eastern part of the island.


GDP:

GDP:
   
purchasing power parity - $384 million

(2003 est.)

POPULATION BELOW POVERTY LINE:

Population below poverty line: 30%

(2002 est.)

INFLATION RATE:

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1%

(2001 est.)

UNEMPLOYMENT:

Unemployment rate: 23%

(2000 est.)

EXCHANGE RATES:

Exchange rates:
  
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar -
2.7 (2004),
2.7 (2003),
2.7 (2002),
2.7 (2001),
2.7 (2000).

(2002)

ILLICIT DRUGS:

Illicit drugs:
  
Transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; minor cannabis producer; anti-money-laundering enforcement is weak, making the country particularly vulnerable to money laundering.