Commonwealth of Dominica
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Après Bondie, C'est La Ter"  (Antillean Creole) "After God is the Earth"
Anthem: Isle of Beauty, Isle of Splendour
Capital (and largest city)		Roseau 15°18′N, 61°23′W
Official languages		English
Demonym		Dominican
Government		Parliamentary republic
-	President	Nicholas Liverpool
-	Prime Minister	Roosevelt Skerrit
Independence		from the United Kingdom
-	Date	November 3, 1978
Area
-	Total	751 km² (184th) 290 sq mi
-	Water (%)	1. The Flag of Dominica was adopted on November 3, 1978, with some small changes being made in 1981, 1988, and 1990 The coat of arms of Dominica was adapted on July 21, 1961. It consists of a shield with two guardian Sisserou Parrots bracing the shield A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group Antillean Creole is a French -lexified Creole language spoken primarily in the Lesser Antilles. A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's Isle of Beauty Isle of Splendour is the National anthem of the Commonwealth of Dominica. Almost all Dominicans are descendants of African slaves brought in by colonial planters in the 18th century Roseau ( Kwéyòl: Wozeau) is the Capital and largest city of Dominica. An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. A parliamentary republic or parliamentary constitutional republic is a form of a Republic which operates under a Parliamentary system of government This page contains a list of presidents of Dominica from 1978 to the present Nicholas Joseph Orville Liverpool (born September 9, 1934, Grand Bay Dominica) is the Head of state in Dominica. The Prime Minister of Dominica is the head of government in the Commonwealth of Dominica. Roosevelt Skerrit (born 8 June 1972 is the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica as well the Member of Parliament for the Vieille Case Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Events 644 - Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Muslim Caliph, is killed by a Persian slave in Medina. Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. To help compare different Orders of magnitude and geographical regions we list here areas between 100 km² and 1000 km² This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a Fraction of 100 ( per cent meaning "per hundred" 6
Population
-	August 2006 estimate	71,727 (201st1)
-	2003 census	71,727
-	Density	105/km² (95th) 272/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2005 estimate
-	Total	$468 million (177th)
-	Per capita	$6,520 (91st)
HDI (2007)		▲0. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. There are three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP at Purchasing power parity (PPP Per capita The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP 798 (medium) (71st)
Currency		East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
Time zone		(UTC–4)
Internet TLD		.dm
Calling code		[[+1-767]]
1	Rank based on 2005 UN estimate. This is a list of countries by Human Development Index as included in the United Nations Development Program 's Human Development Report 2007 A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is The East Caribbean dollar ( Currency code XCD) is the Currency of eight of the nine members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established A country This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E Area code 767 is the local Telephone area code of the Commonwealth of Dominica.

The Commonwealth of Dominica, commonly known as Dominica (French: Dominique), is an island nation in the Caribbean Sea. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people An island country is a Country that is wholly confined to an Island, several islands an Island group or several island groups and has no territory on For the region see Caribbean. The Caribbean Sea (kəˈrɪbiən or /ˌkærɨˈbiːən/ is a tropical Sea in the Western Hemisphere The name is pronounced /ˌdɒmɪˈniːkə/ (dom-in-EE-cuh). In Latin, its name means "Sunday", which was the day on which it was discovered by Christopher Columbus. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Christopher Columbus (1451 &ndash May 20 1506 was an Italian Navigator, colonizer

Dominica's pre-Columbian name was Wai'tu kubuli, which means "Tall is her body". The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences [1] The indigenous people of the island, the Caribs, have a territory similar to the Indian reserves of North America. Cariban languages Carib, Island Carib or Kalinago people after whom the Caribbean Sea was named live in the Lesser Antilles islands For the vast tract created by the Royal Proclamation of 1763 in Canada and the United States see Indian Reserve (1763 In Canada Because the island lies between two French overseas departments, Guadeloupe to the north and Martinique to the south, and because it was colonized by France for a time, it is sometimes called "French Dominica". Overseas department (départements d’outre-mer or DOM) is a designation under the 1946 Constitution of the Fourth Republic that was given to the Guadeloupe is an island group or Archipelago located in the eastern Caribbean Sea at, with a land area of 1628 square kilometres (629  sq Martinique is an Island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, having a land area of 1128 km² However, its official language is English, though a French creole is commonly spoken. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Antillean Creole is a French -lexified Creole language spoken primarily in the Lesser Antilles.

Dominica has been nicknamed the "Nature Isle of the Caribbean" for its seemingly unspoiled natural beauty. A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name. It is one of the youngest islands in the Lesser Antilles, still being formed by geothermal-volcanic activity, as evidenced by the world's second-largest boiling lake. The Lesser Antilles, also known as the Caribbees, are part of the Antilles, which together with the Bahamas and Greater Antilles form the In Geology, geothermal refers to heat sources within the planet Plate tectonics and hotspots Divergent plate boundaries At the The Boiling Lake is situated in the Morne Trois Pitons National Park - Dominica's World Heritage site. The island features lush mountainous rainforests, home of many very rare plant, animal, and bird species. A mountain is a Landform that extends above the surrounding Terrain in a limited area with a peak Rainforests are Forests characterized by high Rainfall with definitions setting minimum normal annual rainfall between 1750–2000 mm (68-78 inches There are xeric areas in some of the western coastal regions, but heavy rainfall can be expected inland. The Sisserou parrot, the island's national bird, is featured on the national flag. The Imperial Amazon, Amazona imperialis also known as the Imperial Parrot or Sisserou Parrot is a green and purple plumage Amazon parrot. The Flag of Dominica was adopted on November 3, 1978, with some small changes being made in 1981, 1988, and 1990 Dominica's economy is heavily dependent on both tourism and agriculture.

Contents 1 History 2 Politics 3 Parishes 4 Geography 5 Climate 6 Demographics 7 Language 8 Culture 8.1 Media and communication 8.2 Film and TV 9 Economy 9.1 Agriculture 9.2 Tourism 10 Transportation 11 Education 12 Nature 13 Sports 14 See also 15 References 16 Gallery 17 External links 17.1 Government 17.2 News and media 17.3 Tourism 17.4 Organizations and directories

History

Main article: History of Dominica

The former indigenous people of Dominica, the Arawak people, were expelled or exterminated by Caribs in the fourteenth century. The Arawaks were guided to Dominica and other islands of the Caribbean, by the South Equatorial Current from the waters of the Orinoco River. The term Arawak (from aru, the Lokono word for Cassava flour was used to designate the Amerindians encountered by the Spanish in The Arawaks had been guided from the waters of the Orinoco River to Dominica and other islands of the Caribbean by the South Equatorial Current. ORiNOCO is the brand name that was used for a family of wireless networking solutions by Proxim (previously Lucent) The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting The South Equatorial Current is a significant Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Ocean current that flows east-to-west between the equator and about 20 degrees These descendants of the early Tainos were overthrown by the Kalinago tribe of the Caribs. The Taínos were pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles.

The Caribs arrived on the island in special boats which they are still making at their own territory on the island. Cariban languages Carib, Island Carib or Kalinago people after whom the Caribbean Sea was named live in the Lesser Antilles islands Christopher Columbus arrived at this island on Sunday, November 3, 1493. Christopher Columbus (1451 &ndash May 20 1506 was an Italian Navigator, colonizer Events 644 - Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Muslim Caliph, is killed by a Persian slave in Medina. He and his crew soon left the island, having been defeated by the Caribs. In 1627 England tried and failed to capture Dominica. The Kingdom of England was a State (927-1707 located in Western Europe dating from the ninth or tenth century to the early eighteenth century when it was legally In 1635 the French claimed the island and sent missionaries, but they were unable to wrest Dominica from the Caribs. A missionary is a member of a Religion who works to convert those who do not share the missionary's faith someone who proselytizes. The French abandoned the island, along with the island of Saint Vincent, in the 1660s. You may be looking for St Vincent Island Florida Saint Vincent is a volcanic Island in the Caribbean, the largest island

For the next hundred years Dominica remained isolated, and even more Caribs settled there after being driven from surrounding islands as European powers entered the region. France formally ceded possession of Dominica to the United Kingdom in 1763. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The United Kingdom then set up a government and made the island a colony in 1805. The emancipation of African slaves occurred throughout the British Empire in 1834, and, in 1838, Dominica became the first British Caribbean colony to have a Black-controlled legislature. In 1896, the United Kingdom reassumed governmental control of Dominica and turning it into a crown colony. The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories that are under the Sovereignty of the United Kingdom, but which do not form part of the United Kingdom Half a century later, from 1958 to 1962, Dominica became a province of the short-lived West Indies Federation. The West Indies Federation, also known as the Federation of the West Indies, was a short-lived Caribbean Federation that existed from January 3 1958 In 1978 Dominica finally became an independent nation.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Dominica

Dominica is a parliamentary democracy within the Commonwealth of Nations. The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States ( OECS) created in 1981 is an inter-governmental organisation dedicated to economic harmonisation and integration protection of Politics of Dominica takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic Republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Dominica A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which The president is head of state, while executive power rests with the cabinet, headed by the prime minister. Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state A cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of Government, typically representing the executive branch. This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. The unicameral parliament consists of the thirty-member House of Assembly, which consists of twenty-one directly elected members and nine senators, who may either be appointed by the president or elected by the other members of the House of Assembly. Unicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or Parliamentary chamber TalkParliament#Screen-size. -->A  parliament is a Legislature, especially in those The Unicameral House of Assembly is Dominica 's legislative body

Unlike other former British colonies in the region, Dominica was never a Commonwealth realm with the British monarch as head of state, as it instead became a republic on independence. A Commonwealth realm is any one of 16 sovereign states within the Commonwealth of Nations that each have Elizabeth II as their respective Monarch TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its Dominica is a full and participating member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). The Caribbean Community ( CARICOM) is an organization of Caribbean nations and dependencies The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States ( OECS) created in 1981 is an inter-governmental organisation dedicated to economic harmonisation and integration protection of Dominica is also a member of the International Criminal Court with a Bilateral Immunity Agreement of protection for the U.S. military, as covered under Article 98. The International Criminal Court ( ICC or ICCt) was established in 2002 as a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for Genocide, crimes against The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (often referred to as the International Criminal Court Statute or the Rome Statute) is the Treaty In January 2008 Dominica joined the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas. PortalCurrent events International holidays January 1 - New Year's Day January 1 - Independence The Bolivarian Alternative for the People of Our America ( Spanish: Alternativa Bolivariana para los Pueblos de Nuestra América or ALBA - which also means 'dawn' in

Parishes

Dominica is divided into ten parishes:

1. Saint Andrew Parish
2. Saint David Parish
3. Saint George Parish
4. Saint John Parish
5. Saint Joseph Parish
6. Saint Luke Parish
7. Saint Mark Parish
8. Saint Patrick Parish
9. Saint Paul Parish
10. Saint Peter Parish

Geography

Main article: Geography of Dominica

Dominica is an island nation and borderless country in the Caribbean Sea, the northernmost of the Windward Islands. A parish is a Local church; it is an administrative unit typically found in episcopal or presbyterian churches Saint Luke is one of Dominica 's 10 administrative parishes. It is bordered by St Saint Mark is one of Dominica 's 10 administrative parishes. It is bordered by St Saint Patrick is one of Dominica 's 10 administrative parishes. Saint Paul is one of Dominica 's 10 administrative parishes. It is bordered by St Saint Peter is one of Dominica 's 10 administrative parishes. Dominica is an Island in the Caribbean Sea, located about halfway between Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago. An island country is a Country that is wholly confined to an Island, several islands an Island group or several island groups and has no territory on This is a list of island countries. An " Island country " also called a borderless country, is an insular territory over which a nation-state maintains For the region see Caribbean. The Caribbean Sea (kəˈrɪbiən or /ˌkærɨˈbiːən/ is a tropical Sea in the Western Hemisphere This article is about the Caribbean island group For the eastern Society Islands in French Polynesia, see Windward Islands (Society Islands. The size of the country is about 289. 5 square miles (754 km²). Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The capital is Roseau. Roseau ( Kwéyòl: Wozeau) is the Capital and largest city of Dominica.

Dominica is largely covered by rainforest and is home to the world's second-largest boiling lake. Rainforests are Forests characterized by high Rainfall with definitions setting minimum normal annual rainfall between 1750–2000 mm (68-78 inches The Boiling Lake is situated in the Morne Trois Pitons National Park - Dominica's World Heritage site. Dominica has many waterfalls, springs, and rivers. Some plants and animals thought to be extinct on surrounding islands can still be found in Dominica's forests. The volcanic nature of the island and the lack of sandy beaches have made Dominica a popular scuba diving spot. Scuba diving is swimming underwater, or taking part in another activity while using a Scuba set. Dominica is home to several protected areas, including Cabrits National Park. Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their environmental cultural or similar value This list is of national parks in Dominica For national parks in the similarly-named country of the Dominican Republic, see List of national parks of the Dominican Dominica has 365 rivers.

It is said that when his royal sponsors asked Christopher Columbus to describe this island in the "New World", he crumpled a piece of parchment roughly and threw it on the table. Christopher Columbus (1451 &ndash May 20 1506 was an Italian Navigator, colonizer This, Columbus explained, is what Dominica looks like—completely covered with mountains with nary a flat spot.

Morne Trois Pitons National Park is a tropical forest blended with scenic volcanic features. Morne Trois Pitons National Park is a World Heritage Site (since 1997 located in Dominica. ^[1] It was recognized as a World Heritage Site on April 4, 1995. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex Events 1581 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Within the Caribbean, it shares this distinction with historic World Heritage sites in San Juan (Puerto Rico), Willemstad (Curacao), Saint Kitts, Hispaniola (Dominican Republic/Haiti) and Cuba, and another natural World Heritage site in St. Lucia. San Juan (saŋ hwaŋ (from the Spanish San Juan Bautista, " Saint John the Baptist " is the Capital and largest municipality in Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} Willemstad can refer to Willemstad, the capital of Curaçao Willemstad (North Brabant, a town in Moerdijk the Netherlands Curaçao (ˈkjuːrəsaʊ in English Dutch: Curaçao, Papiamento: Kòrsou) is an Island in the southern Caribbean Sea, Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of historical cultural and architectural significance a monument to the ingenuity of the British The Pitons are two Volcanic plugs in a World Heritage Site in Saint Lucia.

The Commonwealth of Dominica is engaged in a long-running dispute with Venezuela over Venezuela's territorial claims to the sea surrounding Isla Aves (literally Bird Island, but in fact called Bird Rock by Dominica authorities), a tiny islet located 70 miles (110 km) west of the island of Dominica. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States

The only two major cities are Roseau and Portsmouth. Portsmouth is the former Capital and with 2977 inhabitants the second largest town of Dominica.

Climate

Dominica is especially vulnerable to hurricanes as the island is located in what is referred to as the hurricane region. A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a low pressure center and numerous Thunderstorms that produce strong winds and Flooding In 1979, Dominica was hit directly by category 5 Hurricane David, causing widespread and extreme damage. Hurricane David was the fourth named Tropical cyclone, second hurricane and first major hurricane of the 1979 Atlantic hurricane season. On August 17, 2007, Hurricane Dean, a category 1 at the time, hit the island. Hurricane Dean was the strongest Tropical cyclone of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season. A mother and her seven-year-old son died when a landslide caused by the heavy rains fell onto their house. A landslide is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement such as rock falls deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows which can occur ^[2] In another incident two people were injured when a tree fell on their house. ^[3] Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit estimated that 100 to 125 homes were damaged, and that the agriculture sector was extensively damaged, in particular the banana crop. The Prime Minister of Dominica is the head of government in the Commonwealth of Dominica. Roosevelt Skerrit (born 8 June 1972 is the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica as well the Member of Parliament for the Vieille Case ^[4]

see also: Effects of Hurricane Dean in the Lesser Antilles

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Dominica

Almost all nationals of Dominica today are descendants of African slaves, brought in by colonial planters in the eighteenth century. The effects of Hurricane Dean in the Lesser Antilles were spread over five island countries and included 3 fatalities Almost all Dominicans are descendants of African slaves brought in by colonial planters in the 18th century Slavery is a social-economic system under which certain persons — known as slaves — are deprived of personal freedom and compelled to perform labour or services However there is a significant Mixed minority along with a Indo-Caribbean or East Indian groups, a small European origin minority (descendants of French, British, and Irish colonists) and there are small numbers of Lebanese, Syrians and Asians. Dominica is also the only Eastern Caribbean island that still has a population of pre-Columbian native Caribs, who were exterminated or driven from neighbouring islands. Cariban languages Carib, Island Carib or Kalinago people after whom the Caribbean Sea was named live in the Lesser Antilles islands There are only about 3,000 Caribs remaining. They live in eight villages on the east coast of Dominica. This special Carib Territory was granted by the British Queen in 1903. ^[5] There are also about 1,000 medical students from the United States and Canada who study at the Ross University School of Medicine in Portsmouth. Ross University is a professional school located on the Caribbean islands of Dominica and Saint Kitts.

The population growth rate of Dominica is very low, due primarily to emigration to other Caribbean islands, the United Kingdom, the United States, France, and Canada. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The United States of America —commonly referred to as the This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page

It has recently been noted that Dominica has an incredibly high proportion of centenarians. A centenarian is a person who has attained the age of 100 Years or more As of March 2007, there are 22 centenarians out of the island's almost 70,000 inhabitants—three times the average incidence of centenarianism in developed countries. ^[6] The reasons for this are the subject of current research being undertaken at Ross University School of Medicine.

About 80% of the population is Roman Catholic, though in recent years a number of Protestant churches have been established. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Also, there is also a small but growing Muslim community in Dominica as the nation's first mosque is currently being built. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion A "mosque" in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated for Islamic worship although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller privately owned mosque and the larger ^[7]

Language

English is the official language of Dominica and is universally understood. However, because of historic French domination, and the island's location between the two French-speaking territories of Martinique and Guadeloupe, Antillean Creole Patois, a French-based creole language, is the mother tongue of 80% of the Dominican people. Martinique is an Island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, having a land area of 1128 km² Guadeloupe is an island group or Archipelago located in the eastern Caribbean Sea at, with a land area of 1628 square kilometres (629  sq Antillean Creole is a French -lexified Creole language spoken primarily in the Lesser Antilles. A creole language, or simply a creole, is a stable Language that originates seemingly as a nativized Pidgin. Dominica is therefore a member of the Francophonie organization. La Francophonie is an international organisation of French-speaking countries and governments and in French, the community of French-speaking peoples

The dialect of Dominica also includes Cocoy, along with Creole—French-based patois. A creole language, or simply a creole, is a stable Language that originates seemingly as a nativized Pidgin. Cocoy, or Kockoy, is a mix of Leeward Island English-Creole and Dominican Creole. It is mainly spoken in the northeastern villages of Marigot and Wesley. ^[8]

Culture

Dominica is home to a wide range of people. Although it was historically occupied by several native tribes, only a Carib tribe remained by the time European settlers reached the island. Cariban languages Carib, Island Carib or Kalinago people after whom the Caribbean Sea was named live in the Lesser Antilles islands French and British settlers each claimed the island and imported slaves from Africa. Slavery is a social-economic system under which certain persons — known as slaves — are deprived of personal freedom and compelled to perform labour or services The remaining Caribs now live on a 3,700-acre (15 km²) territory on the east coast of the island. Cariban languages Carib, Island Carib or Kalinago people after whom the Caribbean Sea was named live in the Lesser Antilles islands They elect their own chief. This mix of cultures is important to Dominica.

The famed novelist Jean Rhys was born and raised in Dominica. Jean Rhys ( August 24, 1890 - May 14, 1979) born Ella Gwendolen Rees Williams, was a mid 20th century Dominican The island is obliquely depicted in her best-known book, Wide Sargasso Sea. Wide Sargasso Sea is a 1966 postcolonial Parallel novel by Dominica -born author Jean Rhys. Recently, Caribbean writer Marie-Elena John's debut novel Unburnable has evoked much of the same spirit of Dominica captured by Rhys, prompting comparisons between the two novels^[9] in spite of the hundred-year difference, and suggesting that Dominica has remained one of the Caribbean's most pristine islands. Marie-Elena John (born 1963 is a Caribbean writer whose first novel Unburnable, was published in 2006 Unburnable, a novel published in 2006 by HarperCollins /Amistad was penned by Caribbean writer Marie-Elena John (born in Antigua) who spent Rhys's friend, the political activist and writer Phyllis Shand Allfrey, set her 1954 novel, The Orchid House (ISBN 0-8135-2332-X), in Dominica. Phyllis Shand Allfrey (1908 &ndash 1986 a notable name in West Indian literature, was born on the island of Dominica in the Caribbean The Orchid House was a book published in 1953 and the only novel written by Dominican writer Phyllis Shand Allfrey.

Media and communication

Currently, Dominica has three major newspapers, The Sun, The Times, and The Chronicle. There are two national television stations and a few radio stations, including Q95 FM, the Dominica Broadcasting Corporation, and Kairi FM. Dominica Broadcasting Corporation (also known on-air as DBS or DBS Radio) is the national radio station of the Commonwealth of Dominica.

Before 2004, there was only one telecommunication company called Cable and Wireless. Cable & Wireless (West Indies Ltd is a leading wholly owned telecommunications subsidiary of the British -based parent company Cable & Wireless plc. Shortly after that, Digicel and a UK-based company called Orange started to offer service to the island. Digicel is a Mobile phone network provider in the Caribbean region Orange is the brand used by France Telecom for its Mobile network operator and Internet service provider subsidiaries There are a number of mobile networks operating on the island.

Film and TV

In 2004, Dominica was selected for the film Pirates of the Caribbean. Pirates of the Caribbean is a multi-billion dollar Walt Disney franchise encompassing a theme park ride a series of films In spring of 2007, CBS filmed its first pirate-related TV show called Pirate Master in Dominica. CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. Pirate Master is an Emmy Award-winning CBS Reality television show created by Mark Burnett following 16 modern-day Pirates

Economy

Main article: Economy of Dominica

The Dominican economy is dependent on both tourism and agriculture. Agriculture, with bananas as the principal crop is still Dominica 's economic mainstay Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Twenty percent of Dominican workers are in the agricultural sector, and Dominica's primary agricultural exports include tobacco, bananas, vegetables, citrus, copra, coconut oil, and essential oils such as bay oil. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture In Economics, an export is any good or Commodity, Transported from one country to another country in a Legitimate fashion Tobacco is an Agricultural product recognized as an addictive drug processed from the fresh Leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. For the fruit see Banana. For other meanings see Banana (disambiguation. The term " vegetable " generally means the edible parts of Plants The definition of the word is traditional rather than Scientific, however Citrus is a common term and Genus of Flowering plants in the family Rutaceae, originating in tropical and subtropical southeast regions of Copra is the dried meat or kernel of the Coconut. The name copra is derived from the Malayalam word kopra for dried coconut Coconut oil, also known as coconut butter, is a tropical oil with many applications An essential oil is a concentrated Hydrophobic Liquid containing volatile Aroma compounds from Plants They are also known as volatile Bay leaf (plural bay leaves) Greek Daphni, Romanian Foi de Dafin; is the aromatic leaf of several Species of the Laurel family ( Lauraceae The country's industries, other than tourism, include soap, furniture, cement blocks, and shoes. SOAP (see below for name and origins is a protocol for exchanging XML -based messages over Computer networks normally using Furniture is the Mass noun for the movable objects which may support the human body (seating furniture and beds, provide storage or hold objects on horizontal A shoe is an item of Footwear. Shoes may vary from a simple Flip-flop to a complex Boot. Dominica is further benefited by the presence of an offshore Devry-owned medical school, Ross University, in the northern town of Portsmouth. DeVry University and DeVry Institute of Technology are divisions of Devry Inc Ross University is a professional school located on the Caribbean islands of Dominica and Saint Kitts. Over 1,000 students mainly from USA and Canada live and study in Portsmouth.

The Dominican economy has high poverty (30%), high unemployment (23%), and a low per capita income (US$5,400) (see GDP). Poverty (also called penury) is deprivation of common necessities that determine the quality of life including food clothing shelter and safe Drinking water, and Unemployment occurs when a person is available to work and currently seeking work but the person is without work. The Dominican economy has been hurt by problems in the banana industry. For the fruit see Banana. For other meanings see Banana (disambiguation. The entire economy suffers when weather conditions damage the banana crop or when the price of bananas falls. The European Union has phased out preferred access of Dominican bananas to its markets, causing banana demand to fall. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in In response, the Dominican government privatized the banana industry. The government has also moved to diversify the economy and has lifted price controls in an attempt to improve the lagging economy. The government is also trying to develop tourism, especially ecotourism. Ecotourism, also known as ecological tourism, is a form of Tourism that appeals to ecologically and socially conscious individuals The lack of a large international airport or sandy beaches limit opportunities for standard tourism, but the island's heavily rainforested landscape and beautifully preserved environment could lure those looking for unparalleled ecotourism experiences. Indeed, it is remarked that of all the islands of the Caribbean, Dominica is the only one Christopher Columbus might still recognise. Christopher Columbus (1451 &ndash May 20 1506 was an Italian Navigator, colonizer

Agriculture

Bananas have traditionally formed the backbone of the island's economy. For the fruit see Banana. For other meanings see Banana (disambiguation. Between 1988 and 1999, banana production declined 63% with a 62% decline in export value, mainly due to the performance of the banana industry. ^[10]

Tourism

Compared to many other Caribbean islands, Dominica's tourism industry may be considered to be underdeveloped (65,000 visitors per year). It does not have any world-famous chains of hotels. A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging usually on a short-term basis

However, Dominica has a few famous tourist spots, such as the Indian River in Portsmouth, Emerald Pool, Trafalgar Falls, Scotts Head (where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Caribbean Sea), and the world's second-largest boiling lake, which is inside Morne Trois Pitons National Park. Portsmouth is the former Capital and with 2977 inhabitants the second largest town of Dominica. Scotts Head ( is a village in the south of Dominica, named after a British general of the 18th century The Boiling Lake is situated in the Morne Trois Pitons National Park - Dominica's World Heritage site. Morne Trois Pitons National Park is a World Heritage Site (since 1997 located in Dominica. The national park, itself, has been designated a World Heritage Site. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex A 2005 New York Times article reported that locals, who believe an earthquake to be the most likely culprit, claim the boiling lake had diminished in volume and effect (in the sense of impressing visitors) in recent years ^[11].

This island country also has many excellent diving spots due to its steep drop-offs, healthy marine environment, and reefs.

In 2004, because of its natural beauty, Dominica was chosen to be one of the primary filming locations for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and its follow-up, At World's End. Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Man's Chest is a 2006 Adventure film of the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' series, the sequel to the 2003 Pirates of the Caribbean At World's End is a 2007 Adventure film, the third film in the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' series. Hampstead Beach, Indian River, Londonderry River, Soufriere, and Vieille Case, which is situated on the island’s northern tip, were among the places selected for filming. The production ended on May 26, 2005. The cast and crew and their island hosts had a "Dominica Survivor Party".

Celebrity Cruises, Carnival Cruise Lines and Princess Cruise Lines have made Dominica one of their ports of call. Celebrity Cruises is a Cruise line founded in 1989 by the Greek Chandris Group. Carnival Cruise Lines is a Cruise line operating a large number of Cruise ships. Princess Cruises is an American Cruise line, based in the Valencia section of the city of Santa Clarita, California, that The pier is located in the capital city of Roseau and is a simple pier. Other Caribbean islands -- such as St. Thomas, Barbados, St. Lucia, and Antigua -- have more extensive cruise pier facilities.

The Dominica straw markets open on Tuesdays when the cruise ship docks. These shops are operated by locals and are located on the main street directly in front of the pier, as well as directly behind the Dominica Museum. No other straw markets are located on the north side of the island.

Transportation

There are two small airports on the island: the main one is Melville Hall Airport (DOM), about one hour away from Roseau; the second one is Canefield (DCF) which is about fifteen minutes' travel from Roseau. Melville Hall Airport is an Airport located on the northeast coast of Dominica, two miles (3 km) northwest of Marigot, it is about one Neither of them is big enough for typical commercial-size airplanes, although Melville Hall is under expansion. As of 2007, American Airlines and LIAT (who recently merged with Caribbean Star, a former competitor in that market) are the major airlines that service the Melville Hall airport, and Carib Aviation operates service from Canefield. American Airlines Inc (AA is a US -based airline and the world's Largest airline in total passenger miles transported and passenger fleet size LIAT is an Airline based in St John's, Antigua. It operates high-frequency interisland scheduled services serving 22 destinations in the Caribbean Caribbean Star Airlines was an Airline based in Antigua and Barbuda. Carib Aviation was an Airline based in Antigua and Barbuda. History Founded in 1972 with a single prop engine aircraft Carib There is no nighttime service, because the runways do not have lights.

There is no major highway on the island. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Before adding any more images to this * * page please do carefully consider * * whether they would be mere decoration * * or actually improve Before the road was built between Portsmouth and Roseau, people had to take boats, which took several hours. Now, it takes about one hour to drive from Portsmouth to Roseau. Minibus services form the major public transport system. It costs about EC$ 1 to go anywhere in the Portsmouth area and about EC$ 8 from Portsmouth to Roseau (2006). The East Caribbean dollar ( Currency code XCD) is the Currency of eight of the nine members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Many visitors opt to rent a 4x4 vehicle so that they can enjoy the freedom to explore on their own schedule.

Education

The island has its own state college, formerly named Clifton Dupigny Community College. Some Dominicans get scholarships from the Cuban government to attend universities in Cuba. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la Others go to the University of the West Indies or to schools in the United Kingdom, the United States, or other countries for higher education. The University of the West Indies, also known as UWI, is an autonomous regional institution supported by and serving 16 English-speaking Countries and territories Ross University, a medical school, is located at Portsmouth. Ross University is a professional school located on the Caribbean islands of Dominica and Saint Kitts. Portsmouth is the former Capital and with 2977 inhabitants the second largest town of Dominica. The Archbold Tropical Research and Education Center^[12], a biological field station owned by Clemson University^[13], is located at Springfield Estate between Canefield and Pond Casse. In 2006, another medical school called All Saints University of Medicine opened in temporary facilities in Loubiere, with a permanent campus being constructed in Grand Bay. Grand Bay ( known officially as Berekua, is a village in the south of Dominica. Currently All Saints is located in Roseau, Dominica

Nature

Dominica possesses the most pristine wilderness in the Caribbean. Originally, it was protected by sheer mountains which led the European powers to build ports and agricultural settlements on other islands. More recently, the citizens of this island have sought to preserve its spectacular natural beauty by discouraging the type of high-impact tourism which has damaged nature in most of the Caribbean.

Visitors can find large tropical forests, including one which is on the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites, hundreds of streams, spectacular coastlines and coral reefs.

The Sisserou parrot is Dominica's national bird and is indigenous to its mountain forests. The Imperial Amazon, Amazona imperialis also known as the Imperial Parrot or Sisserou Parrot is a green and purple plumage Amazon parrot.

The Caribbean Sea offshore of the island of Dominica is home to many cetaceans. For the region see Caribbean. The Caribbean Sea (kəˈrɪbiən or /ˌkærɨˈbiːən/ is a tropical Sea in the Western Hemisphere The Order Cetacea (sɪˈteɪʃiə L cetus, whale includes Whales Dolphins and Porpoises Cetus is Most notably a group of sperm whales lives in this area year round. The Sperm Whale ( Physeter macrocephalus or Physeter catodon) is the largest of all Toothed whales and largest living toothed animal Other cetaceans commonly seen in the area include spinner dolphins, pantropical spotted dolphins and bottlenose dolphins. The Spinner Dolphin ( Stenella longirostris) is a small Dolphin found in off-shore tropical waters around the world The Pantropical Spotted Dolphin ( Stenella attenuata) is a Species of Dolphin found in all the world's temperate and tropical oceans The Bottlenose Dolphin is one of the most common and well-known Dolphins. Less commonly seen animals include killer whales, false killer whales, pygmy sperm whales, dwarf sperm whales, Risso's dolphins, common dolphins, Atlantic spotted dolphins, humpback whales and Bryde's whales. The Orca or Killer Whale ( Orcinus orca) less commonly Blackfish or Seawolf, is the largest species of the Oceanic dolphin family The False Killer Whale ( Pseudorca crassidens) is a Cetacean and one of the larger members of the Oceanic dolphin family (Delphinidae The pygmy sperm whale ( Kogia breviceps) is one of three Species of Toothed whale in the Sperm whale family. The dwarf sperm whale ( Kogia sima) is one of three Species of Whale in the Sperm whale family. The Risso's Dolphin ( Grampus griseus) is the only Species of Dolphin in the Genus Grampus. The Common Dolphin is the name given to up to three species of Dolphin making up the Genus Delphinus. The Atlantic Spotted Dolphin ( Stenella frontalis) is a Dolphin found in the Gulf Stream of the North Atlantic Ocean. The humpback whale ( Megaptera novaeangliae) is a Baleen Whale. Bryde’s Whales are the least-known and in many ways the most unusual of the Rorquals They are small by rorqual standards&mdashno more than about 25 tonnes&mdashprefer tropical This makes Dominca a popular destination for tourists interested in whale-watching. Whale watching is the practice of observing Whales and other Cetaceans in their natural habitat

Sports

Cricket is a popular sport on the island, and Dominica competes in Test cricket as part of the West Indies cricket team. Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries Test cricket is the longest form of the Sport of Cricket. It has long been considered the ultimate test of playing ability between cricketing nations The West Indian cricket team, also known colloquially as The Windies or The West Indies, is a multi-national Cricket team representing On October 24, 2007, the 8,000-seat Windsor cricket stadium was completed with a donation of EC$33 million (US$17 million, €12 million) from the government of the People's Republic of China. Events 69 - Second Battle of Bedriacum, forces under Antonius Primus the commander of the Danube armies loyal to Vespasian, defeat Windsor Park is a multi-purpose stadium in Roseau Dominica. It also serves as the national stadium and is currently used mostly for Cricket matches The East Caribbean dollar ( Currency code XCD) is the Currency of eight of the nine members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e Power within the Government of the People's Republic of China is divided among three bodies the Communist Party of China, the state and the People's The 11th annual World Creole Music Festival was the first activity held there since its completion on October 27, 2007, part of the island's celebration of independence from Great Britain on November 3, marking 30 years. The term "Creole music" applies to two genres from south Louisiana (1 Creole folk music and (2 black Creole music Events 312 - Constantine the Great is said to have received his famous Vision of the Cross. Events 644 - Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Muslim Caliph, is killed by a Persian slave in Medina.

See also

• Communications in Dominica
• Foreign relations of Dominica
• Military of Dominica
• Transportation in Dominica
• Music of Dominica
• List of people of Dominica
• The Scout Association of Dominica
• Lesser Antilles

References

Gallery

Roseau (Dominica)	Rainforest near Belles (Dominica)	Boiling Lake (Dominica)	Indian River (Dominica)
Portsmouth (Dominica)	Anse Du Me (Dominica)	Woodford Hill Bay (Dominica)	Volcanic rock (Dominica)
Carib Territory (Dominica)	Musicians (Dominica)	Middleham Falls, Dominica

External links

Government

• Official website - Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica
• Commonwealth of Dominica - Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States
• Invest Dominica - Official site for the Division of Industry, Dominica.
• Dominica Marine Reserve Service - Fisheries Division, Dominica

News and media

• Dominica Broadcasting Corporation
• QFM Radio - West Indies Communications Enterprise Limited, Dominica
• Kairi FM - Radio station on Dominica
• The Chronicle - Weekly newspaper of Dominica
• NewsDominica.com - Online news community

Tourism

• Dominica travel guide from Wikitravel
• Discover Dominica: Nature Island of the Caribbean - Official government tourism website by the Discover Dominica Authority
• Tourism Dominica - Official site of the Dominica Ministry of Tourism, Industry & Private Sector Relations
• Dominica Hotel & Tourism Association - Official site
• Dominican Blog - Uncover The Nature Island of Dominica

Organizations and directories

• Dominica Association of Industy & Commerce
• Dominica's Society for Heritage, Architectural Preservation & Enhancement
• Kalinago - Official Website of Dominica's Carib Territory Cultural Groups
• Resources on Dominica's history & culture - compilation by Lennox Edward Honychurch, Curator of The Dominica Museum, Bayfront, Roseau
• Dominica and the IMF - The International Monetary Fund

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