island republic, West Indies, a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, in the Caribbean Sea, about midway between the islands of Guadeloupe (on the N) and Martinique (on the S). One of the Windward Islands, Dominica is about 47 km (about 29 mi) long, with an area of some 751 sq km (some 290 sq mi).

Land and People.

Dominica is volcanic in origin and has a mountainous terrain, with several peaks rising above 1220 m (about 4000 ft); the highest point is Morne Diablotin (1447 m/4747 ft). The island has many small unnavigable rivers; Boiling Lake, from which sulfurous gases frequently arise, is located in the S. The island has a tropical climate with an average annual temperature of about 26.7° C (about 80° F). The annual rainfall is considerable, ranging from about 1780 mm (about 70 in) on the coast to more than three times that figure in the mountains. Luxuriant forests cover the mountains.

Dominica had a total population of 71,727 at the 2001 census. In the early 1990s, some 100,000 islanders were living abroad. More than 90% of the inhabitants are blacks, descendants of slaves brought from Africa in the 18th century. A small number of Carib Indians also live on the island. English is the official language, but a French patois is widely spoken. Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion. Roseau (pop., 2001 est., 26,000) is the capital and chief port.

Economy.

Dominica has fertile soils that provide a good basis for farming, the principal economic activity. Agricultural products include bananas, citrus fruit (especially grapefruit and limes), coconuts, cocoa, cinnamon, vanilla beans, root crops, and vegetables. (Banana exports, however, suffered in the early 2000s when the World Trade Organization ended preferential tariffs for producers from former European Union colonies.) Pumice is quarried and exported. Manufacturing is limited to the processing of farm products. The main manufactures are fruit juices, alcoholic beverages, soap, and essential oils. The currency is the East Caribbean dollar (2.67 E Caribbean dollars equal U.S.$1; Sept. 2005). During the 1990s, the country became a haven for offshore banking, and the government sold citizenship in Dominica to foreigners in order to raise revenue. Tourism is a growing industry.

Government.

The Commonwealth of Dominica is governed under the independence constitution of 1978, as subsequently amended. The president, who serves as head of state, is elected by the legislature to a 5-year term. Legislative authority is vested in the unicameral House of Assembly, consisting of 30 members who serve terms of up to 5 years; 9 members are appointed by the president, and the remaining 21 are elected by universal adult suffrage at age 18. The prime minister, who heads the government, must command a legislative majority. The main political groups are the Dominica Labor party, the United Workers party, and the Dominica Freedom party.

In addition to its membership in the Commonwealth of Nations, Dominica is a member of the United Nations (UN), the Organization of American States, and the Caribbean Community and Common Market (Caricom), and is an African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) state of the European Union.

History.

Dominica was sighted and named by Christopher Columbus on Nov. 3, 1493. The indigenous Carib Indians successfully resisted early European attempts at colonization. In 1632 the French gained a foothold on the island, and they retained parts of it until 1763, when it was assigned to Great Britain by the Treaty of Paris. Under British rule Dominica became part of the Leeward Islands dependency in 1833 and was attached to the Windward Islands group in 1940. In 1967 it became an internally self-governing state associated with Great Britain. Dominica attained full independence on Nov. 2, 1978, and subsequently joined the Commonwealth of Nations and the UN.

The republic's first prime minister was Patrick R. John (1937–    ); he was succeeded by Oliver Seraphin (1943–    ) in 1979 and by Mary Eugenia Charles (1919–2005) in 1980, 1985, and 1990. Edison James (1943–    ), who became prime minister after the 1995 elections, was unseated in early 2000, following a campaign in which his government was criticized for hurting the country's image by selling passports to foreigners. The leader of the Dominica Labor party, Rosie Douglas (1941–2000), then formed a new government. After Douglas died suddenly in October 2000, Pierre Charles (1954–2004) became prime minister. In January 2004 Charles died of a heart attack; he was succeeded by Roosevelt Skerrit (1972–    ), the country's education minister, who was named prime minister by the Dominica Labor party. In March the Skerrit government severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of mainland China, which had offered the nation aid that would be worth more than $100 million over five years. Skerrit's party won the legislative elections in May 2005.