Wayzata World Factbook 1995/World Factbook - 1995 Edition - Wayzata Technology (1995).iso/mac/text/Build/orig BACKGR/BNOT0034.TXT

Text File | 1994-11-21 | 17KB | 369 lines

National Trade Data Bank
ITEM ID     : ST BNOTES DOMINICA
DATE        : Oct 28, 1994

AGENCY      : U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
PROGRAM     : BACKGROUND NOTES
TITLE       : Background Notes - DOMINICA

Source key      : ST
Program key     : ST BNOTES
Update sched.   : Occasionally
Data type       : TEXT
End year        : 1993
Date of record  : 19941018
Keywords 3      :
Keywords 3      : | DOMINICA

BACKGROUND NOTES:  DOMINICA, JANUARY 1993
PUBLISHED BY THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
US DEPARTMENT OF STATE

JANUARY 1993

Official Name:  Commonwealth of Dominica

PROFILE

Geography
Area:  754 sq. km. (290 sq. mi.).  Cities:  Capital--Roseau.
Terrain:  Mountainous volcanic island with rain forest cover.
Climate:  Tropical.

People
Nationality:  Noun and adjective--Dominican (Dom-i-nee-can).
Population (1991):  72,000.  Annual growth rate:  0%.  Ethnic
groups:  Mainly African descent, some Carib Indians.  Religions:
Roman Catholic (80%), Anglican, other Protestant denominations.
Languages:  English (official); a French patois is widely spoken.
Education:  Years compulsory--to age 14.  Literacy--about 80%.
Health:  Infant mortality rate--17/1,000.  Life expectancy--men
71 yrs., women 74 yrs.  Work force (30,600):  Agriculture--37%.
Services--30%.  Industry and commerce--20%.

Government
Type:   Parliamentary democracy; republic within Commonwealth.
Independence:  November 3, 1978.  Constitution:  November 1978.
Branches:  Executive--president (head of state), prime minister
(head of government), cabinet.  Legislative--unicameral House of
Assembly.  Judicial--magistrate and jury courts, Eastern
Caribbean Supreme Court (high court and court of appeals), privy
council.
Subdivisions:  10 parishes.
Political parties:  Dominica Freedom Party (incumbent), United
Workers Party (official opposition), Dominica Labor Party
(opposition).
Suffrage:  Universal adult.
Flag:  Green background, three striped cross of yellow, white,
and black with a circular emblem of red in the center containing
a Sisserou parrot encircled by 10 green stars.

Economy
GDP (1991):  $147 million.  GDP growth rate (1991):  2%.  GDP per
capita:  $2,000.
Natural resources:  Timber, water (hydropower).
Agriculture (26% of GDP):  Products--bananas, citrus, coconuts,
cocoa, herbal oils and extracts.
Industry (7% of GDP):  Types--agricultural processing, soap and
other coconut-based products, apparel.
Trade:  Exports--$55 million:  bananas, citrus fruits, soap,
cocoa.  Major partners--European Community (EC), CARICOM, US.
Imports--$140 million:  machinery and equipment, foodstuffs,
manufactured articles, cement.  Major partners--CARICOM, US, EC,
Japan.
Exchange rate:  Eastern Caribbean dollar $2.70=US$1.

PEOPLE
Almost all Dominicans are descendants of African slaves imported
by colonial planters in the 18th century.  Dominica is the only
island in the eastern Caribbean to retain some of its
pre-Colombian population, the Carib Indians, about 500 of whom
live on the island's east coast.

The population growth rate is low, due primarily to emigration to
more prosperous Caribbean islands, the United Kingdom, the United
States, and Canada.

English is the official language; however, because of historic
French domination, the most widely spoken dialect is a French
patois.  About 80% of the population is Catholic.  In recent
years, a significant number of Protestant churches have been
re-established.

HISTORY
The island's indigenous Arawak people were expelled or
exterminated by Caribs in the 14th century.  Columbus landed
there in November 1493.  Because of prevailing winds and
currents, Spanish ships frequently landed on Dominica during the
16th century, but fierce resistance by the Caribs discouraged
Spain's efforts at settlement.

In 1635, France claimed Dominica.  Shortly thereafter, French
missionaries became the first European inhabitants of the island.
Carib incursions continued, however, and in 1660, the French and
British agreed that both Dominica and St. Vincent should be
abandoned.  Dominica was officially neutral for the next century,
but the attraction of its resources remained; rival groups of
British and French foresters were harvesting timber by the start
of the 18th century, normally in expeditions rather than from
permanent settlements.

Largely due to Dominica's position between Martinique and
Guadeloupe, France eventually became predominant, and a French
settlement was established and grew.  However, as part of the
1763 Treaty of Paris that ended the Seven Years' War being fought
in Europe, North America, and India, the island became a British
possession.  In 1778, during the American Revolutionary War, the
French mounted a successful invasion with the active cooperation
of the still largely French population.  The 1783 Treaty of
Paris, ending American hostilities, returned the island to
Britain.  French invasions in 1795 and 1805 ended in failure.

In 1763, the British established a legislative assembly,
representing only the white population.  In 1831, reflecting a
liberalization of official British racial attitudes, the "Brown
Privilege Bill" conferred political and social rights on
nonwhites.  Three blacks were elected to the Legislative Assembly
the following year, and by 1838, recently  enfranchised blacks
dominated that body.  Most black legislators were smallholders or
merchants who held economic and social views diametrically
opposed to the interests of the small, wealthy English planter
class.  Reacting to a perceived threat, the planters lobbied for
more direct British rule.  In 1865, after much agitation and
tension, the colonial office replaced the elective assembly with
one comprised of one-half elected members and one-half appointed.
The elected legislators were outmaneuvered on numerous occasions
by planters allied with colonial administrators.  In 1871,
Dominica became a federal colony attached to the Leeward Island
Federation.  The power of the black population progressively
eroded until crown colony government, after severe colonial
office pressure, was forced upon the assembly in 1896.  All
political rights for the vast majority of the population were
effectively curtailed.  Development aid, offered as compensation
for disenfranchisement, proved to have a negligible effect.

Following World War I, an upsurge of political consciousness
throughout the Caribbean led to the formation of the
Representative Government Association.  Marshaling public
frustration with the lack of a voice in the governing of
Dominica, this group won one-third of the popularly elected seats
of the Legislative Assembly in 1924 and one-half in 1936.
Shortly thereafter, Dominica was transferred from Leeward Island
administration and was governed as part of the Windwards until
1958, when it joined the short-lived Federation of the West
Indies.  After the Federation dissolved, Dominica became an
associated state of the United Kingdom in 1967 and formally took
responsibility for its internal affairs.  On November 3, 1978,
the Commonwealth of Dominica was granted independence by the
United Kingdom.  Independence alone did not solve problems
stemming from centuries of economic underdevelopment, however.
In mid-1979, political discontent led to the formation of an
interim government.  This was replaced after 1980 elections by
the Dominica Freedom Party under Prime Minister Mary Eugenia
Charles, the Caribbean's first female prime minister.  Chronic
economic problems were compounded by the severe impact of
Hurricanes David in 1979 and Allen in 1980.  But by the end of
the decade, the economy had made a healthy recovery, fueled by
highly profitable banana exports.

GOVERNMENT
Dominica has a Westminster-style parliamentary government, and
there are three political parties--the Dominica Freedom Party
(the majority party), the Democratic Labor Party, and the United
Workers Party.  A president and prime minister make up the
executive branch.  Nominated by the prime minister in
consultation with the leader of the opposition party, the
president is elected for a 5-year term by the parliament.  The
president appoints as prime minister the leader of the majority
party in the parliament.  He also appoints, on the prime
minister's recommendation, members of the parliament from the
ruling party as cabinet ministers.  The prime minister and
cabinet are responsible to the parliament and can be removed on a
no-confidence vote.

The unicameral parliament, called the House of Assembly, is
composed of 21 regional representatives elected by universal
suffrage, and 9 senators.  The regional representatives are
elected by universal suffrage, and in turn, decide whether
senators are to be elected or appointed.  If appointed, five are
chosen by the president with the advice of the prime minister and
four with the advice of the opposition leader.  If elected, it is
by vote of the regional representatives.  Elections for
representatives and senators must be held at least every 5 years,
although the prime minister can call elections any time.

Dominica's legal system is based on English common law.  There
are three magistrate's courts, with appeals made to the West
Indies Court of Appeal and, ultimately, to the Privy Council in
London.

Councils elected by universal suffrage govern most towns.
Supported largely by property taxation, they are responsible for
the regulation of markets and sanitation and the maintenance of
secondary roads and other municipal amenities.  The island is
also divided into 10 parishes, whose governance is unrelated to
the town governments.

Principal Government Officials
President--Clarence Seignoret
Prime Minister--Mary Eugenia Charles
Minister of External Affairs and Organization of Eastern
Caribbean States Unity--Brian Alleyne
Ambassador to the United States--Edward I. Watty (resident in
Dominica)
Ambassador to the United Nations--Frank Barron

ECONOMY
During 1990 and 1991, Dominica's economy made significant
progress toward restoring the levels of economic activity that
were interrupted in 1989 by damage caused by Hurricane Hugo.  The
economy grew rapidly  in 1990, as a result of higher banana
prices and increased construction and tourism activity, but
slowed again in 1991.  Agriculture, with bananas and coconuts as
principal crops, continues to be the economic mainstay,
accounting for 26% of GDP.  This sector is highly vulnerable to
weather conditions and to external events that affect commodity
prices.

Since over 60% of foreign exchange earnings are from banana
exports to the United Kingdom, possible loss of this protected
market with the establishment of a single European market in 1992
poses a serious threat to Dominica's economy.  Agricultural
diversification is a key priority, and Dominica has made real
advances toward it, with the export of small quantities of citrus
fruits and vegetables and the introduction of coffee, patchouli,
aloe vera, cut flowers, and exotic fruits such as mangoes,
guavas, and papayas.

Manufacturing accounted for 7% of GDP in 1991.  Soap is the
island's second most important export after agricultural
products.  Other manufactured products (mostly for export)
include garments, animal feed, bottled water, gloves, furniture,
and food products.  To attract export-oriented industry, the
government has constructed factory structures for lease to
investors.  The country has recruited a number of foreign
investors in light industry and food processing.  Under an
International Monetary Fund (IMF) program, the government reduced
its deficit and cut taxes to encourage the private sector.  The
US Agency for International Development (USAID) provided more
than $4 million for the program and also helped fund technical
assistance in infrastructure development.

Development of tourism has been slow, compared with that on
neighboring islands, because Dominica is mostly volcanic and has
few beaches.  However, with high, rugged mountains covered by
unexploited rainforests, freshwater lakes, hot springs,
waterfalls, and diving spots, Dominica's unique landscape is
beginning to attract tourists.

Dominica, along with Antigua, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and
the Grenadines, is a member of the Eastern Caribbean Central
Bank, which issues a common currency.

Dominica is a beneficiary of the US Caribbean Basin Initiative.
It is also a member of the 12-nation Caribbean Economic Community
and Common Market, which has signed a framework agreement with
the United States to promote trade and investment under the
Enterprise for the Americas Initiative.

DEFENSE
Dominica does not maintain a standing army but participates in
the Regional Security System (RSS) with six other Caribbean
states.  The RSS arrangement calls for the maintenance of a
paramilitary special service unit (SSU) within each police force
and a Coast Guard.  The SSU, consisting of 32 personnel commanded
by the police commissioner, receives weapons and equipment under
a US security assistance program.  The police force has an
additional 440 officers responsible for crime prevention and
civil police duties.  The coast guard, also within the police
force, has 35 personnel and operates a 65-foot patrol boat and
two 22-foot runabouts.  It also receives equipment and
maintenance support under a US security assistance program.

FOREIGN RELATIONS
Like its Eastern Caribbean neighbors, the main priority of
Dominica's foreign relations is economic development.  It
maintains representatives in Brussels, London, and New York and
is represented jointly with other Organization of Eastern
Caribbean States (OECS) members in Canada.  As a small nation, it
participates in diplomatic activity primarily through
international organizations.  It is also a member of the
Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Caribbean Community (CARICOM),
and the British Commonwealth.  It became a member of the United
Nations and the IMF in 1978, and of the World Bank and
Organization of American States (OAS) in 1979.

US-DOMINICAN RELATIONS
The United States and Dominica have excellent bilateral
relations.  The United States supports the Dominican Government's
efforts to expand its economic base and provide a higher standard
of living for its citizens.  American assistance in the past
primarily has been through multilateral agencies such as the CDB
and the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development
Institute.  More recently, USAID programs have provided
considerable direct assistance in agricultural development, rural
electrification, economic structural adjustment, and construction
of schools, water projects, and health facilities.

Dominica's economy benefits from access to US markets through the
Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI), but manufacturing accounts for
a very small percent of GDP.  A box factory built under the
section 936 program with Puerto Rico is one result of Dominica's
participation in the CBI.

The Peace Corp has about 20 volunteers in Dominica, working
primarily in education, agriculture, and health.

There is no official US mission in Dominica.  The ambassador and
embassy staff in Bridgetown, Barbados, are accredited to the
Dominica Government and travel there frequently.

Principal US Officials
Ambassador--G. Philip Hughes
Deputy Chief of Mission--Tain P. Tompkins
Political/Economic Counselor--Richard T. Miller
Regional Labor Attache--Mary Ann Singlaub
Consul General--Thomas Cairns
Public Affairs Officer--Gerald Waters
USAID Director--Mosina Jordan
Peace Corps Director--Richard Pyle (resident in St. Lucia)

The US embassy is located in the Canadian imperial Bank of
Commerce Building, Broad Street, Bridgetown, Barbados, (tel). 809
436-4950.

Travel Notes
Customs:  Passports and visas are not required for American
citizens, although some proof of citizenship (usually an original
birth certificate and a photo ID) must be presented.  Visitors
also should have a return or onward ticket.

Health:  Travelers should check latest information before
traveling.

Currency:  Dominica is a member of the Eastern Caribbean Central
Bank.  In common with the neighboring Windward and Leeward
Islands, it uses the Eastern Caribbean dollar, currently pegged
to the US dollar at EC$2.70=US$1.

Telecommunications:  Direct dial long-distance telephone,
telegraph, and telex services are available.

Published by the United States Department of State -- Bureau of
Public Affairs -- Office of Public Communication -- Washington,
DC  January 1993 -- Editor:  Josephine C. Brooks  Managing
Editor:  Peter Knecht

Department of State Publication 9235
Background Notes Series -- This material is in the public domain
and may be reprinted without permission; citation of this source
is appreciated.

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, US Government
Printing Office, Washington, DC  20402.