GDP - real growth rate:
4.8% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
5% (2009 est.)
5.8% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,800 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 170
$2,800 (2009 est.)
$2,700 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.2%
industry: 14.9%
services: 81.9% (2006)
Labor force:
351,700 (2007)
country comparison to the world: 159
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Unemployment rate:
59% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 194
note: data are for urban areas, 83% in rural areas
Population below poverty line:
42% (2007 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.4%
highest 10%: 30.9% (2002)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6% (2009 est.) 5%
country comparison to the world: 161
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
NA% (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78
11.56% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$577.8 million (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 156
$462.7 million (31 December 2008)
Stock of broad money:
$940.8 million (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
$800.8 million (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$339 million (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 168
$269.9 million (31 December 2008)
Agriculture - products:
fruits, vegetables; goats, sheep, camels, animal hides
Industries:
construction, agricultural processing
Electricity - production:
280 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169
Electricity - consumption:
260.4 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 170
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182
Oil - consumption:
12,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
Oil - exports:
19 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
Oil - imports:
8,476 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 142
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 187
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 179
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 191
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 66
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 187
Current account balance:
-$352 million (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105
-$212 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$100 million (2009); $340 million
country comparison to the world: 192
Exports - commodities:
reexports, hides and skins, coffee (in transit)
Exports - partners:
Somalia 76.68%, France 4.89%, UAE 4.22% (2009)
Imports:
$644 million (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 183
$1.555 billion (2006)
Imports - commodities:
foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products
Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 16.26%, India 16.03%, China 14.26%, US 9.57%, Malaysia
6.63%, Japan 4.74% (2009)
Debt - external:
$428 million (2006)
country comparison to the world: 165
Exchange rates:
Djiboutian francs (DJF) per US dollar - 177.71 (2007), 174.75
(2006), 177.72 (2005), 177.72 (2004), 177.72 (2003)
Communications ::Djibouti
Telephones - main lines in use:
16,800 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 197
Telephones - mobile cellular:
128,800 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 179
Telephone system:
general assessment: telephone facilities in the city of Djibouti are
adequate, as are the microwave radio relay connections to outlying
areas of the country
domestic: Djibouti Telecom is the sole provider of
telecommunications services and utilizes mostly a microwave radio
relay network; fiber-optic cable is installed in the capital; rural
areas connected via wireless local loop radio systems; mobile
cellular coverage is primarily limited to the area in and around
Djibouti city
international: country code - 253; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3
optical telecommunications submarine cable with links to Asia, the
Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 (1 Intelsat -
Indian Ocean and 1 Arabsat); Medarabtel regional microwave radio
relay telephone network (2009)
Broadcast media:
maintains restrictions on the licensing and operation of broadcast
media; state-owned Radiodiffusion-Television de Djibouti (RTD)
operates the sole terrestrial TV station as well as the only 2
domestic radio networks; no private TV or radio stations;
transmissions of several international broadcasters are available
(2007)
Internet country code:
.dj
Internet hosts:
195 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 196
Internet users:
25,900 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 184
Transportation ::Djibouti
Airports:
13 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 151
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 2 (2010)
Railways:
total: 100 km (Djibouti segment of the 781 km Addis Ababa-Djibouti
railway)
country comparison to the world: 126
narrow gauge: 100 km 1.000-m gauge
note: railway is under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia but is
largely inoperable (2008)
Roadways:
total: 3,065 km
country comparison to the world: 164
paved: 1,226 km
unpaved: 1,839 km (2000)
Ports and terminals:
Djibouti
Transportation - note:
the International Maritime Bureau reports offshore waters in the
Gulf of Aden are high risk for piracy; numerous vessels, including
commercial shipping and pleasure craft, have been attacked and
hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crew, passengers, and
cargo are held for ransom
Military ::Djibouti
Military branches:
Djibouti National Army (includes Navy and Air Force)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; 16-25 years of age
for voluntary military training; no conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 165,000
females age 16-49: 213,894 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 110,441
females age 16-49: 147,939 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 8,260
female: 8,503 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
3.8% of GDP (2006)
country comparison to the world: 30
Transnational Issues ::Djibouti
Disputes - international:
Djibouti maintains economic ties and border accords with
"Somaliland" leadership while maintaining some political ties to
various factions in Somalia; Kuwait is chief investor in the 2008
restoration and upgrade of the Ethiopian-Djibouti rail link; in
2008, Eritrean troops move across the border on Ras Doumera
peninsula and occupy Doumera Island with undefined sovereignty in
the Red Sea
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 8,642 (Somalia) (2007)
page last updated on January 19, 2011
======================================================================
@Dominica (Central America and Caribbean)
Introduction ::Dominica
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 Great Britain in 1763, which made the
island a colony in 1805. In 1980, two years after independence,
Dominica's fortunes improved when a corrupt and tyrannical
administration was replaced by that of Mary Eugenia CHARLES, the
first female prime minister in the Caribbean, who remained in office
for 15 years. Some 3,000 Carib Indians still living on Dominica are
the only pre-Columbian population remaining in the eastern Caribbean.
Geography ::Dominica
Location:
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic
Ocean, about half way between Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago
Geographic coordinates:
15 25 N, 61 20 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 751 sq km
country comparison to the world: 188
land: 751 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
148 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall
Terrain:
rugged mountains of volcanic origin
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Morne Diablotins 1,447 m
Natural resources:
timber, hydropower, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 6.67%
permanent crops: 21.33%
other: 72% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Total renewable water resources:
NA
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.02 cu km/yr
per capita: 213 cu m/yr (1996)
Natural hazards:
flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be
expected during the late summer months
Environment - current issues:
NA
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
known as "The Nature Island of the Caribbean" due to its
spectacular, 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
People ::Dominica
Population:
72,813 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 200
Age structure:
0-14 years: 24% (male 8,910/female 8,518)
15-64 years: 65.8% (male 24,532/female 23,301)
65 years and over: 10.2% (male 3,187/female 4,212) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 30.3 years
male: 29.8 years
female: 30.8 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.213% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182
Birth rate:
15.68 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 131
Death rate:
8.12 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103
Net migration rate:
-5.44 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202
Urbanization:
urban population: 74% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 13.2 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 132
male: 17.7 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 8.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.77 years
country comparison to the world: 76
male: 72.82 years
female: 78.87 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.08 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Dominican(s)
adjective: Dominican
Ethnic groups:
black 86.8%, mixed 8.9%, Carib Amerindian 2.9%, white 0.8%, other
0.7% (2001 census)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 61.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 6%, Pentecostal 5.6%,
Baptist 4.1%, Methodist 3.7%, Church of God 1.2%, Jehovah's
Witnesses 1.2%, other Christian 7.7%, Rastafarian 1.3%, other or
unspecified 1.6%, none 6.1% (2001 census)
Languages:
English (official), French patois
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 94%
male: 94%
female: 94% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 13 years
male: 12 years
female: 13 years (2008)
Education expenditures:
4.8% of GDP (2008)
country comparison to the world: 79
Government ::Dominica
Country name:
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica
conventional short form: Dominica
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Roseau
geographic coordinates: 15 18 N, 61 24 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
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:
3 November 1978 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 3 November (1978)
Constitution:
3 November 1978
Legal system:
based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Nicholas J. O. LIVERPOOL (since October
2003)
head of government: Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT (since 8
January 2004)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the
prime minister
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: president elected by the House of Assembly for a
five-year term; election last held on 1 October 2003 (next to be
held in 2013); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Nicholas LIVERPOOL consented to a second term in
2008 at the request of the prime minister and leader of the
opposition
Legislative branch:
unicameral House of Assembly (30 seats; 9 members appointed, 21
elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 18 December 2009 (next to be held in 2015);
note - tradition dictates that the election will be held within five
years of the last election, but technically it is five years from
the first seating of parliament (12 May 2005) plus a 90-day grace
period
election results: percent of vote by party - DLP 61.2%, UWP 34.9%;
seats by party - DLP 18, UWP 3
Judicial branch:
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the Court of Appeal
and the High Court (located in Saint Lucia; one of the six judges
must reside in Dominica and preside over the Court of Summary
Jurisdiction)
Political parties and leaders:
Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Charles SAVARIN]; Dominica Labor
Party or DLP [Roosevelt SKERRIT]; Dominica United Workers Party or
UWP [Earl WILLIAMS]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Dominica Liberation Movement or DLM (a small leftist party)
International organization participation:
ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU,
ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, PetroCaribe, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Hubert J. CHARLES
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 364-6781
FAX: [1] (202) 364-6791
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; the US Ambassador to
Barbados is accredited to Dominica
Flag description:
green, with a centered cross of three equal bands - the vertical
part is yellow (hoist side), black, and white and the horizontal
part is yellow (top), black, and white; superimposed in the center
of the cross is a red disk bearing a Sisserou Parrot, unique to
Dominica, encircled by 10 green, five-pointed stars edged in yellow;
the 10 stars represent the 10 administrative divisions (parishes);
green symbolizes the island's lush vegetation; the triple-colored
cross represents the Christian Trinity; the yellow color denotes
sunshine, the main agricultural products (citrus and bananas), and
the native Carib Indians; black is for the rich soil and the African
heritage of most citizens; white signifies rivers, waterfalls, and
the purity of aspirations; the red disc stands for social justice
National anthem:
name: "Isle of Beauty, Isle of Splendor"
lyrics/music: Wilfred Oscar Morgan POND/Lemuel McPherson CHRISTIAN
note: adopted 1967
Economy ::Dominica
Economy - overview:
The Dominican economy has been dependent on agriculture - primarily
bananas - in years past, but increasingly has been driven by tourism
as the government seeks to promote Dominica as an "ecotourism"
destination. In order to diversify the island's production base, the
government also is attempting to develop an offshore financial
sector and has signed an agreement with the EU to develop geothermal
energy resources. In 2003, the government began a comprehensive
restructuring of the economy - including elimination of price
controls, privatization of the state banana company, and tax
increases - to address an economic and financial crisis and to meet
IMF requirements. This restructuring paved the way for an economic
recovery - real growth for 2006 reached a two-decade high - and
helped to reduce the debt burden, which remains at about 85% of GDP.
Hurricane Dean struck the island in August 2007 causing damages
equivalent to 20% of GDP. In 2009, growth slowed as a result of the
global recession; it picked up only slightly in 2010.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$765.4 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 209
$754.8 million (2009 est.)
$757.1 million (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$375 million (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
1.4% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173
-0.3% (2009 est.)
3.2% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$10,500 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107
$10,400 (2009 est.)
$10,400 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 17.7%
industry: 32.8%
services: 49.5% (2004 est.)
Labor force:
25,000 (2000 est.)
country comparison to the world: 206
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 40%
industry: 32%
services: 28% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate:
23% (2000 est.)
country comparison to the world: 172
Population below poverty line:
30% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Public debt:
78% of GDP (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18
85% of GDP (2006 est.) (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.1% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 9
2.7% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
6.5% (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 61
6.5% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
10.02% (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103
9.06% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$74.84 million (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 183
$67.94 million (31 December 2008)
Stock of broad money:
$398.5 million (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 176
$362 million (31 December 2008)
Stock of domestic credit:
$213.6 million (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174
$193.1 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Agriculture - products:
bananas, citrus, mangos, root crops, coconuts, cocoa
note: forest and fishery potential not exploited
Industries:
soap, coconut oil, tourism, copra, furniture, cement blocks, shoes
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
85 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 193
Electricity - consumption:
79.05 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 193
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 181
Oil - consumption:
1,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 201
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 200
Oil - imports:
838 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 186
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 190
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 186
Current account balance:
-$72 million (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 72
Exports:
$94 million (2006)
country comparison to the world: 194
Exports - commodities:
bananas, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges
Exports - partners:
Japan 28.62%, UK 19.81%, Antigua and Barbuda 7.7%, Guyana 6.52%,
Jamaica 5.4%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.2% (2009)
Imports:
$296 million (2006)
country comparison to the world: 196
Imports - commodities:
manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals
Imports - partners:
Japan 31.29%, US 19.73%, Trinidad and Tobago 11.8%, China 11.58%
(2009)
Debt - external:
$213 million (2004)
country comparison to the world: 174
Exchange rates:
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006),
2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003)
Communications ::Dominica
Telephones - main lines in use:
17,500 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 196
Telephones - mobile cellular:
106,000 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 184
Telephone system:
general assessment: fully automatic network
domestic: Fixed-line teledensity is roughly 25 per 100 persons;
mobile-cellular teledensity approached 150 per 100 persons in 2009
international: country code - 1-767; landing points for the East
Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) and the Global Caribbean Network
(GCN) submarine cables providing connectivity to other islands in
the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to
Trinidad; microwave radio relay and SHF radiotelephone links to
Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radiotelephone links to Saint
Lucia
Broadcast media:
no terrestrial television service available; subscription cable TV
provider offers some locally produced programming plus channels from
the US, Latin America, and the Caribbean; state-operated radio
broadcasts on 6 stations; privately-owned radio broadcasts on about
15 stations (2007)
Internet country code:
.dm
Internet hosts:
718 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 174
Internet users:
28,000 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 182
Transportation ::Dominica
Airports:
2 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 208
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2010)
Roadways:
total: 780 km
country comparison to the world: 187
paved: 393 km
unpaved: 387 km (2000)
Merchant marine:
total: 40
country comparison to the world: 78
by type: bulk carrier 11, cargo 20, chemical tanker 2, petroleum
tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: 37 (Australia 1, Estonia 6, Germany 2, Greece 9,
India 2, Latvia 1, Norway 1, Russia 6, Saudi Arabia 3, Singapore 1,
Syria 2, Turkey 1, Ukraine 2)
registered in other countries: 1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
1) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Portsmouth, Roseau
Military ::Dominica
Military branches:
no regular military forces; Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force
(includes Coast Guard) (2010)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 18,975 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 15,963
females age 16-49: 15,426 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 729
female: 688 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
NA
Transnational Issues ::Dominica
Disputes - international: