NAVIGATION
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NAVIGATION
Commonwealth of Dominica
INTRODUCTION
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Background:
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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
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Location:
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Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago |
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Geographic coordinates:
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15 25 N, 61 20 W |
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Map references:
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Central America and the Caribbean |
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Area:
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total: 754 sq km
water: 0 sq km land: 754 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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148 km |
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Maritime claims:
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contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM |
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Climate:
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tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall |
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Terrain:
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rugged mountains of volcanic origin |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Morne Diablatins 1,447 m |
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Natural resources:
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timber, hydropower, arable land |
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Land use:
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arable land: 4%
permanent crops: 16% other: 80% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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NA sq km |
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Natural hazards:
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flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months |
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Environment - current issues:
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NA |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, 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 |
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Geography - note:
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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
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Population:
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70,158 (July 2002 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 28.3% (male 10,052; female 9,800)
15-64 years: 63.8% (male 23,011; female 21,782) 65 years and over: 7.9% (male 2,245; female 3,268) (2002 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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-0.81% (2002 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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17.3 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Death rate:
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7.11 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-18.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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15.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 73.86 years
female: 76.88 years (2002 est.) male: 70.98 years |
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Total fertility rate:
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2.01 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA% |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA |
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Nationality:
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noun: Dominican(s)
adjective: Dominican |
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Ethnic groups:
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black, mixed black and European, European, Syrian, Carib Amerindian |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 77%, Protestant 15% (Methodist 5%, Pentecostal 3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Baptist 2%, other 2%), none 2%, other 6% |
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Languages:
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English (official), French patois |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 94% male: 94% female: 94% (1970 est.) |