Dominica is a Caribbean island nation located in the Lesser Antilles, with a population of around 72,000 people. The main ethnic group is African descent, making up around 95% of the population. Other ethnic groups include mixed European and East Indian descent. The majority of Dominicans are Roman Catholic, with other Protestant denominations making up much of the remaining population. Additionally, there is also a small Hindu minority living in Dominica as well. The literacy rate in Dominica is close to 95%, and the average life expectancy is 76 years. Check hyperrestaurant to learn more about Dominica in 2009.
Social conditions
Dominica has a very low standard of living. Visit AbbreviationFinder to see the definitions of DMA and acronym for Dominica. Severe social problems, large housing shortages, unemployment and underemployment are some of the country’s problems. Recurring natural disasters make conditions more difficult. There are 4.6 doctors per 10,000 residents, two hospitals with 136 and 50 beds respectively. The opportunities for young people to emigrate to, for example, the United Kingdom, the United States and the rest of the Caribbean have become increasingly limited, which has led to an increase in youth unemployment.
Unlike other islands in the Caribbean, Dominica has not invested in tourism to any great extent. The reason is bad roads, ports and airports. With the help of foreign capital, the country is trying to become attractive to tourists. Check to see Dominica population.
Dominica Geopolitics
Dominica is a small island in the Caribbean Sea and is part of the Lesser Antilles. After more than two centuries of British rule, in 1978 the island gained independence from the United Kingdom and became part of the Commonwealth. Contrary to other former British colonies in the region, Dominica has distinguished itself by being a republic since independence and not a Commonwealth realm. The institutional system provides for a single Chamber, composed of 21 deputies elected by universal suffrage and nine senators, chosen through a complex mechanism of indirect election by the same deputies and the president of the republic. The latter is elected by parliament and has a purely ceremonial role.
Dominica is a member of the Caribbean community (Caricom), the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), the Organization of American States (OAS) and, finally, the United Nations. In foreign policy, Dominica is generally aligned with US positions. Washington financially supports the Caribbean state and the police forces of both countries actively collaborate in activities to combat drug trafficking and the cultivation of marijuana.
Dominica’s army, historically trained by British forces, was officially dismantled in 1981, just three years after independence, following the attempt by then Prime Minister Mary Eugenia Charles to turn it into her personal armed wing. To date, the army has not been reconstituted and the external defense functions are carried out by special police forces trained by the United States. The population descends mainly from slaves brought from West Africa between the 17th and 18th centuries. The native component of the island – the only pre-Columbian community still present in the eastern Caribbean today – is currently made up of a few thousand individuals living in the Salybia reserve. On the social level, freedoms are guaranteed,
Dominica’s economy is among the most volatile in the area and, in 2007, recorded the lowest per capita GDP among Caribbean countries. Driving it is the tourism sector and the cultivation of bananas, mainly destined for sale on the British markets. However, Dominica’s economy suffers from structural problems – lack of airport infrastructure – as well as economic problems. To address these problems, the country first started a crop diversification program and boosted the production of citrus, mango and coconut. Corruption remains serious and widespread, hindering more rapid development. In 2010 Dominica marked a significant economic recovery, favored by tourist flows and investments in the construction sector. The improvement compared to 2009, the year in which it suffered most severely from the effects of the global recession, is also attributable to the good financial plans launched by the government. In 2015, GDP growth was 2.8%.
Although the US is the first trading partner, China is entering to contribute to stimulating the economic growth of the Caribbean island. Since 2004, Dominica has interrupted its long-term diplomatic relations with Taiwan precisely to improve relations with the Asian power and to receive the necessary economic aid. In 2004 alone, the Caribbean government received more than $ 100 million from China.