| Key Demographic
Features of Dominica* |
|
Location: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea
and the North Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from
Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
People
Population: 82,926 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 28% (male 11,986; female 11,521)
15-64 years: 64% (male 27,206; female 25,841)
65 years and over: 8% (male 2,608; female 3,764) (July
1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.38% (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 9.6 deaths/1,000 live births
(1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.4 years
male: 74.55 years
female: 80.4 years (1996 est.)
Ethnic divisions: black, Carib Indians
Religions: Roman Catholic 77%, Protestant 15%
(Methodist 5%, Pentecostal 3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%,
Baptist 2%, other 2%), none 2%, unknown 1%, other 5%
Languages: English (official), French patois
Literacy: age 15 and over has ever attended school
(1970 est.)
total population: 94%
male: 94%
female: 94%
Government
Country Abbreviation: DO
Type of government: parliamentary democracy
Independence: 3 November 1978 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 3 November (1978)
Constitution: 3 November 1978
Legal system: based on English common law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Economy
Economic overview: The economy is dependent on
agriculture and thus is highly vulnerable to climatic
conditions. Agriculture accounts for 26% of GDP and employs
40% of the labor force. Development of the tourist industry
remains difficult because of the rugged coastline and the lack
of an international airport. Hurricane Luis devastated the
country's banana crop in September 1995; tropical storms had
wiped out one-quarter of the crop in 1994 as well. The newly
elected government is attempting to develop an offshore
financial industry in order to diversify the island's
production base.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $200 million (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: -1% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $2,450 (1995 est.)
Unemployment rate: 15% (1992 est.)
Communications
Telephones: 14,613 (1993 est.)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 2, shortwave 0
Radios: 45,000 (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 1 cable
Televisions: 5,200 (1993 est.)
*Source: World Factbook 1996, U.S.
Central Intelligence Agency
The World Factbook contains many additional demographic
variables that may be of interest to persons who wish to
examine a particular country in more depth. To access the
World Factbook, Click
Here. (This link will open a new window)
|
|
