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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
Geographic coordinates: 15 25 N, 61 20 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 754 sq km
land: 754 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:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 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 Diablatins 1,447 m
Natural resources: timber, hydropower, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 9%
permanent crops: 13%
permanent pastures: 3%
forests and woodland: 67%
other: 8% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
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, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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.
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