Dominica (2001) | Saudi Arabia (2003) | |
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Administrative divisions | 10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick, Saint Paul, Saint Peter | 13 provinces (mintaqat, singular - mintaqah); Al Bahah, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah, Al Jawf, Al Madinah, Al Qasim, Ar Riyad, Ash Sharqiyah (Eastern Province), 'Asir, Ha'il, Jizan, Makkah, Najran, Tabuk |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
28.72% (male 10,300; female 10,027) 15-64 years: 63.45% (male 23,056; female 21,855) 65 years and over: 7.83% (male 2,267; female 3,281) (2001 est.) |
0-14 years: 42.3% (male 5,245,413; female 5,028,595)
15-64 years: 54.8% (male 7,700,121; female 5,622,099) 65 years and over: 2.9% (male 393,173; female 304,443) (2003 est.) |
Agriculture - products | bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, coconuts, cocoa; forest and fishery potential not exploited | wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk |
Airports | 2 (2000 est.) | 209 (2002) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
2 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
total: 71
over 3,047 m: 31 2,438 to 3,047 m: 12 1,524 to 2,437 m: 24 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 138
over 3047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 79 914 to 1,523 m: 39 under 914 m: 13 (2002) |
Area | total:
754 sq km land: 754 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 1,960,582 sq km
land: 1,960,582 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC | slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US |
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. | In 1902, ABD AL-AZIZ bin Abd al-Rahman Al Saud captured Riyadh and set out on a 30-year campaign to unify the Arabian Peninsula. In the 1930s, the discovery of oil transformed the country. Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia accepted the Kuwaiti royal family and 400,000 refugees while allowing Western and Arab troops to deploy on its soil for the liberation of Kuwait the following year. A burgeoning population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all major governmental concerns. |
Birth rate | 17.81 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 37.2 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$72 million expenditures: $79.9 million, including capital expenditures of $11.5 million (FY97/98) |
revenues: $46 billion
expenditures: $56.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2003 est.) |
Capital | Roseau | Riyadh |
Climate | tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall | harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes |
Coastline | 148 km | 2,640 km |
Constitution | 3 November 1978 | governed according to Shari'a (Islamic law); the Basic Law that articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was introduced in 1993 |
Country name | conventional long form:
Commonwealth of Dominica conventional short form: Dominica |
conventional long form: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
conventional short form: Saudi Arabia local long form: Al Mamlakah al Arabiyah as Suudiyah local short form: Al Arabiyah as Suudiyah |
Currency | East Caribbean dollar (XCD) | Saudi riyal (SAR) |
Death rate | 7.19 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 5.79 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Debt - external | $108.9 million (1999) | $25.9 billion (2003 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; US interests are served by the embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados | chief of mission: Ambassador Robert W. JORDAN
embassy: Collector Road M, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh mailing address: American Embassy Riyadh, Unit 61307, APO AE 09803-1307; International Mail: P. O. Box 94309, Riyadh 11693 telephone: [966] (1) 488-3800 FAX: [966] (1) 488-7360 consulate(s) general: Dhahran, Jiddah (Jeddah) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador Nicholas J. O. LIVERPOOL (resident in Dominica) chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6781 FAX: [1] (202) 364-6791 consulate(s) general: New York |
chief of mission: Ambassador BANDAR bin Sultan bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud
chancery: 601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 342-3800 consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, and New York |
Disputes - international | none | nomadic groups on border region with Yemen resist demarcation of boundary; Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have been negotiating a long-contested maritime boundary with Iran; because the treaties have not been made public, the exact alignment of the boundary with the UAE is still unknown and labeled approximate |
Economic aid - donor | - | pledged $100 million in 1993 to fund reconstruction of Lebanon; since 2000, Saudi Arabia has committed $307 million for assistance to the Palestinians; pledged $240 million to development in Afghanistan |
Economic aid - recipient | $24.4 million (1995) | - |
Economy - overview | The economy depends on agriculture and is highly vulnerable to climatic conditions, notably tropical storms. Agriculture, primarily bananas, accounts for 21% of GDP and employs 40% of the labor force. Development of the tourist industry remains difficult because of the rugged coastline, lack of beaches, 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 subsequent recovery has been fueled by increases in construction, soap production, and tourist arrivals. The government is attempting to develop an offshore financial industry in order to diversify the island's production base. | This is an oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. Saudi Arabia has the largest reserves of petroleum in the world (26% of the proved reserves), ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum, and plays a leading role in OPEC. The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 75% of budget revenues, 45% of GDP, and 90% of export earnings. About 25% of GDP comes from the private sector. Roughly 4 million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy, for example, in the oil and service sectors. The government in 1999 announced plans to begin privatizing the electricity companies, which follows the ongoing privatization of the telecommunications company. The government is supporting private sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi population. Priorities for government spending in the short term include additional funds for the water and sewage systems and for education. Water shortages and rapid population growth constrain the government's efforts to increase self-sufficiency in agricultural products. |
Electricity - consumption | 57.7 million kWh (1999) | 113.8 billion kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production | 62 million kWh (1999) | 122.4 billion kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
48.39% hydro: 51.61% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Morne Diablatins 1,447 m |
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | desertification; depletion of underground water resources; the lack of perennial rivers or permanent water bodies has prompted the development of extensive seawater desalination facilities; coastal pollution from oil spills |
Environment - international agreements | 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 |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | black, Carib Amerindian | Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10% |
Exchange rates | East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976) | Saudi riyals per US dollar - 3.75 (2002), 3.75 (2001), 3.75 (2000), 3.75 (1999), 3.75 (1998) |
Executive branch | chief of state:
President Vernon Lordon SHAW (since 6 October 1998) head of government: Prime Minister Pierre CHARLES (since 1 October 2000); note - assumed post after death of Roosevelt DOUGLAS cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister elections: president elected by the House of Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 6 October 1998 (next to be held NA October 2003); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Vernon Lordon SHAW elected president; percent of legislative vote - NA% |
chief of state: King and Prime Minister FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 13 June 1982); Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (half-brother to the monarch, heir to the throne since 13 June 1982, regent from 1 January to 22 February 1996); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: King and Prime Minister FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 13 June 1982); Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (half-brother to the monarch, heir to the throne since 13 June 1982, regent from 1 January to 22 February 1996); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers is appointed by the monarch and includes many royal family members elections: none; the monarch is hereditary |
Exports | $60.7 million (2000 est.) | NA (2001) |
Exports - commodities | bananas, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges | petroleum and petroleum products 90% |
Exports - partners | Caricom countries 47%, UK 36%, US 7% (1996 est.) | US 18.6%, Japan 15.6%, South Korea 10.1%, Singapore 5.1%, China 4.6% (2002) |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | calendar year |
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 encircled by 10 green, five-pointed stars edged in yellow; the 10 stars represent the 10 administrative divisions (parishes) | green with large white Arabic script (that may be translated as There is no God but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God) above a white horizontal saber (the tip points to the hoist side); green is the traditional color of Islam |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $290 million (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $268.9 billion (2002 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
21% industry: 16% services: 63% (1999 est.) |
agriculture: 5.2%
industry: 51.2% services: 43.6% (2001 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $4,000 (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $11,400 (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 0.5% (2000 est.) | 1% (2002 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 15 25 N, 61 20 W | 25 00 N, 45 00 E |
Geography - note | - | extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and Suez Canal |
Heliports | - | 5 (2002) |
Highways | total:
750 km paved: 375 km unpaved: 375 km (2001) |
total: 151,470 km
paved: 45,592 km unpaved: 105,878 km (1999) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; minor cannabis producer; banking industry is vulnerable to money laundering | death penalty for traffickers; increasing consumption of heroin, cocaine, and hashish |
Imports | $126 million (2000 est.) | NA (2001) |
Imports - commodities | manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals | machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles |
Imports - partners | US 41%, Caricom countries 25%, UK 13%, Netherlands, Canada (1996 est.) | US 11.2%, Japan 8.8%, Germany 7.6%, UK 4.9%, France 4.9%, Italy 4.1% (2002) |
Independence | 3 November 1978 (from UK) | 23 September 1932 (Unification of the Kingdom) |
Industrial production growth rate | -10% (1997 est.) | 1% (1997 est.) |
Industries | soap, coconut oil, tourism, copra, furniture, cement blocks, shoes | crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, cement, construction, fertilizer, plastics |
Infant mortality rate | 16.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | total: 47.94 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 50.1 deaths/1,000 live births female: 45.67 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.5% (2000 est.) | 1% (2002 est.) |
International organization participation | ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO | ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BIS, ESCWA, FAO, G-19, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 16 (2000) | 22 (2003) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 16,200 sq km (1998 est.) |
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) | Supreme Council of Justice |
Labor force | 25,000 | 7 million
note: 35% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 40%, industry and commerce 32%, services 28% | agriculture 12%, industry 25%, services 63% (1999 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 4,431 km
border countries: Iraq 814 km, Jordan 744 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km |
Land use | arable land:
9% permanent crops: 13% permanent pastures: 3% forests and woodland: 67% other: 8% (1993 est.) |
arable land: 1.72%
permanent crops: 0.06% other: 98.22% (1998 est.) |
Languages | English (official), French patois | Arabic |
Legal system | based on English common law | based on Islamic law, several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | unicameral House of Assembly (30 seats, 9 appointed senators, 21 elected by popular vote; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 31 January 2000 (next to be held by NA 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -DLP 11, UWP 8, DFP 2 |
Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (120 members and a chairman appointed by the monarch for four-year terms) |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
73.6 years male: 70.74 years female: 76.61 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 68.73 years
male: 66.99 years female: 70.55 years (2003 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 94% male: 94% female: 94% (1970 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 78.8% male: 84.7% female: 70.8% (2003 est.) |
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 | Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Middle East |
Maritime claims | contiguous zone:
24 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
contiguous zone: 18 NM
continental shelf: not specified territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | none (2000 est.) | total: 71 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,461,964 GRT/2,301,258 DWT
ships by type: cargo 9, chemical tanker 11, container 4, livestock carrier 2, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 23, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 9, short-sea passenger 8 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Egypt 3, Finland 1, Greece 3, Kuwait 1, Sudan 1, UAE 1, UK 3 (2002 est.) |
Military branches | Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (includes Special Service Unit, Coast Guard) | Land Force (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard, Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $NA | $18.3 billion (FY00) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA% | 13% (FY00) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 6,123,784 (2003 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 3,431,281 (2003 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | - | 17 years of age (2003 est.) |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males: 253,685 (2003 est.) |
National holiday | Independence Day, 3 November (1978) | Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932) |
Nationality | noun:
Dominican(s) adjective: Dominican |
noun: Saudi(s)
adjective: Saudi or Saudi Arabian |
Natural hazards | flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months | frequent sand and dust storms |
Natural resources | timber, hydropower, arable land | petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper |
Net migration rate | -20.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 1.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Pipelines | - | condensate 212 km; gas 837 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,187 km; oil 5,062 km; refined products 69 km (2003) |
Political parties and leaders | Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Charles SAVARIN]; Dominica Labor Party or DLP [Pierre CHARLES]; United Workers Party or UWP [Edison JAMES] | none allowed |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Dominica Liberation Movement or DLM (a small leftist party) | none |
Population | 70,786 (July 2001 est.) | 24,293,844
note: includes 5,576,076 non-nationals (July 2003 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | -0.98% (2001 est.) | 3.27% (2003 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Portsmouth, Roseau | Ad Dammam, Al Jubayl, Duba, Jiddah, Jizan, Rabigh, Ra's al Khafji, Mishab, Ras Tanura, Yanbu' al Bahr, Madinat Yanbu' al Sinaiyah |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 3, FM 10, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998) |
Radios | 46,000 (1997) | - |
Railways | 0 km | total: 1,392 km
standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and sidings) (2002) |
Religions | Roman Catholic 77%, Protestant 15% (Methodist 5%, Pentecostal 3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Baptist 2%, other 2%), none 2%, other 6% | Muslim 100% |
Sex ratio | at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.37 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.29 male(s)/female total population: 1.22 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | none |
Telephone system | general assessment:
NA domestic: fully automatic network international: microwave radio relay and SHF radiotelephone links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radiotelephone links to Saint Lucia |
general assessment: modern system
domestic: extensive microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and fiber-optic cable systems international: microwave radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan; submarine cable to Djibouti, Egypt and Bahrain; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 19,000 (1996) | 3.9 million (2002 est.) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 461 (1996) | 2.9 million (2002 est.) |
Television broadcast stations | 0 (however, there is one cable television company) (1997) | 117 (1997) |
Terrain | rugged mountains of volcanic origin | mostly uninhabited, sandy desert |
Total fertility rate | 2.03 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 6.15 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 20% (1999 est.) | 25% (2002) |
Waterways | none | none |