Dominica (2008) | Puerto Rico (2005) | |
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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 | none (commonwealth associated with the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 78 municipalities (municipios, singular - municipio) at the second order; Adjuntas, Aguada, Aguadilla, Aguas Buenas, Aibonito, Anasco, Arecibo, Arroyo, Barceloneta, Barranquitas, Bayamon, Cabo Rojo, Caguas, Camuy, Canovanas, Carolina, Catano, Cayey, Ceiba, Ciales, Cidra, Coamo, Comerio, Corozal, Culebra, Dorado, Fajardo, Florida, Guanica, Guayama, Guayanilla, Guaynabo, Gurabo, Hatillo, Hormigueros, Humacao, Isabela, Jayuya, Juana Diaz, Juncos, Lajas, Lares, Las Marias, Las Piedras, Loiza, Luquillo, Manati, Maricao, Maunabo, Mayaguez, Moca, Morovis, Naguabo, Naranjito, Orocovis, Patillas, Penuelas, Ponce, Quebradillas, Rincon, Rio Grande, Sabana Grande, Salinas, San German, San Juan, San Lorenzo, San Sebastian, Santa Isabel, Toa Alta, Toa Baja, Trujillo Alto, Utuado, Vega Alta, Vega Baja, Vieques, Villalba, Yabucoa, Yauco |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 25.6% (male 9,481/female 9,048)
15-64 years: 64.2% (male 23,822/female 22,656) 65 years and over: 10.2% (male 3,165/female 4,214) (2007 est.) |
0-14 years: 22% (male 441,594/female 421,986)
15-64 years: 65.5% (male 1,228,583/female 1,337,066) 65 years and over: 12.4% (male 211,283/female 276,120) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, coconuts, cocoa; forest and fishery potential not exploited | sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas, livestock products, chickens |
Airports | 2 (2007) | 30 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2007) |
total: 17
over 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 5 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 13
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 10 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 754 sq km
land: 754 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 9,104 sq km
land: 8,959 sq km water: 145 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC | slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island |
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. Some 3,000 Carib Indians still living on Dominica are the only pre-Columbian population remaining in the eastern Caribbean. | Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following Columbus' second voyage to the Americas. In 1898, after 400 years of colonial rule that saw the indigenous population nearly exterminated and African slave labor introduced, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a result of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship in 1917. Popularly-elected governors have served since 1948. In 1952, a constitution was enacted providing for internal self government. In plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998, voters chose to retain commonwealth status. |
Birth rate | 15.75 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 13.93 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $73.9 million
expenditures: $84.4 million (2001) |
revenues: $6.7 billion
expenditures: $9.6 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (FY99/00) |
Capital | name: Roseau
geographic coordinates: 15 18 N, 61 24 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
San Juan |
Climate | tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall | tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation |
Coastline | 148 km | 501 km |
Constitution | 3 November 1978 | ratified 3 March 1952, approved by US Congress 3 July 1952, effective 25 July 1952 |
Country name | conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica
conventional short form: Dominica |
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
conventional short form: Puerto Rico |
Death rate | 8.44 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 7.86 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | $213 million (2004) | NA |
Dependency status | - | commonwealth associated with the US |
Diplomatic representation from the US | the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Dominica | none (commonwealth associated with the US) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: vacant
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6781 FAX: [1] (202) 364-6791 consulate(s) general: New York |
none (commonwealth associated with the US) |
Disputes - international | Dominica is the only Caribbean state to challenge Venezuela's sovereignty claim over Aves Island and joins the other island nations in challenging whether the feature sustains human habitation, a criterion under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which permits Venezuela to extend its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and continental shelf claims over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea | increasing numbers of illegal migrants from the Dominican Republic cross the Mona Passage to Puerto Rico each year looking for work |
Economic aid - recipient | $15.17 million (2005 est.) | NA (2001) |
Economy - overview | The Dominican economy depends on agriculture, primarily bananas, and remains highly vulnerable to climatic conditions and international economic developments. Tourism has increased as the government seeks to promote Dominica as an "ecotourism" destination. Development of the tourism industry remains difficult, however, because of the rugged coastline, lack of beaches, and the absence of an international airport. In 2003, the government began a comprehensive restructuring of the economy - including elimination of price controls, privatization of the state banana company, and tax increases - to address Dominica's economic and financial crisis of 2001-02 and to meet IMF targets. This restructuring paved the way for the current economic recovery - real growth for 2006 reached a two-decade high - and will help to reduce the debt burden, which remains at about 100% of GDP. In order to diversify the island's production base, the government is attempting to develop an offshore financial sector and is planning to construct an oil refinery on the eastern part of the island. | Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region. A diverse industrial sector has far surpassed agriculture as the primary locus of economic activity and income. Encouraged by duty-free access to the US and by tax incentives, US firms have invested heavily in Puerto Rico since the 1950s. US minimum wage laws apply. Sugar production has lost out to dairy production and other livestock products as the main source of income in the agricultural sector. Tourism has traditionally been an important source of income, with estimated arrivals of nearly 5 million tourists in 1999. Growth fell off in 2001-03, largely due to the slowdown in the US economy, and has recovered in 2004. |
Electricity - consumption | 74.4 million kWh (2005) | 20.54 billion kWh (2002) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production | 80 million kWh (2005) | 22.09 billion kWh (2002) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Morne Diablatins 1,447 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Cerro de Punta 1,338 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | erosion; occasional drought causing water shortages |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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 |
- |
Ethnic groups | black 86.8%, mixed 8.9%, Carib Amerindian 2.9%, white 0.8%, other 0.7% (2001 census) | white (mostly Spanish origin) 80.5%, black 8%, Amerindian 0.4%, Asian 0.2%, mixed and other 10.9% |
Exchange rates | East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003) | the US dollar is used |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Nicholas J. O. LIVERPOOL (since October 2003)
head of government: Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT (since 8 January 2004) 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 1 October 2003 (next to be held in October 2008); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Nicholas LIVERPOOL elected president; percent of legislative vote - NA% |
chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001)
head of government: Governor Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA (since 2 January 2005) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor with the consent of the legislature elections: US president and vice president elected on the same ticket for four-year terms; governor elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008) election results: Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA (PPD) elected governor; percent of vote - 48.4% |
Exports | 0 bbl/day (2004) | NA |
Exports - commodities | bananas, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges | chemicals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage concentrates, medical equipment |
Exports - partners | UK 24.8%, Jamaica 12.3%, Antigua and Barbuda 9.8%, Guyana 8.3%, China 7.9%, Trinidad and Tobago 5.4%, Saint Lucia 4.5% (2006) | US 90.3%, UK 1.6%, Netherlands 1.4%, Dominican Republic 1.4% (2002 est.) |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | 1 July - 30 June |
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) | five equal horizontal bands of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bears a large, white, five-pointed star in the center; design initially influenced by the US flag, but similar to the Cuban flag, with the colors of the bands and triangle reversed |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 17.7%
industry: 32.8% services: 49.5% (2004 est.) |
agriculture: 1%
industry: 45% services: 54% (2002 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $17,700 (2004 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 3.2% (2007 est.) | 2.7% (2004 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 15 25 N, 61 20 W | 18 15 N, 66 30 W |
Geography - note | 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 | important location along the Mona Passage - a key shipping lane to the Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest and best natural harbors in the Caribbean; many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north |
Highways | - | total: 25,328 km
paved: 23,665 km (including 426 km of expressways) unpaved: 1,363 km (2004) |
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; anti-money-laundering enforcement is weak, making the country particularly vulnerable to money laundering | - |
Imports | 771.8 bbl/day (2004) | NA |
Imports - commodities | manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals | chemicals, machinery and equipment, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products |
Imports - partners | US 25.3%, China 22.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 13.8%, South Korea 4.8% (2006) | US 55.0%, Ireland 23.7%, Japan 5.4% (2002 est.) |
Independence | 3 November 1978 (from UK) | none (commonwealth associated with the US) |
Industrial production growth rate | -10% (1997 est.) | NA% |
Industries | soap, coconut oil, tourism, copra, furniture, cement blocks, shoes | pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products, tourism |
Infant mortality rate | total: 14.61 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 19.68 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
total: 8.24 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.52 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | -0.1% (2005 est.) | 6.5% (2003 est.) |
International organization participation | ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO | ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WToO (associate) |
Irrigated land | NA | 400 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 Court; Appellate Court; Court of First Instance composed of two sections: a Superior Court and a Municipal Court (justices for all these courts appointed by the governor with the consent of the Senate) |
Labor force | 25,000 (2000 est.) | 1.3 million (2000) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 40%
industry: 32% services: 28% (2000 est.) |
agriculture 3%, industry 20%, services 77% (2000 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 6.67%
permanent crops: 21.33% other: 72% (2005) |
arable land: 3.95%
permanent crops: 5.52% other: 90.53% (2001) |
Languages | English (official), French patois | Spanish, English |
Legal system | based on English common law | based on Spanish civil code and within the US Federal system of justice |
Legislative branch | unicameral House of Assembly (30 seats; 9 members appointed, 21 elected by popular vote; to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 5 May 2005 (next to be held by 5 August 2010); note - tradition dictates that the election will be held within five years of the last election, but technically it is five years from the first seating of parliament (12 May 2005) plus a 90-day grace period election results: percent of vote by party - DLP 52.1%, UWP 43.6%, DFP 3.2%, other 1.1%; seats by party - DLP 12, UWP 8, independent 1 |
bicameral Legislative Assembly consists of the Senate (at least 27 seats - currently 29; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives (51 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008); House of Representatives - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PNP 43.4%, PPD 40.3%, PIP 9.4%; seats by party - PNP 17, PPD 9, PIP 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PNP 46.3%, PPD 43.1%, PIP 9.7%; seats by party - PNP 32, PPD 18, PIP 1 note: Puerto Rico elects, by popular vote, a resident commissioner to serve a four-year term as a nonvoting representative in the US House of Representatives; aside from not voting on the House floor, he enjoys all the rights of a member of Congress; elections last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008); results - percent of vote by party - PNP 48.6%; seats by party - PNP 1; Luis FORTUNO elected resident commissioner |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 75.1 years
male: 72.17 years female: 78.18 years (2007 est.) |
total population: 78.29 years
male: 74.35 years female: 82.43 years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 94% male: 94% female: 94% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.1% male: 93.9% female: 94.4% (2002 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 | Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | total: 53 ships (1000 GRT or over) 716,435 GRT/1,252,537 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 9, cargo 30, chemical tanker 2, container 1, petroleum tanker 7, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 1, vehicle carrier 1 foreign-owned: 50 (Estonia 8, Greece 8, India 2, Latvia 2, Lebanon 1, Norway 1, NZ 3, Russia 2, Saudi Arabia 1, Singapore 8, Syria 2, Turkey 9, Ukraine 3) (2007) |
total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 36,728 GRT/37,048 DWT
by type: roll on/roll off 2 foreign-owned: 2 (United States 2) registered in other countries: 1 (2005) |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the US |
Military branches | no regular military forces; Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (includes coast guard) (2006) | no regular indigenous military forces; paramilitary National Guard, Police Force |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA (2006) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 3 November (1978) | US Independence Day, 4 July (1776); Puerto Rico Constitution Day, 25 July (1952) |
Nationality | noun: Dominican(s)
adjective: Dominican |
noun: Puerto Rican(s) (US citizens)
adjective: Puerto Rican |
Natural hazards | flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months | periodic droughts; hurricanes |
Natural resources | timber, hydropower, arable land | some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil |
Net migration rate | -5.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | -1.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Charles SAVARIN]; Dominica Labor Party or DLP [Roosevelt SKERRIT]; Dominica United Workers Party or UWP [Earl WILLIAMS] | National Democratic Party [Celeste BENITEZ]; National Republican Party of Puerto Rico [Dr. Tiody FERRE]; New Progressive Party or PNP (pro-US statehood) [Pedro ROSSELLO]; Popular Democratic Party or PPD (pro-commonwealth) [Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA]; Puerto Rican Independence Party or PIP (pro-independence) [Ruben BERRIOS Martinez] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Dominica Liberation Movement or DLM (a small leftist party) | Armed Forces for National Liberation or FALN; Armed Forces of Popular Resistance; Boricua Popular Army (also known as the Macheteros); Volunteers of the Puerto Rican Revolution |
Population | 72,386 (July 2007 est.) | 3,916,632 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 30% (2002 est.) | NA |
Population growth rate | 0.184% (2007 est.) | 0.47% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Las Mareas, Mayaguez, San Juan |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 0 (2003) | AM 72, FM 17, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Railways | - | total: 96 km
narrow gauge: 96 km 1.000-m gauge (2004) |
Religions | Roman Catholic 61.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 6%, Pentecostal 5.6%, Baptist 4.1%, Methodist 3.7%, Church of God 1.2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.2%, other Christian 7.7%, Rastafarian 1.3%, other or unspecified 1.6%, none 6.1% (2001 census) | Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant and other 15% |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.048 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.051 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.751 male(s)/female total population: 1.015 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal; island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections |
Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: fully automatic network international: country code - 1-767; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; microwave radio relay and SHF radiotelephone links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radiotelephone links to Saint Lucia |
general assessment: modern system integrated with that of the US by high-capacity submarine cable and Intelsat with high-speed data capability
domestic: digital telephone system; cellular telephone service international: country code - 1-787, 939; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat; submarine cable to US |
Telephones - main lines in use | 21,000 (2004) | 1,329,500 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 41,800 (2004) | 1,211,111 (2001) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (2004) | 6 (19 relay stations) (2004) |
Terrain | rugged mountains of volcanic origin | mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas |
Total fertility rate | 2.12 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 1.91 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 23% (2000 est.) | 12% (2002) |