The Commonwealth of Dominica

The Commonwealth of Dominica became an independent country on November 3, 1978. Dominica was colonized by Europeans, with France and Great Britain ruling the country at various periods between the 1690s and 1978. Lovingly referred to as the “Nature Isle of the Caribbean” due to its rich environmental resources, Dominica is home to scenic mountains, sprawling rainforests, navigable waters, rare plant and animal and bird species, as well as the famous Boiling Lake – the second-largest hot spring in the world.

An island country in the West Indies, the capital city of Dominica is Roseau. The country is bordered to the northwest by Guadeloupe and to the southeast by Martinique. The population of Dominica is about 75,000. The size of the country is about 289.5 square miles (750 km²) and it is about 29 miles (47 km) long and 16 miles (26 km) wide.

The Sisserou parrot or imperial amazon is the national bird of Dominica and is featured on the national flag. It is only found in Dominica and nowhere else in the world.

Pre- and Post-Independence

The indigenous peoples of Dominica before the precolonial period were the Caribs (presently called the Kalinagos), who called the nature island Wai’tu kubuli. Explorer Christopher Columbus sailed through the island on Sunday, November 3, 1493 on his way to Spain, and he gave the name Dominica to the island. The Spanish then occupied the island but they were displaced by European settlers and explorers.

Dominica gained independence in 1978 under the leadership of Prime Minister Patrick John. By 1979, an interim government was formed under the leadership of Oliver Seraphin. But in 1980, Prime Minister Eugenia Charles of the Dominica Freedom Party (DFP) became the leader of the country – the first female prime minister ever in the Caribbean. Eugenia Charles lost the 1995 general elections to Edison James who emerged the prime minister under the UWP.

PM Edison James lost the 2000 election to Roosevelt P. “Rosie” Douglas of the DLP who died a few months later in office. Pierre Charles replaced Douglas as the prime minister but he also died in office in 2004; and then Roosevelt Skerrit who remains prime minister till date emerged to replace Charles following his death. Under the DLP, Skerrit won the 2005, 2009, 2014 (under DWP), and December 6, 2019 general elections to remain the country’s prime minister for the fourth term.

Parliamentary Democracy

The country is currently governed by the Dominica Labour Party (DLP) headed by Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, and the main opposition party is the United Workers Party (UWP) led by Lennox Linton. The President is Charles Savarin.

Dominica practises parliamentary democracy as a form of government. A republic, the president is the head of state, and the prime minister is the executive head of the cabinet. The unicameral parliament is run by 30 members of the House of Assembly – 21 elected members and 9 senators elected by the 21 House members or appointed by the president.

Political/Administrative Divisions

The country is divided into 10 parishes which consist of the following –

Dominica is a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), the International Criminal Court (ICC), the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas, and the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). The currency of the country is the East Caribbean Dollar (ECD).

Citizenship by Investment

The government runs the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programme where a foreigner can become a Dominican citizen after investing a minimum USD$100,000 into the national economy via the Economic Diversification Fund, or a minimum USD$200,000 in real estate. Apart from these direct investments, a foreigner can become a citizen after seven years of legal residence and an application to acquire citizenship. The current government said revenue generated under the CBI programme has been used in executing developmental initiatives across the island.

Local and Regional Languages

The official language in Dominica is English. People also speak French, but many others also speak the Dominican Creole and the Antillean Creole which are derived from French. Some of the older generations speak Patois. There is also the Kokoy or Cockoy which is a form of Pidgin English derived from a mixture of Dominican Creole and Leeward Island English Creole. A very few among the native Kalinagos speak the Arawakan language. Dominica, therefore, belongs to both the French-speaking Francophone and the English-speaking Commonwealth of Nations.

Religions

The main religion of Dominica is Christianity. Most of the populations are Roman Catholics, with others belonging to Protestant denominations. Other religions such as Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism occupy a major position in the lives of the people, with others practising traditional religions. A few are even atheists.

Hurricanes

Dominica is frequently at risk of storms and other natural disasters because the island is geographically located in a region prone to hurricanes. Some of the hurricanes that hit the country caused extensive, environmental damage and loss of lives and property. Some of these include –

Category 4 Hurricane David in 1979
Hurricane Allen in 1980
Category 1 Hurricane Dean on August 1, 2007
Tropical Storm Erika in August, 2015
Category 5 Hurricane Maria on September 18, 2017

The country has a thriving tourism, education, sports, and social infrastructure in place for the benefits of all citizens and visitors to the nature island.