Geography
Dominica lies in the center of the Caribbean chain of islands, between the French overseas territories of Guadeloupe and Martinique.
It is a rugged island noted for its mountains, rivers and waterfalls. It, more than any other island in the Caribbean, has managed to retain its natural beauty.
Dominica is home to the second largest boiling lake in the world.
With an area of 298 square miles (751 sq km), it is the fourth largest island in the English speaking Caribbean. At its longest, it is twenty-nine (29) miles and at its widest, it is sixteen (16) miles.
It has a population of 71,727 (2000 census) peopled mainly of African descent. There is also an increasing white and Chinese population. Dominica is also home to the last Carib population in the Caribbean.
There are two urban centers in Dominica – the capital of Roseau and the second town of Portsmouth.
Roseau is the administrative and commercial center and has a population of 20 000 people. Portsmouth which is much more scenic has a population of 5 000 people.
About one thousand (1,000) of these are students and staff (mostly Americans) of Ross University School of Medicine, an offshore medical school.
People from the United States and Europe often confuse Dominica with the Dominican Republic, like our mails often do, we do not want our visitors ending up in the wrong country.
Dominica is located between the two French islands of Martinique in the south and Guadeloupe in the North.
It is south of Puerto Rico and North of Barbados, English is our official language not Spanish.
Many of us believe that Dominica is the island that is
Closest to what the Caribbean used to be like before
Columbus came.
The island is a rugged agglomeration of towering mountains which run through its center almost like a backbone.
It has defied the ravages of commercial exploitation and deforestation form the time of Columbus to today. At least 60% of this nature paradise is still covered by lush tropical Oceanic Rainforest and other verdant vegetation.
Water is one of the island’s most abundant natural resource, numerous rivers gush out of the mountains to Create spectacular water falls and gorges.
Dominica boasts three national Parks, one of which is a World Heritage Site, the only natural world heritage site in the Eastern Caribbean.
The island celebrated its 30th year of independence on 3 November 2008.
Dominica is blessed with great natural beauty, its volcanic formations create magnificent physical features making it the most mountainous and unique of the Caribbean islands.
Dubbed as The Nature Island of the Caribbean, Dominica’s seclusion has allowed it to preserve its natural areas providing for some of the finest Hiking, whale watching scuba diving, and snorkeling in the Caribbean.
The terrestrial flora and fauna are not the only attractions of Dominica; the underwater life is equally magnificent.
It is often noted for it’s wide variety of species including exotic and rare marine critters such as sea horses, bright yellow frogfish and polka-dotted batfish.
The volcanic activity on the island has created underwater landforms that never erupted giving way to some of the finest deep sea diving.
Hot springs, pinnacles and dramatic topography are part of the undiscovered underwater world on the island of Dominica
Important Information :
Official Name: Commonwealth of Dominica (used to distinguish
itself from the Dominican Republic.)
Capital: Roseau (pronounced Ro-zo)
Official Language: English. Creole (a French-based patois) is widely spoken on the island.
National Bird: Sisserou, also known as the imperial parrot.
National Flower: Bwa Kwaib or Carib Tree (Sabinea Carinalis)
Dominica’s Coat of Arms: Apres Bondie Cest La Ter: “After God, it is the Earth”.
Currency: Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC $). The current exchange rate is EC$ 2.67 to US$ 1
Population: 71, 000
Time Zone: Dominica falls under the Atlantic Time Zone.
Electricity: 220/240 Volts AC. 60% of Dominica’s electricity is hydro generated.
Three-prong European style outlets are most common on the island.
Not to be confused with the Dominican Republic, this mystical island is nestled between the two French islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique Dominica is of one of the few islands in the Caribbean to have preserved its natural splendour.
The Caribs (Kalinagos), native to the islands call it Waitikubuli meaning, tall is her body.
Christopher Columbus while he was lost at sea sighted the island on a Sunday (Domenica in Italian) in 1493, renamed it after the day, Dominica, pronounced Do-mi-neeka.
The island is 29 miles long and 16 miles wide, it covers an area approximately 290 square miles.
Morne Diablotin is the highest mountain peak at 4,747 feet.
Currency:
The Eastern Caribbean dollar is the local currency in Dominica; American dollars are widely accepted around the island as are major credit cards such as Visa, American Express, and MasterCard.