STATISTICS: DOMINICA

Dominica Official name: Commonwealth of Dominica. Form of government: multiparty republic with one legislative house (House of Assembly ). Chief of state: President. Head of government: Prime Minister. Capital: Roseau. Official language: English. Official religion: none. Monetary unit: 1 East Caribbean dollar (EC$) = 100 cents; valuation (Sept. 25, 1998) 1 U.S.$ = EC$2.70; 1 = EC$4.60. Demography Population (1998): 76,400. Density (1998): persons per sq mi 267.8; persons per sq km 103.4. Urban-rural: n.a. Sex distribution (1991): male 49.78%; female 50.22%. Age breakdown (1991): under 15, 33.3%; 15-29, 28.3%; 30-44, 16.3%; 45-59, 9.7%; 60 and over, 11.8%; unknown, 0.6%. Population projection: (2000) 78,000; (2010) 86,000. Doubling time: 54 years. Ethnic composition (1991): black 89.1%; mixed race 7.2%; Amerindian/Carib 2.4%; white 0.4%; other 0.7%; not stated 0.2%. Religious affiliation (1991): Roman Catholic 70.1%; six largest Protestant groups 17.2%, of which Seventh-day Adventist 4.6%, Pentecostal 4.3%, Methodist 4.2%; other 8.9%; nonreligious 2.9%; unknown 0.9%. Major towns (1991): Roseau 15,853; Portsmouth 3,621; Marigot 2,919; Atkinson 2,518; Mahaut 2,372. Vital statistics Birth rate per 1,000 population (1996): 18.4 (world avg. 25.0); (1991) legitimate 24.1%; illegitimate 75.9%. Death rate per 1,000 population (1996): 5.3 (world avg. 9.3). Natural increase rate per 1,000 population (1996): 13.1 (world avg. 15.7). Total fertility rate (avg. births per childbearing woman; 1996): 1.9. Marriage rate per 1,000 population (1990): 3.3. Divorce rate per 1,000 population (1990): 0.4. Life expectancy at birth (1996): male 74.5 years; female 80.4 years. Major causes of death per 100,000 population (1990): diseases of the circulatory system 273.5, of which ischemic heart diseases 120.8, hypertensive disease 88.8; malignant neoplasms (cancers) 116.6; endocrine, metabolic, and nutritional disorders 51.4; diseases of the respiratory system 43.0; infectious and parasitic diseases 37.5. National economy Budget (1995-96). Revenue: EC$194,100,000 (tax revenue 67.9%, of which consumption taxes 25.1%, taxes on income and profits 18.3%; grants 15.7%; nontax revenue 14.1%; other 2.3%). Expenditures: EC$219,100,000 (current expenditures 70.4%; development expenditures 29.6%). Public debt (external, outstanding; 1996): U.S.$94,000,000. Land use (1994): forested 66.0%; meadows and pastures 3.0%; agricultural and under permanent cultivation 23.0%; other 8.0%. Tourism (1995): receipts from visitors U.S.$35,700,000; expenditures by nationals abroad U.S.$4,300,000. Gross national product (at current market prices; 1996): U.S.$228,000,000 (U.S.$3,090 per capita). Population economically active (1991): total 26,364; activity rate of total population 38.0% (participation rates: ages 15-64, 62.4%; female 34.5%; unemployed 23%). Household income and expenditure. Average household size (1991) 3.6; income per household: n.a.; sources of income: n.a.; expenditure (1984){2}: food and nonalcoholic beverages 43.1%, housing and utilities 16.1%, transportation 11.6%, clothing and footwear 6.5%, household furnishings 6.0%. Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture, forestry, fishing (1995): bananas 39,928{3}, plantains 15,358, root crops 14,818 (of which dasheens 6,710, yams 4,479, tanias 3,326), grapefruit 10,682, coconuts 8,853, oranges 4,340, limes 3,314, mangoes 1,633, pepper 144, bay oil 16; livestock (number of live animals; 1996) 13,400 cattle, 9,700 goats, 7,600 sheep; roundwood, n.a.; fish catch 842 metric tons. Mining and quarrying: pumice, limestone, and sand and gravel are quarried primarily for local consumption. Manufacturing (value of production in EC$'000; 1996): toilet soap 19,633; laundry soap 17,240; crude coconut oil 1,615; bottled spring water 323,000 cases{4}; other products include fruit juices, beer, garments, furniture, paint, and cardboard boxes. Construction (value of starts; 1993): U.S.$12,100,000. Energy production (consumption): electricity (kW-hr; 1994) 52,400,000 (43,500,000); coal, none (none); crude petroleum, none (none); petroleum products (metric tons; 1994) none (23,000); natural gas, none (none). Foreign trade{5} Imports (1995): EC$314,300,000 ({6}machinery and transport equipment 28.5%; basic manufactures 25.1%; food 18.4%; chemicals and chemical products 12.8%). Major import sources: Caricom countries 25.8%; U.S. (including Puerto Rico) 23.4%; U.K. 13.7%; France 8.2%; Japan 7.6%. Exports (1995): EC$115,000,000 (manufactured exports 49.3%, of which coconut-based laundry and toilet soaps 32.9%; agricultural exports 47.7%, of which bananas 38.5%; reexports 3.0%). Major export destinations{7}: U.K. 53.5%; Caricom countries 24.2%; U.S. (including Puerto Rico) 15.7%. Transport Transport. Railroads: none. Roads (1995): total length 475 mi, 765 km (paved 50%). Vehicles (1995): passenger cars 2,770; trucks and buses 2,839. Merchant marine (1992): vessels (100 gross tons and over) 7; total deadweight tonnage 3,153. Air transport (1991): passenger arrivals 43,312, passenger departures, n.a.; cargo unloaded 259 metric tons, cargo loaded 415 metric tons; airports (1996) with scheduled flights 2. Education and health Educational attainment (1991). Percentage of population age 25 and over having: no formal schooling 4.2%; primary education 78.4%; secondary 11.0%; higher vocational 2.3%; university 2.8%; other/unknown 1.3%. Literacy (1990): total population age 15 and over literate, c. 42,000 (90.0%). Health: physicians (1993) 24 (1 per 2,952 persons); hospital beds (1992) 241 (1 per 298 persons); infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births (1996) 9.6. Food (1995): daily per capita caloric intake 3,032 (vegetable products 79%, animal products 21%); 125% of FAO recommended minimum requirement. Military Total active duty personnel (1996): none{8}. {1} Includes 22 seats that are elective (including speaker if elected from outside of the House of Assembly) and 10 seats that are nonelective (including 9 appointees of the president and the attorney general serving ex officio). {2} Weights of consumer price index components. {3} 1996. {4} 1990. {5} Imports c.i.f.; exports f.o.b. {6} Breakdown based on 1992 imports valued at EC$299,200,000. {7} Excludes reexports. {8} 300-member police force includes a coast guard unit.