Roseau (Dominican Creole:Wozo) is the capital and largest city ofDominica, with a population of 14,725 as of 2011.[1] It is a small and compact urban settlement, in theSaint Georgeparish and surrounded by theCaribbean Sea, theRoseau River andMorne Bruce. Built on the site of the ancientIsland Carib village of Sairi, it is the oldest and most important urban settlement on the island of Dominica.
It is on the west (leeward) coast of Dominica and has a combination of modern and colonial French architecture.
Roseau is Dominica's most important port for foreign trade. Some exports include bananas,bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges, andcocoa. The service sector is also a large part of the local economy. There are several private institutions registered in Dominica, like Ross University,International University for Graduate Studies,All Saints University,New World University, and Western Orthodox University.
The city of Roseau sits on analluvial fan formed hundreds of years ago as the Roseau River meandered across the area from what is now known as Newtown to its current location. Over the last 2,000 years,Amerindians migrating through the islands settled the area attracted by the nearby river. With the arrival of the Europeans in the 16th and 17th centuries, a small settlement was established by the French who, in their tradition of naming places after what they found there, used their name for the river reeds (calledroseaux in French), that grew abundantly along its banks. A plan was created for the settlement that mirrored examples in France where streets extended from a central point – what is today the Old Market – and spread out to the rest of the settlement.
Conflict raged between the French and the British over the area on several occasions. In 1699, the French built a fort to protect Roseau. In 1770, the British builtFort Young in place of the previous fort.[2][3] In 1778, the Frenchinvaded Dominica, capturing Fort Young and Roseau and taking control of the island.[4] In 1784, Dominica was returned to British control under theTreaty of Paris.[4] The population of Roseau, in the census of June 1844, was 3,954.[5]
By the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the British set out plans for the city that includedfortifications and government structures, the grid street system, and blocks and new urban areas to the north and south, known today as Potter's Ville and Newtown. Goodwill was established in the 1950s and Bath Estate in the early 1980s. Since then several new semi-urban settlements – such as Stock Farm, Castle Comfort, and Wall House – have been constructed around the existing ones. Some older settlements like Fond Cole andCanefield nowadays belong to the semi-urban area around Roseau.
The French influence can still be seen today, however, in its architecture and crooked streets that extend from the Old Market Plaza. Examples of the English influence are evident in architecture and street names.[6]
Morne Bruce provides panoramic views of most of downtown Roseau and north toward Woodbridge Bay deepwater port and Fond Cole. From Morne Bruce there are views of the Botanic Gardens at its base as well as the Caribbean Sea which look quite spectacular when cruise liners are in port.
Roseau's climate is atropical monsoon climate, featuring relatively constant temperatures throughout the year with average high temperatures generally between 28 and 31 °C (82.4 and 87.8 °F) and average low temperatures between 19 and 23 °C (66.2 and 73.4 °F). Rainfall is common throughout the year, with the city seeing an annual average nearly 1,800 millimetres or 70 inches. Roseau features a noticeably drier stretch from February through April, though each of these months on average sees at least 45 millimetres or 1.8 inches of rain.
The central district of Roseau is tightly packed with small and large houses and even larger modern concrete structures. There is little green or open space in the city; there is even less today, as many of thecourtyards that were once commonplace are giving way to office space. The district is, however, framed in every direction by natural elements. The sea and the river provide water elements while theBotanical gardens and theGovernment House gardens frame the city with green space. These elements are rare in theCaribbean. No other centre in the region has such extensive botanical gardens with such central location, and the Roseau River is among the largest that flow through any Caribbean capital.
The urban structure of Central Roseau is based on an irregular grid system of miniature proportions, making it a highly illegible city. Even though the grid area is not extensive, it is relatively easy for a visitor to get lost. The grid area has some 80blocks in an area of 30 hectares (74 acres). In comparison, the grid areas ofKingstown andCastries — capitals ofSaint Vincent andSaint Lucia — have some 50 and 60 blocks in the areas of over 40 hectares (99 acres). The average block size in Central Roseau is thus some ⅓ hectare (1 acre), i.e., about half of the figure of Central Kingstown.
There are some fine examples of West Indian architecture in Roseau. The ones that stand out the most are theFrench Colonial style and thevernacular form. Much of the French influence can be found along King George V Street. Around the city there are good examples of the English influence in large colonial town houses and colonial public/government buildings.
Roseau's French Quarter
The churches in Roseau are fine examples of Europe in Dominica with a bit ofcreolization. The Roman Catholic Cathedral stands prominent inGothicRomanesque revival and the Anglican Church on Victoria Street inGeorgian style.
Video showing activity at Farmers Market in downtown Roseau
Because of thesuburban sprawl, few people live in Central Roseau, but more of themcommute daily. Motorized vehicles pour into the central district introducing a mode of point-to-point interaction in an environment that was created for multiple use. As elders said, first there were no streets but just a space between the buildings. The streets of Roseau, and especially those of its central district, are not only ways to move from place to place but they are places themselves. They are used as gardens, playing fields, and social meeting places.
Street scene in Roseau
The Botanical Gardens on the fringes of the central district are mostly used by children.
In Roseau, there are many opportunities for recreation. Many people seek the tranquility and cool of the Botanical Gardens as a getaway on Sunday afternoons and at lunch. It is a popular venue for local cricket matches and sports training. Football is popular; there are several pitches throughout the city (atNewtown,Potters Ville, andBath Estate), as well as in the sports stadium at Windsor Park.
There are dedicated sports facilities around the city. Private tennis courts are on High Street; netball and basketball courts abound in the major high schools. These are complemented by community facilities at Goodwill. A dedicated netball and basketball stadium is at Stockfarm near the Dominica State College.
There are no world-famous hotel chains in the city. The most famous is theFort Young Hotel.[10] In addition there are several small family owned establishments in and on the outskirts of Roseau.
Roseau is home to service clubs including, Kiwanis, Rotary and Lions. There are other organizations such as the local humane society and conservation society. ChildFund International USA has an office in Roseau from where it runs its child centered development programs for Dominica and Saint Vincent.
The Dominica Association of Industry and Commerce, Waitukubuli Ecological Foundation, Dominica Tourism Association and others are based in the city.
As the most important town on the island and hub of all business activity, the city is a central point of the road networks on the island. It is an important link between northern, eastern, and southern bound traffic.
Roseau is served byCanefield Airport, a nearby small aircraft airport that provides direct links to nearby islands, as well as the largerDouglas–Charles Airport to the north. The ferry terminal provides direct links to the neighbouringGuadeloupe to the north andMartinique and St. Lucia to the south.
Roseau has been the historical centre of education on the island. There are six secondary schools in the city as well as eight primary schools. Acommunity college, the Dominica State College, is in Roseau. There are two private medical schools, All Saints School of Medicine and Ross University School of Medicine, and a private university, Western Orthodox University.
Severalembassies are in the city. They include the Brazilian, the Chinese, the Cuban, and the Venezuelan embassies, with a couple of otherconsulates around the city.
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