The island was settled by theArawak arriving from South America in the fifth century. TheKalinago displaced the Arawak by the 15th century.Christopher Columbus is said to have passed the island on Sunday, 3 November 1493. It was later colonised by Europeans, predominantly by the French from the 1690s to 1763. The French trafficked slaves from West Africa to Dominica to work on coffee plantations.Great Britain took possession in 1763 after theSeven Years' War, and gradually established English as its official language. The island gained independence as a republic in 1978.
The Kalinagoes called the islandWai‘tu kubuli, which means "Tall is her body".[20]
Christopher Columbus, sailing for Spain, named the island Dominica, after theLatin termdies Dominica forSunday, the day on which he first saw it in November 1493.[21]
The similar names and the identical demonym with theDominican Republic has caused some in Dominica to advocate a change in its name to establish its own identity.[23]
Dominica first emerged from the sea during theOligocene Epoch approximately 27 million years ago, making it one of the last Caribbean islands to be formed byvolcanic activity.[citation needed]
Dominica's precolonial indigenous inhabitants were theIsland Carib people, who are thought to have driven out the previousArawak population.[21] However, this may be a partial misconception as ancestral Kalinago narratives mention the two groups coexisting and intermarrying. The Arawak were not the primary indigenous group. It is believed that before them were a group of paleo-Indians who arrived towards the end of the late Pleistocene period.[citation needed]
In 1493,Christopher Columbus first spotted the island during hissecond voyage to the Americas. Because he saw the island on a Sunday (November 3, 1493), Columbus named the island Dominica (Latin for 'Sunday').[21] Some Spanish colonisers settled there. But, as European explorers and settlers entered the region, indigenous refugees from surrounding islands settled in Dominica and pushed out the Spanish settlers. The Spanish instead settled other areas that were easier to control.[citation needed]
Spain had little success in colonising Dominica. In 1632, the FrenchCompagnie des Îles de l'Amérique claimed it and other"Petites Antilles" forFrance, but no physical occupation took place.[21] Between 1642 and 1650, French missionaryRaymond Breton became the first regular European visitor to the island.[citation needed]
In 1660, the French and English agreed that Dominica andSt. Vincent should not be settled, but instead left to the Carib people as neutral territory.[21] However, its natural resources attracted expeditions of English and French foresters, who began harvesting timber.[24] In 1690, the French established their first permanent settlements. French woodcutters fromMartinique andGuadeloupe began to set up timber camps to supply the French islands with wood, and they gradually became permanent settlers. They brought the first enslaved Africans from West Africa toDominique, as they called it in French.[citation needed]
In 1715, a revolt of "poor white" smallholders in the north of Martinique, known as La Gaoulé,[25] caused settlers to migrate to southern Dominique, where they set upsmallholdings. Meanwhile, French families and others from Guadeloupe settled in the north. In 1727, the first French commander,M. Le Grand, took charge of the island with a basic French government. Dominique formally became acolony of France, and the island was divided into districts or "quarters".[26] The French had already developed plantation agriculture on Martinique and Guadeloupe, where they cultivatedsugarcane with enslaved African workers. In Dominique they gradually developed coffee plantations. Because of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, the general population came to consist primarily of black-African slaves.[citation needed]
Great Britain established a small colony in 1805. It used Dominica as part of theTrans-Atlantic Slave Trade, by which slaves were imported and sold as labour in the islands as part of a trade that included producing and shipping sugar and coffee as commodity crops to Europe. The best documented slave plantation on the island is Hillsborough Estate, which had 71 male and 68 female slaves. TheGreg family were notable: Thomas Hodgson, a brother-in-law, owned a slave ship, and Thomas Greg and his son John Greg were part-owners ofsugar plantations in Dominica. In January 1814, 20 slaves absconded from Hillsborough. They were recorded as recaptured and punished with 100 lashes applied to the males and 50 for the females. The slaves reportedly said that one of their people had died in the plantation hospital, and they believed he had been poisoned.[27]
In 1831, reflecting a liberalisation of official British racial attitudes, the Brown Privilege Bill[28] conferred political and social rights onfree blacks (mostlyfree people of colour, who generally were ofmixed race, with African and European ancestry). With theSlavery Abolition Act 1833, Britain ended the institution of slavery throughoutits empire, except in India.[29]
With freedom came enfranchisement. In 1835, the first three men of African descent were elected to the legislative assembly of Dominica. Many slaves from the neighbouring French colonial islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique fled to Dominica. In 1838, Dominica became the first colony of theBritish West Indies to have an elected legislature controlled by an ethnic African majority. Most of these legislators had been free people of colour and smallholders or merchants before the abolition of slavery. Their economic and social views were different from the interests of the small, wealthy Englishplanter class. Reacting to a perceived threat to their power, the planters lobbied for more direct British rule.[24]
In 1865, after much agitation and tension, the colonial office replaced the elective assembly with one made up of one-half members who were elected and one-half who were appointed. Planters, who were allied with colonial administrators, outmanoeuvred the elected legislators on many occasions. In 1871, Dominica became part of theBritish Leeward Islands. The political power of the elected assembly progressively eroded.Crown colony government was re-established in 1896.
InWorld War I, many Dominicans, mainly the sons of small farmers, volunteered to fight in Europe for the British Empire. After the war, an upsurge of political consciousness throughout the Caribbean led to the formation of theRepresentative Government Association. Marshalling public frustration with the lack of a voice in the government of Dominica, this group won one-third of the popularly elected seats of the legislative assembly in 1924, and one-half in 1936. In 1940, administration of Dominica was transferred from theBritish Leeward Islands to theBritish Windward Islands.[24] DuringWorld War II, some Dominicans volunteered in British and Caribbean forces. Thousands ofFree French refugees from Martinique and Guadeloupe escaped to Dominica from theVichy-controlled French islands, staying inRoseau and other villages.
Until 1958, Dominica was governed as part of theBritish Windward Islands. Caribbean islands sought independence from 1958 to 1962, and Dominica became a province of the short-livedWest Indies Federation in 1958.[21][24] After the federation dissolved in 1962, Dominica became an associated state of the United Kingdom in 1967, and formally took responsibility for its internal affairs.[21] On 3 November 1978, Dominica was granted independence as arepublic, led by Prime MinisterPatrick John.[21][24][30]
In mid-1979, political discontent with founding prime minister Patrick John's administration climaxed in a civilian coup and ended in the passage of amotion of no confidence against John in the House of Assembly, Dominica's legislature, collapsing his administration. An Interim Government was formed under Dominica's second Prime MinisterOliver Seraphin;[21] Seraphin's main task was to prepare the country for fresh general elections constitutionally due in 1980, hence the unofficial title "Interim Prime Minister". Seraphin organised and led a splinter of the Dominica Labour Party—the Democratic Labour Party—into the 1980 general election and lost mainly because his nearly 13 month-long premiership was dominated by the effects of Category FiveHurricane David, which caused 56 deaths and untold damage across the island.[21][31]Hurricane Allen the following year caused further damage.[21] After the1980 election, Seraphin's government was replaced by one led by theDominica Freedom Party (DFP) under Prime MinisterEugenia Charles; she was the Caribbean's first female prime minister.[21][32]
In 1981, Charles's government was threatened with two attempted coups. The first was led byFrederick Newton, commander of theMilitary of Dominica, who organised an attack on the police headquarters in Roseau which resulted in the death of a police officer.[33] Newton and five other soldiers were found guilty in the attack and sentenced to death in 1983; the sentences of the five accomplices were later commuted to life in prison, but Newton was executed in 1986.[33] A second occurred later in the year when the country was threatened with a takeover bymercenaries,[34] led byMike Perdue andWolfgang Droege inOperation Red Dog. They tried to overthrow Charles as prime minister and reinstate ex-prime minister John in exchange for control over the country's development. TheFBI was tipped off, and the ship hired to transport the mercenaries never left dock. The mercenaries lacked formal military experience or training, and most of the crew had been misled into joining by the ringleader Mike Perdue.White supremacistDon Black was jailed for his part in the attempted coup, which violated USneutrality laws.[35]
The Charles government supported the 1983 Americaninvasion of Grenada, earning Dominica praise from the US government ofRonald Reagan, and an increase in financial aid.[36]
By the middle of the 1980s, the economy had begun to recover,[21] before weakening again due to a decrease inbanana prices. Eugenia Charles won the1985 general election, becoming the first incumbent Dominica Prime Minister to be popularly re-elected. The continuing downturn in the economy and the tight grip by Eugenia Charles on Dominica politics gave rise to a self-titled "Third Force" political formation in 1988, which disrupted the traditional two-party arrangement of governing DFP and opposition DLP. The formation soon formalised as theUnited Workers' Party (UWP) and selected as its leaderEdison James, the former general manager of the Dominica Banana Marketing Company. This was a strategic selection: he had prestige among banana farmers, and support from his origins in the East Coast, which had begun to feel alienated by the West Coast elites in Roseau, Dominica's capital.[24] Eugenia Charles again won the1990 general election, the first incumbent Dominica prime minister to win three consecutive general elections, but the UWP's emergence had reduced her party's majority in Parliament to one. It was, therefore, no great surprise when Eugenia Charles gave up political leadership of the Dominica Freedom Party in 1993 and did not contest the 1995 general election in any capacity. No longer benefitting from her leadership, the Dominica Freedom Party lost the1995 election to the UWP, and James became prime minister.[21] He attempted to diversify the Dominican economy away from over-reliance on bananas. The crop was largely destroyed byHurricane Luis in 1995,[21] and James was unable to restore the banana industry to its former selling price and prestige. Moreover, his administration became embroiled in opposition charges of official corruption.
In the31 January 2000 general election, the UWP were defeated by a coalition of the DLP, led by left-leaningRoosevelt B. "Rosie" Douglas, and the DFP led by former trade union leaderCharles Savarin; Douglas became prime minister. One UWP member of the House of Assemblycrossed the floor, joining the DLP–DFP coalition government. Douglas died on 1 October 2000 after only a few months in office,[21][37][38] and was replaced byPierre Charles, who died in office on 6 January 2004.[21][39]Roosevelt Skerrit, also of the DLP, replaced Pierre Charles as prime minister, becoming the world's youngest head of government at the age of 31.[21] Under Skerrit's leadership, the DLP wonelections in May 2005 that gave the party 12 seats in the 21-seat Parliament. The UWP won 8 seats and Ronald Toulon, who was an independent candidate at that time, won the remaining seat. Later, Toulon joined the government.[24][40] With his 2005 election win, Skerrit became only the second incumbent prime minister to be popularly re-elected.
In the2009 election, the DLP won 18 of 21 seats. The UWP claimed campaign improprieties and embarked on a wide range of protest actions, including boycott of Parliament. UWP's boycott caused at least three unauthorised absences from Parliament for two of their three elected representatives in violation of Parliamentary procedure, leading to their two seats being declared vacant and by-elections called to fill them in July 2010 The UWP held both seats.[41] The DLP under Skerrit went on to win the2014 Dominican general election.[42]
On 17 September 2012Eliud Thaddeus Williams was sworn in as president (a largely ceremonial role), replacingDr. Nicholas Liverpool who was reportedly removed from office due to ill health. On 30 September 2013 former trade union leader and former DFP leaderCharles Savarin was elected president, having only days before resigned as a minister of government. He is Dominica's eighth president.[43]
Tropical Storm Erika devastated the island in August 2015, killing 30 and causing severe environmental and economic damage.[21] Dominica was again struck on 18 September 2017, suffering a direct landfall from Category 5Hurricane Maria.[21][44] Early estimates of damage suggested 90% of the buildings on the island had been destroyed, with infrastructure left in ruins.[45][46] The UK, France and the Netherlands set up shipping and air lifts to take aid to the island, the scale of destruction having left most people homeless.
Dominica won its first two Commonwealth Games medals in silver (men's triple jump) and bronze (women's triple jump) in the2018 Commonwealth Games on theGold Coast.[47]
President Charles Angelo Savarin was re-elected in 2018 for a new five-year term.[48]
In December 2019, incumbent prime minister Roosevelt Skerrit won his fourth consecutive generalelection 18 seats to 3, becoming the first prime minister of Dominica to do so.[49]
Satellite photograph of Dominica in the center, withGuadeloupe to the north andMartinique to the south
Dominica is anisland nation in theCaribbean Sea, the northernmost of theWindward Islands (though it is sometimes considered the southernmost of theLeeward Islands).[50] The size of the country is about 750 square kilometres (289.5 sq mi) and it is about 47 km (29 mi) long and 26 km (16 mi) wide.[21][51]
Known as "The Nature Island of the Caribbean"[52][citation needed] due to its lush scenery and varied flora and fauna, Dominica is largely covered byrainforest and is home to the world's second-largesthot spring,Boiling Lake.[51][53][54] Within its borders lie two ecoregions: Windward Islands' moist forests and Windward Islands'xeric scrub.[55] The most mountainous of the Lesser Antilles, its volcanic peaks are cones of lava craters, the largest of these being (north-to-south)Morne aux Diables,Morne Diablotins (the highest on the island at 1,447 m (4,747 ft)),[51]Morne Trois Pitons andMorne Anglais.Morne Trois Pitons National Park is a tropical forest blended with volcanic features;[56] it was recognised as aWorld Heritage Site on 4 April 1995, a distinction it shares with four other Caribbean islands.[57] TheCalibishie area in the country's northeast has sandy beaches.[58] Some plants and animals thought to be extinct on surrounding islands can still be found in Dominica's forests.[59] The island has severalprotected areas, includingCabrits National Park, as well as 365 rivers. For a few years the government sought to encourage the island as anecotourism destination, although the hurricane of 2017 has since changed these plans.[51] The country had a 2018Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 1.06/10, ranking it 166th globally out of 172 countries.[60]
There are two primary population centres: the capitalRoseau (with 14,725 inhabitants in 2011) andPortsmouth (with 4,167 inhabitants in 2011). The main centres tend to be located around the coast, with the mountainous interior sparsely populated.[51]
Dominica is especially vulnerable tohurricanes as the island is located in what is referred to as the hurricane region.[51] In 1979,Hurricane David struck the island as a Category 4 hurricane, causing widespread and extreme damage. On 17 August 2007,Hurricane Dean, a Category 1 hurricane at the time, hit the island. A mother and her seven-year-old son died when alandslide caused by the heavy rains crushed their house.[61] In another incident two people were injured when a tree fell on their house.[62]Prime MinisterRoosevelt Skerrit estimated that 100 to 125 homes were damaged, and that the agricultural sector was extensively damaged, in particular the banana crop.[63] In August 2015,Tropical Storm Erika caused extensive flooding and landslides across the island. Multiple communities were evacuated and upwards of 30 people were killed.[64] According to a Rapid Damage and Impact Assessment prepared for Dominica by the World Bank, the total damage and losses from the storm were US$484.82 million or 90% of Dominica's yearly GDP.[65] Category 5Hurricane Maria struck the island in 2017 and caused losses of approximately US$930 million or 226% of GDP.[46]
Thesisserou parrot (Amazona imperialis) is Dominica's national bird and isendemic to its mountain forests.[21] A related species, the jaco orred-necked parrot (A. arausiaca), is also endemic.[21] Both birds are rare and protected, though some forests are still threatened by logging in addition to the long-standing threat of hurricanes.
Dominica has recorded at least four species of snakes and eleven species of lizards. Dominica is the last major stronghold of thecritically endangeredLesser Antillean iguana (Iguana delicatissima).[66]
Dominica is home to 195 species of birds.[citation needed] Because of its isolated location, this number is lower than that ofTrinidad, which is located closer to mainlandSouth-America and has 472 bird species.[citation needed]
The civilCommonwealth of Dominica Police Force includes a Special Service Unit[68] andCoast Guard. In the event of war or other emergency, if proclaimed by the authorities, the Police Force shall be a military force which may be employed for State defence (Police Act, Chapter 14:01).[69]
Both male and femalesame-sex sexual activity were criminalised in Dominica in the 19th century during the colonial era.[70][71] In April 2024, Dominican attorney-at-lawCara Shillingford persuaded the High Court of Justice to overturn the laws banning same-sex activity[72] since they violated LGBT individuals' constitutional rights.[73]
Dominica is engaged in a long-running dispute withVenezuela over Venezuela's territorial claims to the sea surroundingIsla de Aves (literally Bird Island, but in fact called 'Bird Rock' by Dominican authorities),[51][74] a tiny islet located 140 miles (225 km) west of the island of Dominica.
Dominica's currency is theEast Caribbean Dollar. In 2008, Dominica had one of the lowestper capitagross domestic product (GDP) rates of Eastern Caribbean states.[75][76] The country nearly had a financial crisis in 2003 and 2004, but Dominica's economy grew by 3.5% in 2005 and 4.0% in 2006, following a decade of poor performance. Growth in 2006 was attributed to gains in tourism, construction, offshore and other services, and some sub-sectors of the banana industry. Around this time theInternational Monetary Fund (IMF) praised the Government of Dominica for its successful macroeconomic reforms, but also pointed out remaining challenges, including the need for further reductions in public debt, increased financial sector regulation, and market diversification.[24]
Agriculture, especially bananas, once dominated Dominica's economy,[51] and nearly one-third of the labour force worked in agriculture in the early 2000s. The sector, however, is highly vulnerable to weather conditions and to external events affecting commodity prices. In 2007,Hurricane Dean caused significant damage to the agricultural sector as well as the country's infrastructure, especially roads.[citation needed] In response to reducedEuropean Union (EU)trade preferences for bananas from the former European colonies after the 2009WTO decision,[77][78][79][80] the government has diversified the agricultural sector by promoting the production of coffee,patchouli,aloe vera, cut flowers, and exotic fruits such as mango, guava and papaya,[citation needed] while the economy has become increasingly dependent on tourism.[51]
The expected increase of Dominica'sCitizenship by Investment (CBI) fees has been suspended with no implementation date in sight, as announced by Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, in the 2016 budget speech.[81]
Starting in the mid-late 1990s,offshore financial centres, such as Dominica, came under increasing pressure from theOECD for their allegedly harmful tax regimes, where the OECD wished to prevent low-tax regimes from having an advantage in the global marketplace. The OECD threatened to place Dominica and otherfinancial centres on a "black list" and impose sanctions against them. Dominica successfully avoided being placed on the OECD black list by committing to regulatory reform to improve transparency and begin information exchange with OECD member countries about their citizens.
Dominica supposedly offers tax-free status to companies relocating from abroad. It is not known how many companies benefit from the tax-free status because of the strict confidentiality the government enforces, although it is known manyInternet businesses andhedge funds utilise Dominica for this reason. On 12 July 2012 Dominica signed an agreement with Poland to exchange tax information.[82]
Dominica offers an official and legally mandatedeconomic citizenship to those seeking a valid second citizenship. The nationality law of Dominica authorises the government to waive the normal requirement of seven years of legal residence to acquire citizenship in exchange for an investment into their country's economy. The required contribution for a main applicant starts at US$100,000 through the Economic Diversification Fund.[83] Alternatively, since 2014, applicants can make a US$200,000 minimum investment in pre-approved real estate from island exclusive resorts or global brands like Marriott, Kempinski or Hilton.[84] According to officials, thecitizenship by investment (CBI) programme was an economic and fiscal "lifeline" in the aftermaths of Tropical Storm Erika in 2015 and Hurricane Maria in 2017, and its new investment option had become the main source ofForeign Direct Investment into Dominica by early 2016.[85] Dominican citizens can travel without a visa, or obtain a visa upon entry, to nearly 140 countries and territories, including the United Kingdom and the Schengen Zone.[86] Applying for Dominican citizenship requires interacting with official Government Approved Economic Citizenship Agents as the first step in the application process.[87] This programme is valued at 16% of the government's total revenue as of 2018[update].[88]
The government's management of the economic citizenship programme and an initial perceived lack of transparency in the use of the revenues generated are a frequent topic of heated domestic political controversy. Referring to the opposition, prime minister Skerrit in 2016 stated, "If they can discredit the Citizenship by Investment Program and make Dominica an unattractive place to obtain citizenship, then revenues would fall and the government would not be able to rebuild the country. Or, the government would then have to increase taxes on the people; making itself unpopular in their sight."[89] Since then, the Government of Dominica has improved transparency of CBI funds. According to prime minister Skerrit's 2018–2019 Budget Address,[90] the island's CBI Programme has helped develop a national health insurance pilot that provides Dominican children in critical medical conditions with overseas treatment. Because many residents were displaced by Hurricane Maria's impact on the small Caribbean island, the government pledged to build 5,000 hurricane-proof homes, of which the first batch of 125 houses were scheduled for occupancy in February 2019.[91] The CBI Programme has also significantly helped to develop and create jobs in the island's ecotourism sector.[92] Furthermore, the Skerrit administration set aside EC$5m every month for the construction of a new airport.[93][94]
TheFinancial Times'sProfessional Wealth Management publication ranked Dominica as the world's best citizenship-by-investment programme in its annual CBI Index.[95][96] According to the report, investors choose Dominica's citizenship because it has the most affordable investment threshold and, while the security checks each applicant is subjected to remain very strict,[97] the application process is straightforward and streamlined.[98]
Dominica is mostly volcanic and has few beaches, contributing totourism developing more slowly than on neighbouring islands.[citation needed] Nevertheless, Dominica's mountains, rainforests, freshwater lakes, hot springs, waterfalls, and diving spots make it an attractiveecotourism destination. Cruise ship stopovers have increased following the development of modern docking and waterfront facilities in Roseau, the capital.[24] Out of 22 Caribbean islands tracked, Dominica had the fewest visitors in 2008 (55,800 or 0.3% of the total). This was about half as many as visited Haiti.[99] The volcanic nature of the island has attractedscuba divers.
There are two airports currently operating on the island. The primary airport,Douglas-Charles Airport (IATA airport code DOM), has direct flights fromMiami andNewark. It is on the northeast coast and is about a 45-minute drive from Portsmouth (1 hour from Roseau). Douglas-Charles Airport is suitable for limited use of commercial jets because of runway length. A runway extension and service upgrade project began at Douglas-Charles Airport around 2006 and was finished in 2010. A second airport,Canefield Airport (DCF), is about 15 minutes from Roseau on the southwest coast. A third,Dominica International Airport, is currently under construction inWesley and is expected to be completed in 2026.[100]
Dominica's road network runs primarily along the coastline and along river valleys. Major roads are two-lane highways which connect the capital, Roseau, withPortsmouth (theEdward Oliver Leblanc Highway) and Douglas Charles Airport (the DrNicholas Liverpool Highway). It takes about 45 minutes to drive from Portsmouth to Roseau. These major roads were reconstructed from the early 2010s to 2015 with assistance from the People's Republic of China and the European Union.[101][102] Private minibuses form the majority of the public transport system.[citation needed]
DuringTropical Storm Erika in 2015, several road surfaces and bridges were damaged by flooding and landslides, including the just-completed Edward Oliver LeBlanc Highway (Roseau–Portsmouth) and Dr. Nicholas Liverpool Highway (Pont Cassé–Douglas Charles Airport). To alleviate this, the government announced that it intended to install emergency bridges in Roseau Valley near the Trafalgar Falls to Wotten Waven and in Emshall.[103]Hurricane Maria of 2017 also damaged the road network.
Dominica's electricity sector includes power from hydroelectricity, solar energy, and geothermal energy.[104] After the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria in September 2017, the Dominican government claimed it would invest in geothermal energy. In early March 2018 Dominica signed anInternational Solar Alliance framework agreement, in an attempt to exploit solar energy to power the country with a source of renewable energy.[105]
The population, recorded in the census of June 1844, was 22,649.[106]
Most Dominicans are of African descent.[50][citation needed] There is a growing mixed population along with a small European-origin minority (descendants of French and British colonists along with some people of Irish descent from indentured servants). A small number of Lebanese, Syrians and East Asians also reside on the island. Dominica is the only eastern Caribbean island that still has a population of pre-Columbian nativeKalinago (previously called Caribs), who were exterminated or driven from neighbouring islands. As of 2014[update] there are more than 3,000 Kalinago remaining, living in eight villages on the east coast of Dominica. This specialKalinago Territory (previously Carib Reserve) was granted by the British Crown in 1903.[107]
The population growth of Dominica is very slow, due primarily to emigration to other countries.
Dominica has a relatively large number ofcentenarians. In March 2007, there were 22 centenarians amongst the island's 70,000 inhabitants —three times the average incidence in developed countries. The reasons for this were studied atRoss University School of Medicine.[108]
Dominica was partially integrated into the federal colony of theLeeward Islands in 1832. In 1871, it became a full part of the Federation of the Leeward Islands. From the start it was a peculiar relationship, for previously Dominica had played no part in the political or cultural traditions of the other more Anglophone islands of the federation. As a Leeward Island, this much larger territory, with thousands of acres of forested unclaimed land, was open to the people ofMontserrat andAntigua. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Rose's Company, which producedRose's lime juice, saw demand for its product outgrow its ability to supply the product from Montserrat. Their response to the situation was to buy land in Dominica and encourage Montserrat farm labourers to relocate. As a result, there emerged another linguistic community in Dominica, more specifically inWesley andMarigot, known askokoy.
In 1902, on 8 May, theMount Pelée volcano on Martinique erupted destroying the city ofSaint-Pierre. Refugees from Martinique arrived in boats to the southern villages of Dominica and some remained permanently on the island.
English is the official language of Dominica, universally spoken and understood. In addition,Dominican Creole, a form ofAntillean Creole based onFrench, is widely spoken. This originated from French migration to the island starting in 1690, a majority French Creole-speaking population that resided on the island,[109] and its location between the two French-speaking departments ofMartinique andGuadeloupe. Since 1979, Dominica has been a member ofLa Francophonie. Dominican Creole is particularly used among the older generation, which also speaks apatois language. Because of a decline in the use of Creole by the younger generation, initiatives have begun to increase usage and promote this unique part of the nation's history and culture.
Along with Creole, a dialect known as Kokoy (or Cockoy) is spoken.[110] It is a type ofpidgin English which is a mix of Leeward IslandEnglish Creole and Dominican Creole,[111] and is mainly spoken in the north-eastern villages of Marigot and Wesley, by the descendants of immigrants fromMontserrat andAntigua. Over time there has been much intermarrying, but there are still traces of difference in origin.[112] As a result of this mixture of languages and heritage, Dominica is a member of both the French-speaking Francophonie and the English-speakingCommonwealth of Nations.
Island Carib, also known asIgneri (also Iñeri, Igñeri, Inyeri), was anArawakan language historically spoken by theIsland Caribs of theLesser Antilles in theCaribbean. The Island Caribs lived throughout the southern Lesser Antilles such as Dominica,St Vincent andTrinidad, supposedly having conquered them from their previous inhabitants, theIgneri. Island Carib became extinct about 1920, but an offshoot survives asGarifuna, primarily in Central America.
The second largest town on the island, Portsmouth, is home to Al-Ansaar Masjid, the first mosque to be built in Dominica. The mosque was constructed with the help of Muslim students from the since-relocatedRoss University School of Medicine.[115]
Schooling in Dominica is mandatory up to secondary school. After pre-school, students attend primary school for six or seven years, and are admitted into secondary school on the basis of a Common Entrance Exam. After five years students take the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate administered by theCaribbean Examination Council (a 15-member confederation of the Caribbean community (CARICOM)).[116] The more advanced version of this examination,CAPE, can be taken upon completion of two years of community college. The island has its ownDominica State College, formerly named Clifton Dupigny Community College.[117] Some Dominicans attend universities in Cuba on scholarships offered by its government; others go to theUniversity of the West Indies or to universities in the United Kingdom, the United States, or other countries.
Ross University School of Medicine was located atPortsmouth. Ross had been operating in Dominica since the 1980s.[121] There used to be a thousand medical students arriving annually from the United States and Canada who studied at Ross University, but the campus was permanently relocated toBarbados at the beginning of the 2019 Spring semester due to extensive hurricane damage suffered at the Dominican campus.[122][123]
TheDominica Library and Information Service (DLIS) serves an integral role in the education of its citizens. The DLIS provides service for the population of Dominica through three components: public library services, documentation and research services, and archival services. Under the management of the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development, the institution was established in 1843 with the opening of reading rooms, the first public library in Dominica, Victoria Memorial.[124] The creation of a public library in Dominica did not come easily though the impetus was a noble one that would help "the coloured people... [improve] their lot as they moved along the path to complete freedom...” (Boromé, 203). The Dominican library began as a reading room that evolved into a free and public library that wasn't fully free: patrons were required to pay a subscription fee. Surviving religious and political discord, the great depression, and two world wars, the library finally came under the care of the government where funds were set aside for its upkeep. Ironically, the early stages of the library's history were dedicated to remove the "uncouth", and "barbarous patois", which is being preserved. However, it did achieve its goal of "diminishing the island’s very high percentage of illiteracy" (pg. 225).[125] The historical library was demolished in the wake of hurricane Maria in 2018, and slated to be rebuilt with a more modern outlook.
Dominica was historically occupied by theArawaks (Tainos) and Carib (Kalinago) tribes at the time European settlers reached the island. "Massacre" is a name of a river dedicated to themass murder of the native villagers by English settlers on St. Kitts. The survivors were forced into exile on Dominica.[126] Both the French and British claimed the island and importedslaves from Africa for labour. The remaining Kalinago live on a 3,700-acre (15 km2) territory on the east coast of the island. They elect their own chief. This has produced the modern cultural mix.[original research?]
Music and dance are important facets of Dominican culture. The annual independence celebrations display a variety of traditional song and dance. Since 1997, there have also been weeks of Creole festivals, such as "Creole in the Park" and the "World Creole Music Festival".[clarification needed]
Dominica gained prominence on the international music stage in 1973, whenGordon Henderson founded the groupExile One and an original musical genre, which he called "Cadence-lypso" was born. This paved the way for modern Creole music. Other musical genres include "Jing ping" and "Cadence". Jing ping features the accordion and is native to the island. Dominica's music is a mélange of Haitian, Afro-Cuban, African and European traditions. Popular artists over the years included Chubby and the Midnight Groovers, Bells Combo,The Gaylords,WCK, and Triple Kay.
The 11th annual WorldCreole Music Festival was held in 2007, part of the island's celebration of independence from Great Britain on 3 November. A year-long reunion celebration began in January 2008, marking 30 years of independence.
Dominica is often seen as a society that is migrating fromcollectivism to individualism. The economy is a developing one that previously depended on agriculture. Signs of collectivism are evident in the small towns and villages which are spread across the island.[clarification needed]
Much of theWalt Disney filmPirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (the second in the series, released in 2006), was shot on location on Dominica (though in the film it was known as "Pelegosto", a fictional island), along with some shooting for the third film in the series,At World's End (2007).
Dominica's cuisine is similar to that of other Caribbean islands, particularly Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago. Like otherCommonwealth Caribbean islands, Dominicans have developed a distinct twist to their cuisine. Breakfast is an important daily meal, typically including saltfish, dried and saltedcodfish, and "bakes" (fried dough). Saltfish and bakes are combined for a fast food snack that can be eaten throughout the day; vendors on Dominica's streets sell these snacks to passersby, together with fried chicken, fish and fruit and yogurt "smoothies". Other breakfast meals include cornmealporridge, which is made with fine cornmeal orpolenta, milk or condensed milk, and sugar to sweeten. Traditional British-influenced dishes, such as eggs and toast, are also popular, as are fried fish andplantains.[citation needed]
Common vegetables includeplantains,tannias (a root vegetable),sweet potatoes,potatoes,rice and peas. Meat and poultry typically eaten include chicken, beef and fish. These are often prepared in stews with onions, carrots, garlic, ginger and herbs. The vegetables and meat are browned to create a rich dark sauce. Popular meals include rice and peas,brown stew chicken, stew beef, fried and stewed fish, and many different types of hearty fish broths and soups[citation needed]. These are filled with dumplings, carrots and ground provisions.
Cricket is a popular sport on the island, and Dominica competes intest cricket as part of theWest Indies cricket team. In West Indies domestic first-class cricket, Dominica participates as part of theWindward Islands cricket team, although they are often considered a part of theLeeward Islands geographically. This is due to being part of theBritish Windward Islands colony from 1940 until independence; its cricket federation remains a part of the Windward Islands Cricket Board of Control.
During the2014 Winter Olympics, a husband and wife team of Gary di Silvestri and Angela Morrone di Silvestri spentUS$175,000 to register as Dominican citizens and enter the 15 km men's and 10 km women'scross-country skiing events, respectively. Angela did not start her race, and Gary pulled out several hundred meters into his race. As of 2022[update], they are Dominica's only Winter Olympic athletes.[128]
Dominica has two major newspapers,The Sun[133] andThe Chronicle, and two national television stations. Radio stations include theDominica Broadcasting Corporation and independent stations come and go.Digicel andFLOW operate mobile phone services on the island for the use of Dominica's wireless customers. Historical newspapers includeThe Dominican,The Dominica Guardian,Archived 29 January 2021 at theWayback Machine, and theDominica Colonist, available for free in theDigital Library of the Caribbean.
^London Society for the Abolition of Slavery throughout the British Dominions (1831).Anti-Slavery Monthly Reporter, volume 3. London Society for the Mitigation and Abolition of Slavery in the British Dominions. p. 211.
^van den Burg, Matthijs P.; Brisbane, Jeanelle L. K.; Knapp, Charles R. (14 October 2019). "Post-hurricane relief facilitates invasion and establishment of two invasive alien vertebrate species in the Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies".Biological Invasions.22 (2):195–203.doi:10.1007/s10530-019-02107-5.eISSN1573-1464.ISSN1387-3547.S2CID204460134.
^"State-Sponsored Homophobia".International Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans and Intersex Association. 20 March 2019.Archived from the original on 8 February 2020. Retrieved16 August 2019.
^Barkham, Patrick (5 March 1999)."The banana wars explained".The Guardian.Archived from the original on 30 October 2017. Retrieved4 August 2020 – via www.theguardian.com.
^"About DLIS".dlis.gov.dm. Retrieved1 December 2022.
^Boromé, Joseph A. (1970). "Origin and Growth of the Public Libraries of Dominica".The Journal of Library History.5 (3):200–236.ISSN0022-2259.JSTOR25540240.
.jpg)
.svg)
